ROMANS 14
Introduction:
1. Read Romans 14.
2. It makes no difference which passage one studies, we must
always keep in mind that passages must be understood in light
of the context.
3. Also, the passage must be understood as it applied to those to
whom it was written. If we do not understand the application
to the time that it was written, how can we possibly apply it
to any present day problem.
4. I believe that Romans 14 has been made to teach what was never
intended to be taught.
BODY:
I. WHAT WAS THE BACKGROUND OF THE PASSAGE? What brought about the
writing of Romans 14?
1. Under the law of Moses, there were certain feast days set
aside, days required to be kept.
2. There were also certain meats which could not be eaten,
they were unclean, God said, "Do not eat."
3. Many Jews who had obeyed the Gospel sought to bind the
keeping of these days upon the Gentiles; they also thought
that eating of certain meats continued to be sinful.
4. Thus, most of what Paul writes here has to do with the
attempts on the part of some Jewish Christians to make the
gospel an extension of the Law of Moses.
5. Circumcision was also a problem for these Jewish
Christians. Many passages deal with this problem also. It
is not discussed in Romans 14.
6. It is my feeling that 1 Cor. 8 and 1 Cor 10 addresses a
different problem. Those passages deal with meats
sacrificed to idols. Could they be partaken of? That is
another study.
II. NEITHER EATING, NOR REFUSING TO EAT, WAS SINFUL:
1. God no longer made restrictions about meats.
2. vs. 14, "nothing is unclean of itself..."
3. vs. 20, "all things are indeed pure..."
4. It was lawful to eat all meats, but it was not required.
5. One could refuse to eat certain meats, no sin in that.
6. It was not required to keep certain days.
7. The things discussed in Romans 14 were LAWFUL, permissible;
YET, not demanded. To bring something UNLAWFUL into this
context would be an injustice and a misapplication of it.
III. THERE ARE TWO PARTIES IN ROMANS 14: (1) The weak in Faith; and
(2) The strong in Faith.
A. The "WEAK IN FAITH."
1. This describes the person whose conscience keeps him
from doing what he has the "liberty" to do. Such a one
believed he could not eat certain meats, because they
were unclean.
2. This person may or may not have understood that meat
restrictions had been removed and that he was not
required to keep certain feast days. He did not
understand his liberty. If he did, he would not have
judged (condemned) his brother. (vs. 3.)
3. Even after he received this instruction from Paul and
now understood his brother's liberty to eat meats, he
might still restrict himself from eating meats which
his conscience would not permit, even though he now
knew he had the liberty to so eat.
4. vs. 14. "save that to him who accounteth anything to be
unclean, to him it is unclean."
5. vs. 20, "all things indeed are clean; howbeit it is
evil for that man who eateth with offence."
6. vs 23. "But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat,
because he eateth not of faith; and whatsoever is not
of faith is sin."
7. The term "weak in faith" (vs 1) means "weak in THE
faith." Cf. Jude 3 "the faith." Thus, one who is weak
in his understanding of the faith, the system of faith.
B. The "STRONG IN FAITH."
1. vs 15:1, "Now we that are strong..." (Chapter division
is unfortunate.)
2. "Strong in faith" is the antithesis of "weak in faith."
3. Those "strong in faith" refers to the person who
correctly understands his liberty to eat meats because
his understanding of truth is correct.
4. Yet, this knowledge can bring about problems at times.
5. 1 Cor 8:1-2--"We know that we all have knowledge.
Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. If any man
thinketh that we knoweth anything, he knoweth not yet
as he ought to know."
6. The person who correctly understands his liberty to eat
all things must be careful of his attitude toward the
brother who is weak in faith.
7. Our attitude can condemn us as quickly as our partaking
of some sinful practice.
8. The one strong in faith may have been bragging about
his liberty to eat meats with little regard for the
effect it may have upon his brother. He seemed
unwilling to be responsible for causing a brother to
sin, when he influenced him to violate his conscience.
(vs. 15-16; 20-21.)
IV. HOW MUST EACH TREAT THE OTHER? Paul addresses both parties as
to their responsibilities toward their brethren.
A. To the "strong in faith."
1. He is to "receive him." To "receive" is to "accept,"
"to welcome," (vs 15:7) (Cf. Philemon 12, 17)
2. May we always be careful not to judge motives. We
cannot look into the hearts of men. God only can do
that.
3. vs. 13 -- "Let us not therefore judge one another any
more." Most likely the strong in faith was treating
with contempt the weak in faith. It seems that both
were condemning the other.
B. To the "weak in faith."
1. He was not to "judge" (condemn). (vs. 3).
2. He was not to "set him at nought" (despise) (vs 10).
V. WHAT EACH NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND:
A. The "weak in faith."
1. Needed to understand the truth about what was lawful
and correct his attitude toward his brother.
2. He needed to understand that God no longer made any
restrictions about meats. (vs 14, vs 20)
3. He also needed to understand and accept his brother's
liberty to do things which were lawful.
