Explore the Bible Lesson Preview November 13, 2011 "Do You Show Respect to Others?" Background & Lesson: Romans 14:1-12 Motivation: Believer's Study Bible, p. 1618: 14:1-15:7 "Martin Luther said, A Christian man is a most free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian man is a most dutiful servant of all, subject to all.' This entire section addresses how, under the lordship of Christ, we are to balance Christian freedom and Christian responsibility. A number of principles informing us how to strike the delicate balance may be gleaned: (1) we dare not be judgmental in disputable or gray areas (14:1-5). (2) We must all stand ultimately only before God (14:10). (3) Each individual should be convinced in his own mind as to the rightness or wrongness of action (14:5). (4) One must not put a stumbling block in the way of his brother (14:13). (5) One must always act in love (14:15). (6) One must pursue actions which promote peace (14:19). (7) One must seek to edify others by his own actions (14:19). (8) One must do only that which can be done in faith (14:22, 23). (9) One must seek to glorify God (15:6). (10) We must always accept one another, even when we disagree over doubtful things (15:7)." 1 / 9
I. Doesn't God Respect Them? (1-4) A. Accept the Weak (1-2) 1. Receive "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things". (1) a. Open Arms - Against the background of Romans 12 (open your heart (9), open your wallet (13a) and open your home (13b), Paul said the Christian Community should be characterized by reception rather than rejection. In context, Paul is referring to receiving genuine believers who may be immature. This is not to be confused with behavior contrary to Christ's teaching (Gal. 6:1; 1 Tim. 5:19-20). The aim of our open arms should be to preserve Christian unity and to grow weak Christians in the faith. Col 2:6-7 b. Open Minds "not to disputes over doubtful things". This is variously translated "dou btful points", "opinions" or "scruples". Disputes are not to arise over personal preferences which are not clearly supported by Scripture. Ironically, it is these very issues of preference that provoke the strongest emotions. Paul teaches that our love and unity should be strong enough to be "kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another" (12:10) I Tim. 5:21 2 / 9
2. Believe "For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables." (2) Whether the reference is to observing Jewish dietary laws or to eating meat offered to idols (1 Cor. 8:1-7), Paul used the example to highlight several spiritual truths: a. Stricter may not be better: the one who "eats only vegetables" is fasting for the sake of his faith. He truly believes that he is pleasing God by subjecting himself to deprivation. However, rather than commending his dedication, Paul calls him "weak" in both verses 1 and 2. b. Limited understanding leads to aberrant behavior: The "weakness" of the vegetarians stemmed not from their lack of sincerity or dedication but rather from their lack of understanding. Whether they still felt compelled to observe Jewish dietary laws, or (more likely) they abstained from eating meat entirely rather than risk eating meat offered to idols, their aberrant behavior came from limited understanding. Paul declared "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Cor. 3:17). Those "strong" in the faith understood that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (10:4). They also understood that pagan gods were, in fact, not gods at all; so, whether meat was sacrificed to them didn't really matter. Legalism is particularly dangerous to the Body because it presumes the moral high ground and leads to pride. I Pet. 2:9-16; I Cor. 8:4-6, 9, 11-13; Col. 2:15-17; John 8:32-36; Lev. 25:10; Jas. 1:22-25 3 / 9
c. Strong faith leads to freedom "For one believes he can eat all things" (2a) While not likely to become a First Place 4 Health memory verse, this sentence is in contrast to the one who is "weak". A person of strong faith is led by the Spirit and God's Word rather than a complicated set of legalistic rules. Such a freedom bears great responsibility. (Gal. 5:1, 13). B. Avoid Criticizing Others (3-4) "Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. I ndeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." Paul gives the general principle that we have no right to criticize another believer over a matter of preference even if that preference is based on sincerely held convictions. Just as one person has no right to criticize another's servants, we in the church have no right to criticize other servants of God. William Barclay comments: "Many a congregation of the Church is torn in two because those who hold broader views are angrily contemptuous of those whom they regard as die-hard conservatives; and because of those who are stricter in their outlook are censorious of those who wish the right to do things which they think are wrong. It is not open to us to condemn each other. I beseech you by the bowels of Christ,' said Cromwell to the rigid Scots of his day, think it possible that you may be mistaken.' 4 / 9
