Page 97 - Romans Student Textbook.doc

What complicated matters was that there was an ethnic and cultural background to this issue. Those Paul
designated as “the weak” seemed to come from a Jewish background and had brought with them from
Judaism scruples about when one should meet to worship God and what people who follow God should
eat and drink. Those whom Paul called “the strong” seemed to come from a Gentile background and
believed that they did not need to become Jewish to follow Jesus faithfully. Paul is actually in a great place
to mediate this conflict because his ethnic/ cultural background is the same as “the weak” so he
understands their concerns and thinking, while his theological convictions and ministry practices line up
with the Gentile believers. He is one who was formerly “weak” who through Christ has become “strong.”
His solution to the problem is reflected in three summary statements he made to them as he analyzed
with precise detail the flaws in the thinking and practice of those on both sides of the issue. He expressed
them this way: (1) “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master
that he stands or falls.” 122 (2) “For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. . . So then,
whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” 123 (3)

“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” 124 Put in other words Paul told them that (1)
they must remember that they are not the judge of these matters so they should quit acting like judges;
(2) they are to live for God and others not for themselves so quit being selfish; and (3) God is the one who
will judge them all perfectly and so remember you are accountable to Him. Paul seemed confident that
doing those three things would set them on the path to resolving their differences in a way that would
please God.

Do not use your freedom in Christ to judge one another or to keep another believer from growing in their
trust in and service to Christ. (14:13-23)

There is a tendency among believers in Christ to use the freedom that He provides for them in wrong
ways. We are to be wise in the use of the liberties that are given to us through the work of Christ and use
them in ways that honor God. As he addressed this need Paul told the Roman believers what he believed
the Scriptures taught him about the relationship of food and drink to his salvation. He summarized his
position this way, “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is
unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.” 125 “Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgement
on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is
not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” 126 What he said is that this issue is one in
which a person’s faith in Christ makes the difference. What is done by either the one who eats or the one
who does not eat must be done out of a sincere trust in Christ and His Word. The judge of the matter is
Christ, but those who doubt whether they should eat or not, should refrain from eating until that time
when they have no more doubts because to violate their consciences that way is to sin.

This principle laid a serious responsibility on those who believed that they have freedom in Christ to do
what their brother believed he could not do. When he wrote “By what you eat, do not destroy the one for
whom Christ died,” 127 and “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your
brother to stumble,” 128 Paul was pointing out that freedom is a tool given to us by God that is
to be used to advance the display of His glory in this world. We are to use it to “pursue what makes for
peace and for mutual unbuilding.” 129 Freedom is not given to us for freedom’s sake but is rather given to
us a tool by which we are to be make into more effective servants of God’s will and proclaimer’s of God’s

122 Romans 14:4, ESV.
123 Romans 14:7,8, ESV.
124 Romans 14:12, ESV.
125 Romans 14:14, ESV.
126 Romans 14:22-23, ESV.
127 Romans 14:15, ESV.
128 Romans 14:21, ESV.
129 Romans 14:19, ESV.
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