Romans 14

Wednesday, 11 December 2013

For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.Romans 14:2

Concerning matters of conscience (doubtful things) Paul now begins with food. He says that “one believes he may eat all things.” This refers to a person well-grounded in Scripture. He understands the dispensational model and what God has ordained. After the flood, God told Noah that, “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.” (Genesis 9:3)

This has never been revoked for non-Israelites. After this, at the time of the giving of the law, God gave dietary restrictions to the nation of Israel. These restrictions applied to them, and to them alone. These fell under the law and the law is now obsolete in Christ (Hebrews 7:18, 8:13, 10:9 – among many other passages). There are now NO dietary restrictions because the only change to what was ordained at Noah’s time (the Law of Moses) is set aside in Christ. This is confirmed, explicitly, in Acts 15:18-21 and it is testified to by Paul time and time again in his writings. The Christian is at liberty to “eat all things.”

However, Paul goes on. “But” is given to show a contrast to this thought. This is concerning “he who is weak.” This individual, weak in the faith and in the understanding of the freedom found in Christ “eats only vegetables.” Such a person may have a conscience about the slaughtering of animals for food (not understanding what God has ordained). Or they may have a conscience about the use of slaughtered animals which are killed and dedicated to an idol (see 1 Corinthians 8 which discusses this issue in detail). Finally, they may have come out of Judaism and be weak in their ability to overcome the dietary restrictions of the law they left behind to receive Christ.

People who fit into this “weak” category are those who have a conscience that is not developed enough to understand these freedoms properly. What they need is sound instruction, not a belligerent attitude. Knowing your Bible and being able to explain the passages above will set them on a course of proper understanding and into the freedom of the faith.

However, and having noted this admonition from Paul, it is to be understood that the Bible is now complete; at Paul’s time, it was still being written. It is also set, fixed, and understandable. If an individual receives this instruction properly and remains defiant and hostile towards those who exercise their freedom, they are usurping God’s rule and what God has ordained. If they don’t eat meat for personal reasons, they need to remain quiet about it and not be arrogant or antagonistic towards those who do. If their attitude is improper towards meat eaters, they are to be wholly rejected as unsound teachers, even heretics. Paul could not be clearer that reinserting precepts from the law is “another gospel” and is to be condemned (see Galatians 1:8).

The issue comes down to:

1) Knowledge
2) Sensitivity
3) The introduction of heresy

The sound Christian is to carefully weigh the source and the attitude of the individual to determine these precepts. Although jumping ahead in the context of Romans 14, it is a good time to look at this issue from outside a myopic viewpoint on the matter of food. If Paul says, “one believes he may eat all things” and he doesn’t later correct this during his discussion (which he will not), then it shows definitively that a believer can, in fact, eat all things. There is complete freedom in Christ to eat anything that has been given by God for the people of the world. Stand fast in this and do not be led astray through aberrant teachings.

Life application: Pass the ham, please.

Lord, with the work of Christ complete, You have shown us that the law is fulfilled in Him and it is therefore set aside in Him. Thank You for His work which I could never have accomplished. Help me to exercise my liberties in Christ in a way which glorifies You and which is sensitive to those around me while still being firm in the truth of what You have ordained. Amen.

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.Romans 14:1

In chapter 14, Paul now turns to the concepts of liberty and license. In particular, he will use food and drink along with days of rest/worship to show how we can easily err in our liberty, not in exercising it, but by lording it over others with less knowledge than we may have. What is for us freedom from sin for the individual can easily turn into the cause of sinfor ourselves or others. We do not have license to sin or to cause others to do so. And so he begins with, “Receive one who is weak in faith.”

A person who is weak in the faith is not someone who lacks faith in Christ. Either a person has faith and is saved or they lack faith and they are not saved. To be “weak in the faith” is to be saved and yet unsure of what is allowed and what is not allowed within the context of the faith. Jews coming to faith do so from the lens of the law where many foods are prohibited. They also come from those rules concerning Sabbath observance (the Sabbath is Saturday, not Sunday. It is not a term which is appropriate for Christianity except as is concerned with training on what the law taught; it is not a concept which is to be applied to a particular observance within the faith.)

Others may come into the faith with preconceptions about music, types of clothing, the drinking of alcohol, holiday celebrations, and on and on. Many come into the faith with all types of baggage that they carried from their previous lives. Without proper knowledge concerning these issues, they are therefore “weak in the faith.”

Paul says we are to “receive” such individuals as fellow believers and to do so without “disputes over doubtful things.” The term here fore “doubtful things” is literally “judgments of thoughts.” We are asked to not argue over such judgments. Having said that, this was written at a time when the principles of the faith were not yet written and categorized into what we now call the New Testament. Therefore, there is a more definite understanding now of those things.

Knowing this, we should receive fellow Christians without disputes, but we also need to be ready to defend our freedoms in Christ and also be ready to instruct the weak in the faith as to what is right and proper. Eventually, a person “weak” in the faith may become someone who is belligerent or obstinate in the faith.

When shown that certain types of foods can in fact be eaten, they may balk and actually accuse the brother who is stronger in the faith. Thus the weaker actually presumes to be the stronger through their lack of proper understanding of what is acceptable. This becomes perverse dissension and it is very common. When someone willfully rejects what is clearly presented and shows a defiant attitude, they should no longer be received.

The key to all of this is Christian love. When it is demonstrated, by the knowing or by the one lacking knowledge, a harmonious relationship will more likely continue –

You have ham and that’ll be ok with me
But I will abstain; it’s really not my thing
I know that either way, we have been set free
And so between us, let peace and harmony ring

If such an attitude is demonstrated, then the weak and the strong will exercise their liberties without animosity or dissension. Paul will continue to explain these things as chapter 14 progresses.

Life application: Don’t set out to ruin another’s faith over what is acceptable. Receive one another without lording your knowledge over those you disagree with. Rather, stand ready to demonstrate what is right directly from Scripture without fighting or accusation.

Heavenly Father, I love the freedoms which have come to me through the work of Christ. In Him, I can worship on any day of the week; I can dance as a form of praise; the type of instruments we use at church reflects the style of music we enjoy; the foods we eat are eaten with gratitude, not finger-pointing. In Him, we have so many freedoms. Thank You for worship which is in Spirit and in truth! Amen.