We must banish both censoriousness and contempt from the fellowship of the Church. We must leave the judgment of others to God, and seek only to sympathize and to understand." ( The Letter to the Romans, 183) Eph. 6:12-13 II. Didn't Christ Die for Them? (5-9) A. Conviction "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind" (5). Paul is certainly not referring to "the Lord's Day" which by this time was firmly established as Sunday (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Most probably he referenced feast days and holidays that had been "Christianized" by various traditions. He allowed room for different preferences in the matter, but said that each one should be "fully convinced in his own mind" not influenced by peer pressure, tradition or false teaching. Clearly there is room for different convictions in the Christian Body as long as these convictions are not confused with Biblical doctrine. I Tim. 5:8, 21 B. Clarification "He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks" (6). Paul clearly states an underlying assumption that every member of the church is under God's authority and is seeking to please God alone. 5 / 9
Thus, the primary motivation for observing a day or fasting is to show loyalty to God and not due to tradition, habit or peer pressure. 2 Cor. 5:19-27 C. Community "For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself" (7). Believer's Study Bible, p. 1618: 14:7 "Others are entangled in our lives. We cannot live in splendid isolation, and we cannot die without others being affected. This consciousness adds gravity to the task of the believer." D. Calling "For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." (8) Here life and death are used as an inclusive metaphor; it's as if Paul was saying that we belong to God from A-Z, from first to last, from beginning to ending. In 12:1 Paul wrote to "present your bodies a living sacrifice" ; in Gal. 2:20 he said we are "crucified with Christ." From a human standpoint, there is a huge difference between life and death; however, from a Christian standpoint, we remain in the same state: "We are the Lord's". E. Confirmation "For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living" (9). Our servant hood (4) and Christ's Lordship (6) are validated by His resurrection. Because of who He is, He can rule over all (Phil 2:9-10). 6 / 9
III. Aren't They Family (10a) "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother?" (10a) Judging others puts us in a seat that only Christ can rightfully occupy. (Matt. 7:1). Paul was a brilliant man, well-educated and highly respected, first in the Jewish community and then in the church. Yet, he knew how unchristian it is to look with "contempt" on another by judging him/her. 1 John 4:18-21 IV. Aren't We Accountable to God? (10b - 12) A. Assignment "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (10b). Since Christ is the ultimate judge rather than humans, each of us should weigh our actions in light of His ultimate approval or disapproval. B. Acknowledgement "For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God'" (11). The quotation is from Isaiah 45:23 and is used again in Philippians 2:10-11. As our Sovereign Lord, Christ alone has the right to judge. Isa. 46:9-10 C. Accountability "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God" (12). Because Paul was acutely aware of future accountability at the Judgment Seat of Christ, he wrote to the Corinthians that he lived in recognition of the "terror of the Lord" 7 / 9
(2 Cor. 5:9-11). This reverential fear is provoked by a sense of urgency of our commission; an understanding of stewardship for what Christ has given us, and a sure knowledge of future accountability. Application: 1. More mature Christians have a responsibility to accept and mentor weaker Christians. 2. Proper interpretation of God's Word guards against the mistakes of legalism and license. 3. Christ alone has the right of Lordship over His Church. Adult Leader Pack: Item 17: Handout: Can't Respect That; Illustrator: pg. 6; "Jew ish and Gentile Believers in Rome" Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: www.hfbcbiblestudy.org; Dates: 2011: 8/24-11/16 - Midlink & Meal; 8/25-11/17 - College Kardia; 10/31 - First Fest; 11/ 10 - UBA Quarterly Assoc. Meeting; 11/12 - Men Pray Event; 11/13 - Make it Your Church Orientation; 11/13 - Parent Commitment; 11/13 8 / 9
- Christmas Store Collection; 11/18 & 20 - Thy Will be Done Seminars; 11/24-25 - Thanksgiving Holiday, church offices closed; 11/27 - Thanksgiving Weekend; 12/1 - Women's Christmas Banquet; 12/2 - Parents Night Out; 12/3 - Christmas Store; 12/8-11 - Christmas Celebration 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm.; 12/11 -Eve. Svc. in gym + LBS; 12/17 - Candy Cane Lane; 12/17 - Deacon's Christmas Party; 12/22-23 - Christmas Holidays - church offices closed; 12/24 - Christmas Eve Services @ 2, 4 & 6:00 pm; 12/25 - Christmas Day - 2 svc. 9:30 & 11:00 am, no LBS; 12/31 - New Year's Eve Party - Summit. 9 / 9