Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (11.3)

The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 14:1-23 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

Introduction

Chapter 12 teaches us our moral and religious duties, chapter 13 our political duties, and chapter 14 our brotherly duties, especially to those who are weaker in the faith, who have different opinions from us on “indifferent” matters (ie, matters which God has given us the freedom to make our choice).

Principles of Conscience

v.1 We are to receive as our brethren those who are weak in the faith. There were many Jewish converts in Rome who were still unable to put away their obedience to Jewish food laws, and who though trusting in Jesus as their Saviour felt a need to obey the food laws that they and their forefathers had observed for generations. Such brethren were to be received without doubtful disputations, ie, without unfairly passing judgment on their “doubts” regarding eating certain food.

v.2 Many of the Jewish converts were afraid to eat meats sold in the markets because these meats were often first  offered to idols, or they had not been slaughtered according to Jewish laws - so to play safe they ate herbs. Their faith in Jesus was yet not strong enough for them to put away their dependence on the Jewish laws, unlike their stronger Christian brethren who believeth that he may eat all things. (Unsaved men often obey food laws because it is an easy way to soothe their consciences, so that they may indulge in other sins.)

v.3 The Gentile Christians despised the Jewish Christians and  considered them as superstitious and lacking faith in Jesus' sufficiency. The Jewish Christians on the other hand judged the Gentile Christians as disobedient, disorderly Christians who were careless in the way they lived. Paul commanded them to accept each other because God hath received them both, and if He has accepted them as His obedient children why did they not accept each other as such? We must be careful not to have a holier-than-God attitude.

However, we may sometimes have to lovingly separate from a Christian who is disobedient to God's command - for his own good (ie, as a serious warning, 2TH 3:14) and for ours (ie, for purity). This separation must always be done with the realisation that he is a brother (2TH 3:15). We must judge according to God’s standards, not ours. And if God has not set a standard regarding a certain matter, then we should not make our standard the “universal” standard!

v.4 If God has not made food a matter of concern for His acceptance, who are we to make it a matter of acceptance? Since we are all God's servants, we must only judge others using God's yardstick (ie., the Bible), ie, only God can decide what action standeth or falleth (ie, is accepted or condemned). If we try to condemn him on an indifferent matter, he shall be holden up (ie, accepted) by God. In "indifferent" matters where God has not told us what to do, we must obey our conscience – and God will judge us by whether we have obeyed our conscience or not. According to this, we will stand or fall before God. Our conscience is the only part of us that is free from outside controls.

v.5 The Jewish ceremonial laws prescribed certain special days - Jewish converts still felt obliged to observe (ie, esteemeth one day above another). The Gentile Christians had no regard for these special days (ie, esteemeth every day alike). Both groups were each to do what they were fully persuaded (ie, convicted in their own conscience) would glorify God best (under those circumstances).

v.6 Both parties were motivated by their desire to please God - they gave God thanks for their meat or vegetables, indicating that they confident that what they did was in God's will.

v.7 Christians should not live to please themselves only. Because they "are bought with a price" (1CO 6:30) they should live to please God. And because we should love our fellowmen we should also live to please them.

v.8 This is the true test of a Christian, ie, living and dying unto the Lord, for His glory.

v.9 Jesus has right to be our Lord because He has redeemed us, through His death and resurrection, therefore we should live for Him.

v.10 If a brother sincerely desires to honour Jesus to the best of his judgement and conscience (in a manner that is not unbiblical), though his manner of doing so may differ from ours, we should leave it to God to judge who did better, rather than condemn him (ie, set at nought thy brother). This decision will be known when we all stand before the judgement seat of Christ.

v.11  This verse from ISA 14:23 is used to confirm that Jesus will one day judge all men.

v.13 Since Jesus will judge every deed of ours, let us not therefore judge one another any more in indifferent matters (since God has not given us the yardstick to do so). As God has not given us commandments regarding many matters, we have liberty to do what we think is best in these matters. However, this liberty must be exercised carefully so that no man put a stumblingblock or occasion to fall in his brother’s way. In other words, though God does not stop us from doing certain things, we must not do them if they offend others.

v.14 The principle taught here is that it is wrong for anyone to violate his own conscience (because the conscience is God's instrument to warn us from evil).

v.l5 If a Gentile ate meat in front of a Jewish convert, the Jew might be encouraged to also do the same and grieve his conscience, and be ashamed before God (ie, good conscience destroyed). If Christ willingly died for the Jewish Christians) should not the Gentile Christian also willingly deny himself some meat for him?  Though sometimes it is necessary to "grieve" our brethren for their own good. For example, Jesus made it a point to "break" the sabbath because He knew that the benefits of correcting the Jews of their sabbath misconceptions at this time out-weighed the "ill-effects" of stumbling them.

v.16 Let not your Christian liberty which is good be used heartlessly to cause a weak Christian to act against his conscience, and thereby your “good” deed will be evil spoken of by others.

v.l7 Since our faith is not based on external things like eating (ie, meat) and drinking, but rather on more spiritual things (ie, righteousness, peace, and joy), then we would not be forsaking anything significant when we change our eating habits for the sake of others.

v.18 Those who are righteous, and have peace and joy (these things are the essential parts of our faith) are approved by God and Christians as true Christians - rather than those whose religion consists of what they ate or drank.

v.19 With all the previous reasons given for mutual acceptance in things that are indifferent let us live in harmony (ie, things which make for peace) so that we may edify one another, rather than fight one another over indifferent matters.

v.20 We must not allow an unimportant thing like eating to destroy the work of God (ie, affect the faith of another Christian - whose salvation is the work of God). The act of eating itself is pure (ie, not sinful) but by offending a brother's conscience we have done evil.

v.21 As Christians we must not do things which, though are not sinful in themselves, will unnecessarily stumble, offend, and weaken others.

v.22 God does not expect us to renounce our own convictions, which we should still keep to ourselves before God (ie, in our hearts). It is only when we do things (ie, alloweth) which are not condemned by our conscience, then do we have peace and are happy.

v.23 If a man does something without approval from his conscience (ie, doubteth), then he has sinned - because we have gone against what God has placed in us to guide us (ie, our conscience). In other words we must never do what we are not sure is right - it is rebellion against "God's authority".

Therefore we should not force any one to act against his conscience - but rather we should enlighten him by instruction from God's Word and example. Though it is always wrong to go against our conscience, it is not always right to do what our conscience thinks is right (because our conscience though useful is imperfect).