4. He needed to accept a proper relationship to his
brother.
B. The "strong in faith."
1. Needed to understand that knowledge and liberty could
be misused and abused and cause one to act contrary to
the way the Lord desires his children to act.
2. He must accept his responsibility for misusing his
liberty. When he eats meats or does not keep some feast
days and thus influences his brother to violate his
conscience, he is accountable (vs. 13).
3. He can destroy the brother for whom Christ died (vs 15)
4. (vs 21) "It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink
wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother
stumbleth."
5. NOTE: The stumbling is not merely a distasteful thing
to a brother---it is causing the brother to sin by
doing what he believes to be wrong.
VI. DID PAUL'S INSTRUCTION CORRECT THE UNDERSTANDING OF BOTH
PARTIES?
1. Is not the main purpose of Paul's instruction to correct
the improper attitudes each party had toward the other?
2. But, to do this, each had to understand the truth about the
lawfulness of eating meats and keeping certain days.
3. The "weak in faith" brother may still believe it would be
wrong for him to eat certain meats, but he was not to judge
his brother who did eat. The only way for him to stop
judging his brother who did eat was to accept the fact that
all meats were clean. (vs. 14, 20)
4. He may not be able to eat with a clear conscience, but let
him stop judging his brother who did eat.
5. To him who had a clear understanding and could eat meat,
let him not flaunt his knowledge and cause his brother to
commit sin.
VII. ROMANS 14 IS DISCUSSING THAT WHICH IS LAWFUL. I mentioned this
point previously.
1. It was lawful to eat all meats, lawful not to keep certain
days, but it was not required by Jehovah.
2. Whatever we may be considering to fit into this context
must first of all be considered LAWFUL by God. I cannot
take something which is UNLAWFUL and force it into this
passage.
3. Romans 14 does not address continued disagreements between
brethren about things which are UNLAWFUL.
4. To seek to make this passage teach we are to "receive ye"
one practicing error is a misapplication of this text.
5. I believe that many of the current problems among brethren
do not relate to Romans 14, but rather, to the principles
of fellowship during disagreements about truth and how we
may scripturally identify a false teacher.
VIII. WORDS OF CAUTION:
1. I think that we should be extremely cautious when brethren
begin to make their lists and brand other brethren who may
not agree with them on every point.
2. This is not to say that error should not be exposed.
3. It is to say that brethren should not seek to choose up
sides.
4. I am reminded of an incident which happened better than 40
years ago. When asked of an elder, why was "$5 a month to
six different homes put in the budget?" the answer was, "We
want to get on the bandwagon and let everyone know which
side we are on." How tragic. What about the Lord's side.
IX. APPLICATION OF ROMANS 14: When Paul finished his letter to the
Roman brethren and they read the message:
1. The "weak in faith" brethren had two choices:
(1) to accept the truth about eating meats and quit
judging his brethren who ate meats, or,
(2) reject the truth and find himself condemned.
2. The "strong in faith" brethren had two choices:
(1) to continue in his insistence on his right to eat
meats to the destruction of his weak brother, or,
(2) to correct his attitude, to accept the one whose
conscience would not allow him to do what was right to
do and to adjust his practice so that he would never
cause his weak brother to violate his conscience and
to sin.
X. PRESENT DAY EXAMPLE:
1. Suppose a member of the 7th Day Adventist church obeys the
gospel. For years he had been taught and believed it is
sinful to do physical labor on Saturday, the Sabbath. Yet,
God's Word no longer binds this practice, it says nothing
about keeping the Sabbath today.
2. One Saturday he comes by your house and you are working on
an addition to your house. You invite him to assist you. As
a new born child of God, he still has reservations about
working on Saturdays, but through your insistence he does
so, thus violating his conscience. You have influenced him
to sin.
3. We who are older (more mature) in the faith need to be
extremely careful not to become too demanding to those new
in the faith. Sometimes we expect the new convert to be
full-grown instantly; to overcome all of their previous
beliefs immediately.
4. This is not to say that we should permit a new convert to
practice sin.
5. Can we have different viewpoints and still worship. A new
convert may still believe it is all right to have
instrumental music in our worship. He or she has not been
convinced of the sinfulness of it. But, he does not demand
the instrument. Can we worship together. Certainly.
6. Others may believe it is scriptural for the congregation to
send to an orphan home, or to a college. But, such is not
done from the treasury, may we still worship together?
7. Must everyone else agree with me on every point in order
for us to fellowship each other?
Conclusion:
1. Paul closes with, "We that are strong ought to bear the
infirmities of the weak and not to please our own selves." Rom
15:1.
2. Each one has a tremendous responsibility toward our brethren.
3. Let us be certain that we do not teach or practice anything
which would cause our brother or sister to commit sin.
4. The fellowship of God's people is a beautiful thing. It is
God's arrangement whereby we are encouraged, strengthened,
assisted to live correctly, etc.
5. But, for you to be in that fellowship, you must obey God's
Word and become His child.
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