August 13 - Romans 14:1-2

 

14:1-12

Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters. ² One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. ⁴ Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.

⁵ One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. ⁷ For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹ For it is written,

As I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow to me,
and every tongue will give praise to God.

¹² So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.[1]

 

1

Welcome/receive – here and 15:7, “Therefore, welcome/receive one another, just as Christ also welcomed/received you, to the glory of God.”

This is an important principle for us to consider.

How do we welcome people?

 

Welcome/receive the one who is weak in faith …

            Who does this say to welcome?

                        This is talking about fellow believers.

                        Love your neighbor – everyone

                        There is a different relationship when we come to faith in Jesus.

                                    Fellowship/Koinonia

 

… not for argument/separation/discrimination/quarrel/judgement?

            The word is related the verb to judge, and that word comes up 7 times in this chapter.

 

… over opinions, disputed matters, convictions.

            Opinions is probably too weak of a translation.

            Disputed matters is okay, but only insofar as the dispute is within faithfulness and not contrary to God’s Word – Law or Gospel.

            Convictions are about how we live in view of the mercies of God, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, not conforming to this age, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds by the work of the Holy Spirit. (See Rom. 12:1-2.)

Consider the 8^th Commandment’s explanation – “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.”

 

2

Notice that the disputed matters are items that the Scripture does not command a certain outcome.

            Food – Mark 7:19

                        Likely related to meat sacrificed to idols. See 1 Corinthians 8.

            Sabbath – Mark 2:27-28, Worship from Saturday to Sunday in the Early Church.

 

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[1] The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.