Lesson 26 Romans Study Notes DIFFERING OPINIONS (ROMANS 14:1-12) Imagine If you had been in Peter s place, you would have had to get over quite a few assumptions too. A lifelong Jew who had never eaten a meal with a Gentile or entered a Gentile s home doesn t just suddenly accept an invitation to go visit a Roman centurion. That would violate all sorts of traditions and prohibitions. But these were fascinating times, and God was doing a lot of unprecedented things. Still, it took a supernatural vision of clean and unclean animals to get Peter to consider accepting Cornelius invitation. Only divine intervention got Peter into the Roman s home to preach the gospel to a waiting Gentile audience (Acts 10). Hospitality customs dictated that meals must be served and that Peter would have to eat them not to appear rude. So for the first time in his life, Peter ate with Gentiles, and the food would not have been kosher. With this breakthrough of the gospel into the Gentile world, this scenario would be repeated again and again throughout the empire. Jewish believers in Greek and Roman cities often found themselves at a table with Gentile believers. One of the most contentious issues of the early church once it was determined that Gentiles could be believers without having to convert to Judaism and obey its distinctive laws was how to share a meal without violating each other s conscience. This became a very heated argument in Galatians; Paul rebuked Peter for eating one way around Gentiles but separating from them to keep kosher when Jews were present (Galatians 2:11-13). This debate apparently affected the Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome and may have been one of the main issues dividing them. Background Why would this problem have been a point of contention in Rome? Because much of the meat sold in the cities of the empire came from animals that had been sacrificed to idols. Jews had a very strong aversion to such meat its dedication to an idol would have made it unclean and even when Jerusalem s early Christian leaders decided Gentiles could follow Jesus without converting to Judaism, they still ruled against eating meat sacrificed to idols (Acts 15:19-20; but see also Paul s differing view in 1 Corinthians 8). Not all meat had been sacrificed, but one could never be sure, by the time it came to market, if it had. And even meat that had been prepared only to sell directly to markets was suspect; the buyer would have no idea how it had been slaughtered or whether it had been drained properly. An observant Jew would have to consider it all unclean. Many therefore bought meat from a trusted Jewish vendor or would eat only vegetables instead (Romans 14:2), as Daniel and his friends did in Babylon centuries before (Daniel 1:8-16). Even though the laws didn t justify a person, they still mattered to Jewish believers in the Messiah. The Servant of Another (Romans 14:1-4) Paul has been building unity in the fellowship throughout Romans, particularly between differing Jewish and Gentile perspectives. Now he tries to build unity on this very contentious issue. In Galatians, the problem he addressed was one of Judaizing Jews trying to convince Gentiles that keeping the law was a necessary part of being a Christian. Here it may be the opposite problem Gentiles insisting that Jews drop their Jewish dietary practices and not get hung up on how food is prepared or whether it had been sacrificed to idols. It seems that those who ate meat looked down on those who abstained from it. And it s also likely that, in response, those who abstained judged those who ate as being less spiritual or less dedicated to God. Paul begins this section with a reference to those who are weak in faith (verse 1). Which group is weaker? The one that can t get over old laws and traditions, or the one who hasn t yet learned that there is meaning in their actions? Perhaps the ambiguity is by design; each group likely considered the other to be weaker, and Paul makes no attempt to settle that issue because it doesn t serve his purpose. He Copyright 2016 by Explorer s Bible Study
seems to be saying it s okay to think other people are wrong, but not okay to hold it over their heads. Each member of the fellowship has to see the others through lenses of grace. The sharpest point in Paul s argument is that if each person believes he or she is serving God, it is inappropriate to make judgments about the motives or dedication of that person. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? (verse 4). In other words, those who make judgments are outsiders interfering in a personal relationship, much like a stranger trying to correct another person s child. That is rarely warranted. God is able to parent His children and correct His servants well enough on His own (verse 4). A Culture of Grace The context of Paul s discussion is eating and drinking, but the bigger question is this: What does it mean to live in a community of grace? What does being equal in God s eyes look like when strong opinions differ and those opinions have long included a sense of judgment in them? How do we find unity in our diversity? It is clear from Paul s writings and the rest of the New Testament that cultural differences should be no barrier to kingdom fellowship. The problem is in where we draw the line between absolutes and cultural differences. Many Christians confuse the two. But in Romans (and elsewhere), the real kingdom culture has already been described, and it has nothing to do with eating and drinking (Romans 14:17). It is filled with love, seeks to honor others, and builds each other up while depending on each other s gifts. Those are the essentials. Cultural practices are peripheral. We see this same dynamic in numerous issues today: not only in what people eat or drink, but also how they dress, how they wear their hair, how they spend their money, whether they get a tattoo, and on and on. For example, there are some European Christians who think it s somewhat immoral for a woman to wear much makeup but have no qualms about putting alcohol on the dinner table. And there are North American Christians who think it s immoral to put alcohol on the dinner table but have not qualms about wearing tons of makeup. Each group may believe its opinion is solidly biblical and that the other group misinterprets Scripture. Yet nowhere does the Bible suggest that these are core issues of the Christian faith. They are matters of conscience. That s the distinction Paul wants to make in this passage. He says we don t have to decide these issues. We can respect each other s views. In fact, we are compelled to; it s not our place to judge another s servant. If another believer is serving God according to his or her conscience and the Spirit s leading, we have no business offering a critique. It s not our relationship with God; it s that person