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 8th
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.
[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.
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