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Study Section 15: Chapter 14 - Specific Applications of the Foundational
Command - Relating properly to brothers and sisters in the Church.

15.1 Connect

In Paul’s day, the Greeks had many false gods. They built great temples in honor of them, and
erected enormous statues of what they thought the gods looked like. They even would slay
animals and offer sacrifices to these false gods. Quite often, so many sacrifices were offered
that they had excess meat sitting around in the temples, so they would take it to market and sell
it for food. Those at the market would purchase it, take it home, cook it, and eat it for dinner. Some
believers would go to the market and purchase some of this meat that had been offered to these false
gods. Meat is meat, they thought. Other believers could not believe that they would eat meat offered to
these false gods, and therefore harshly judged them and disputed with them. This caused quite a stir
among the believers.

Paul in Chapter 14 addresses this issue regarding brothers judging the motives and actions of others. Yes,
we are free in Christ, but are we free to offend our brothers in Christ by our practice in life? Let’s see if
Paul can help us understand what our position should be on this topic…

15.2 Objectives

1. Students should be able to explain how relate to brothers and sisters in Christ in the church.

2. Students should be able to describe how to use their freedom in Christ to serve him faithfully.

3. Students should be able to describe how to not use your freedom in Christ to judge one
another or to keep one another from growing in their trust in and service to Christ.

15.3 The Passage: Romans 14:1 – 15:13

Now the weak in faith welcome, not unto disputatious opinions. Whoever believes to eat all
things, but weak ones eat vegetables. The one who eats, the one who is not eating let him not
despise, now the one not eating the one eating let him not judge, for God welcomes him. Who
are you who judges another person’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls; now he will
be made to stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. For who judges day from day, but who judges all
days each one in his own mind let him be fully convinced. The one who regards the day to the Lord he
regards it; and the one who eats to the Lord he eats, for he thanks God; and the one who does not eat to
the Lord he does not eat and gives thanks to God. For no one of us lives to himself and no one dies to
himself; for when we live, to the Lord we live, when we die we die to the Lord. If we live or if we die, we are
the Lord’s. For unto this Christ died and lived so that also of the dead and of the living he might be Lord.
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or also you, who do you despise your brother? For it is written,

I myself live, says the Lord, that to me every knee might bow and every tongue might confess to God.
Therefore then, each one of us concerning ourselves will give an account to God.

Because each of you are servants who are accountable to God, accept and respect the choices each of you
make as to how to use your freedom in Christ to serve Him faithfully.

Therefore, no longer let us judge one another; but this thing judge rather, to not place a stumbling block or
obstacle before the brother. I know and am persuaded in Lord Jesus that no thing is unclean through itself,
except to the one who considers something to be unclean, to that one it is common. For if through food
you injure your brother, no longer according to love you are walking; not by your food that one destroy on

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