s. Major on the majors, and demonstrate plenty of grace in matters of conscience. Be much more zealous about seeking unity than about defining rights and wrongs for other people. Cultivate an atmosphere of love. A Godward Life (Romans 14:5-12) Verses 5-12 support the initial argument made in verses 1-4. First, Paul applies the same principles to the observance of days rather than of eating. Whether he is talking about the Sabbaths and feasts held dear by Jewish Christians or Greek and Roman occasions still celebrated by Gentile Christians is not clear, but the point is that no one needs to judge others in these observances. Instead, two principles should guide such decisions: (1) Each person should be convinced in his own mind (verse 5), and (2) everyone should live in honor of the Lord and with a grateful heart (verse 6). Paul s point is that if we are living Godward lives if the Lord is our reference point for everything and we are making decisions based on our relationship with Him and our understanding of His will then we can rely on His guidance. We can trust the Spirit He has put within us, even if the Spirit leads each person somewhat differently in matters of conscience. If He really is Lord, Paul implies, we can have confidence that He will act as each person s Lord. Paul s line of reasoning is intended to shift the focus from people to God. Those who judge others on nonessential matters are making an assumption that they are neglecting Jesus lordship in their lives. Paul says to put the focus on Jesus. Assume that He really is leading His servants and that He has no obligation to lead one exactly as He leads another. Page 82
We can trust Him to be sovereign over His people, to nurture, guide, and correct when necessary and to cultivate diverse perspectives among us as He pleases. If we feel the need to speak truth into the lives of others, it should be to call them to seek the Lord Himself, not to call them to specific behavior on a peripheral issue. Jesus is already Lord of life and death (verse 9); it is appropriate to give Him space to be the Lord of those who serve Him. People who judge others are worried about accountability, particularly that those who do not share the same perspective as they do must be neglecting something God has revealed. Who will hold them to account? God will, Paul says in verses 10-12. Every believer will stand before His judgment seat, not to determine whether they have eternal life as believers, they already do but, as Paul has written elsewhere, for rewards and compensation in the eternal kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:10 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Each person will give an account to Him (verse 12). That includes those who choose to ignore His will, of course, but it also includes those who judge someone else s relationship with God. If we step back and look at this passage as a whole, Paul seems to be saying that the best account we can give when standing before the Lord is this: I chose grace. Truth in Season We are individuals, and though we are united as a body, we are also each in a personal relationship with God. God deals with us in different ways in different seasons. One person may need a stronger sense of His holiness while another needs a revelation of His unconditional love and vice versa down the road. He emphasizes different things at different times according to each person s needs. No matter how right we are in the lessons we have learned, they may be out of season for someone else. When we assume that other people s relationship with God must follow the same trajectory ours has, we are assuming wisdom we don t have and disrupting whatever process God is using with them. That doesn t mean we can t impart wisdom, give advice, or share our experiences. Clearly we should. But our tendency to think in terms of shoulds and oughts, or to place any judgments on behaviors that are debatable, is not wise. Far too often, Christians sacrifice unity for the sake of minor issues of doctrine or practice. And unity is almost always more important than those issues are. Above all else, the kingdom of God is characterized by grace and love. Page 83
DAY 1: Review Daily Study Questions 1. What issue is Paul addressing in Romans 14? 2. What guiding principles does Paul offer in verses 5 and 6? 3. What does it mean to live to the Lord and die to the Lord? What characterizes a life that belongs to Him? 4. What issues do Christians debate today that might fit into Paul s discussion in Romans 14? DAY 2: Read Romans 14:13-15 5. What do you think Paul means by putting a stumbling block in front of another believer? 6. Read Leviticus 7:22-27 and 11:46-47 as two among many samples of biblical dietary laws. If you were a Jew who had followed these practices your entire life as revelation from God Himself (given through Moses), how do you think you would react when seeing someone else violate them? What concerns would you have for your community (especially in light of Leviticus 7:27)? Page 84
7. In light of the previous question, do you think eating habits among Gentile Christians would be a hindrance to Jews believing in Jesus? Why or why not? 8. How do you think Jewish non-christians might have put pressure on Jewish Christians about not abandoning their shared customs and traditions? DAY 3: Read Romans 14:16-19 9. Verse 16 mentions things being spoken of as evil. What can you imagine Jewish and Gentile believers saying about each other s practices? 10. How does verse 17 make you feel? (Check any that apply.) (a) Encouraged it reminds me of what my faith is all about. (b) Frustrated I need to know what s allowed and what isn t. (c) Liberated I m tired of legalistic requirements. (d) Judgmental this is just what those legalists need to hear. (e) Discouraged if the kingdom is peace and joy, I m not experiencing enough of it. (f) Vindicated I ve always felt this way. (g) Other: 11. How might verse 17 apply to other areas of life besides eating and drinking? 12. What steps can you take to apply verse 19 in your relationships with other Christians? Page 85
DAY 4: Read Romans 14:20-21 13. How does making another believer stumble destroy the work of God? 14. In what ways might our practices cause another Christian to lose faith or indulge in sin? 15. Do you think verse 21 makes you responsible for how other Christians live? Why or why not? DAY 5: Read Romans 14:22-23 16. In what sense is faith a private matter (verse 22)? In what sense is it a corporate matter (verse 19; Romans 12:5)? How can we balance these two concerns? 17. According to these verses, why is it important to have a clean conscience? 18. According to these verses, when in doubt about a practical matter, is it better to err on the side of license or on the side of obedience? Why? 19. In what way are faith and sin related in our actions? Page 86