Translations: Chinese GB Big5

Romans 14 (web)

Disputable Matters

Do Not Judge Others in Disputable Matters

14:1 Now receive one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions.

14:2 One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
14:3 Don't let him who eats despise him who doesn't eat.
Don't let him who doesn't eat judge him who eats, for God has received him.

14:4 Who are you who judge another's servant? To his own lord he stands or falls.
Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand.

14:5 One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike.
Let each man be fully assured in his own mind.

14:6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord;
and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.
He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks.
He who doesn't eat, to the Lord he doesn't eat, and gives God thanks.

14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself.
14:8 For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord.
If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord's.
14:9 For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again,
that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

14:10 But you, why do you judge your brother?
Or you again, why do you despise your brother?
For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
14:11 For it is written,

"'As I live,' says the Lord, 'to me every knee will bow.
Every tongue will confess to God.'" (Is 45:23)

14:12 So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.

14:13 Therefore let's not judge one another any more

Tolerate the Convictions of Others in Disputable Matters

but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother's way, or an occasion for falling.
14:14 I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself;
except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

14:15 Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love.
Don't destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
14:16 Then don't let your good be slandered,

14:17 for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,
but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
14:18 For he who serves Christ in these things
is acceptable to God and approved by men.

14:19 So then, let us follow after things which make for peace,
and things by which we may build one another up.
14:20 Don't overthrow God's work for food's sake.

All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating.
14:21 It is good to not eat meat, drink wine,
nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak.

14:22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God.
Happy is he who doesn't judge himself in that which he approves.

14:23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn't of faith;
and whatever is not of faith is sin.

(14:24) Now to him who is able to establish you
according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages,
(14:25) but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets,
according to the commandment of the eternal God,
is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations;
(14:26) to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
{TR places verses 24-26 after Romans 16:24 as verses 25-27.}

Discussion Questions

What determines whether a matter is disputable?

Consider a disputable matter that you know some struggle over. In what ways is it similar to the situation Paul was dealing with concerning whether to eat meat or not?

What about going to church on Sunday?

Or considering Sunday a "Holy day"? Is that disputable?

Paul says that we should keep disputable matters between ourselves and God, but what if others demand that we live contrary to our convictions?

How can we "not allow what we consider good to be spoken of as evil" if we are silent?

How might this discourage us from meddling in other people's business?

Should we try to "enlighten" people who seem to us held captive to their own convictions concerning disputable matters?

What if they or you are not "fully convinced in your own mind" concerning a disputable matter?

Is it sinful if we act contrary to our conscience, even if that action is not contrary to someone else's conscience? If we always do what we "feel" is right, does that mean that it always is right? How is this related to faith?

Comments

vs 1 By "weak faith", Paul is not saying that such a persons is deficient with respect to having salvific faith. It seems clear in this chapter that there is no question that he is not referring to faith in the atoning work of Christ that leads to justification. But rather he is referring to the applications of faith. In fact those who are of a "weak" faith, as Paul calls it here, often have more obvious applications that those of a strong faith. If a person refuses to eat meat or does other such things, he might stand out more in a crowd. In fact, such a person might consider himself being of a stronger faith than the one who eats meat, in that it may make his life more difficult. Ascetics can become proud and legalistic and look down on others who are not so restrictive. Perhaps this is why Paul refers to them as of a "weak faith", to humiliate those who were a bit too proud of their asceticism.

But remember, that we are talking about disputable matters. Paul takes a very strong stand against those who put their faith in what should be the applications of their faith rather than putting their faith in Christ. For example, while in vs 5 he says:

"One man considers one day more sacred than another;

another man considers every day alike.

Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind."

Yet he warns:

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain."

Galatians 4:9-11

He said this because the Galatians, being influenced by the group of the circumcision, were actually putting their faith in the observance of special days as if it was a requirement for salvation.

Romans 14 deals not with people who are putting their faith in what should be merely applications of faith, but rather with people who are deriving applications of faith from the Bible as the Holy Spirit directs their conscience.

vs 2 Why is eating or not eating meat a disputable matter? There were a couple of reasons for this.

In Acts 15, James (a leader at the church of Jerusalem) declared that the Gentiles need only "to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood." But even this seems to go too far for Paul, who considers eating food polluted by idols more of a disputable matter, and no doubt also meat from strangled animals; unless what James meant was the same as Paul in this chapter: that one should keep these private so as to not affect fellowship with Jewish believers. But then if he were just speaking of disputable matters, why would he include abstaining from sexual immorality, which is certainly not a disputable matter?

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it."If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake— the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? 1Cor 10:25-29

vs 4 Don't we all have the same Master? What does it mean by "another man's servant"? He probably means "he's not your servant, he somebody else's servant". We shouldn't judge others in disputable matters as if they are our servants. Though as Christians grow in maturity, they will come to a common conviction even concerning disputable matters, there should be allowances for the difference of opinion on disputable matters so to give people room as they are growing. And similarly for raising children. Being overly restrictive can bring discouragement and hinder creativity and growth.

vs 5-6 Some Christians are overly dogmatic concerning treating Sunday as a sort of holy day. They judge others who may not go to church on Sunday, or partake of some other special religious activities that day. But Paul writes that such is a disputable matter and Christians should be flexible on these kind of things.

vs 7-13a But whatever we do, we should have a view towards the judgment which we will face. For we are not here to do our own thing, but we are here as servants of Christ. So in whatever you are doing, ask yourself, "Am I accomplishing the work that Christ has given me to do? And am I doing it efficiently and in a manner that glorifies God?"

vs 13b-23 As Paul had said in the previous chapter, "love does no harm to its neighbor". But if you are doing things that don't violate your own conscience, then why should they harm another? But just as it may be harmful for children to deal with adult subjects and situations, so it may be harmful for those weak in faith to imitate those who are more mature in faith in matters that would violate their conscience. And once again I must stress that this is only with respect to disputable matters. Though spiritual maturity leads to freedom, it doesn't lead to lawlessness.

Sometimes institutional churches lose sight of the objective: righteousness, peace with God and joy in the Holy Spirit leading to peace between believers and mutual edification. Programs and ceremonies can often take priority over people. And denominational dogma may have a tendency to replace the Bible.

vs 22 "keep between yourself and God." In saying this, Paul discourages meddling and encourages a certain amount of privacy in a believer's devotion to God. Spiritual leaders should not be micro-managers.

vs 23 "everything that does not come from faith is sin." Biblical faith involves not just the mind, but the conscience. Just as faith in Christ should lead to repentance due to conviction of sin, so also walking by faith involves following our consience as the Holy Spirit directs us to derive applications from the Bible.

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources

Feb 10,2009