Romans chapter 14 begins a different topic. Paul will deal with the relationship of those who are able to eat meats without violating their conscience as opposed to those who are convinced that it is wrong. This is more than a treatise on eating or not eating meats. It is a discussion of how we are to treat the conscience and how we treat a brother with a weaker conscience than ourselves.

VERSES 1-4 "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2- "For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3- 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. 4- Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."
 

• "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things"
• We are not reject a brother because he is weak in faith, we are to accept him into our fellowship.
• We are not to admit him in order to correct him, or to argue. The things envisioned here are matters of indifference, as we shall go into detail.
• "For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables."
• Here is an explanation of the "doubtful things." It is matters that are not wrong nor right in themselves. 
• The matter of the eating of meats is one that plagued the church greatly in the early days. Most of the meats were sold in stalls in the marketplace. Some of the meat was the product of sacrifice to idols. Others were simply blessed in the name of idols at the stalls. This would lead some, among both Jew and Gentile, to want to avoid them.
• The Holy Spirit made it clear that it was wrong to forbid other the right to eat certain foods for religious reasons (1 Timothy 4:3-4)

• 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.
• There should be mutual respect between those who believe they can eat meat and those who do not.
• In matters of indifference, God has accepted both brothers.
• Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."
• In the final analysis God will judge all. We will either be approved, or rejected, based on His judgement.
• This statement harmonizes perfectly with other biblical principles. 
• Jesus tells us that we are not to judge with a hypocritical standard, applying a higher standard than we are willing to live by ourselves. (Matthew 7:1-5)
• But Jesus also says that we are to judge according to what is written in God's Word (John 7:24)

 

• "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
• There were still many Jews among Christian brethren who were keeping various aspects of the old law. (See Acts 21:20). These things were no long binding of the child of God, neither were they to receive the approval or sanction of the church.
• These Christians seem to have kept these feasts, days, etc. on an individual basis in some way. They were not being bound upon all Christians in a congregation. On the other hand the churches of Galatia were binding the observances of such days, months, seasons, etc. (See Galatians 4:9-10).
• In this context Paul seems to tell the Roman Christians that a personal observance, devotion, etc. is not a matter of faith but of personal conviction. The key is that we should not violate our conscience in the matter!

• "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."
• If you feel a necessity to keep a certain day in a special way, you can do so for yourself, not pushing your conviction upon others. If you do not feel the necessity of do such, or feel it to be wrong, then do not do such. It would be sin to violate your conscience. 
• Coffman - "Thinking that a thing is right cannot make it so; but thinking that a thing is wrong can indeed make it so for him who thus thinks."
• He uses the same principle with the eating of meats. These are matters of indifference, neither right nor wrong.
• This would apply to us today in the matter of things that are not unscriptural in and of themselves.

 

• "For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself."
• We all affect others in our lives. 
• He is reminding us that we cannot just say that we are going to do what we want, without regard for the conscience of weaker brethren.
• " 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"
• In the final analysis we will stand before God for our actions. It is not another man who will be the judge. Therefore, we much be sure to be right with Him and our conscience!
• We belong to the Lord, therefore no man can judge us by his own standard. See Romans 8:38.
• "For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living."
• Jesus died, was buried, and resurrected, so that we might have this relationship with him!

 

• "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 
• The judging brother would probably be the person who binds their scruples upon a brother who knows his liberty, while the brother who shows contempt would be the brother who knew his liberty.
• Each is to respect the other as a sincere brother who is trying his best to please his Lord.
• "For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.""
• Every person will bow to Jesus. It is to Jesus that each of us are subject. Therefore, in matters of indifference, we must respect one another.
• See Philippians 2:10
• "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God."
• The Judgment will be a personal one. Each person will not have to give an account for the deeds of others. We will have to give an account for our own actions.
• See Matthew 25:14ff; 2 Corinthians 5:10

 

• "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."
• We should no longer judge one another by our own standards. Our main goal should be to not cause a weak brother to violate his/her conscience.
• The key here is the context. It is matters of scruples which are neither right nor wrong. This is far different from 1 Corinthians 5 in which Christians are called upon to make judgments.
• "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."
• Paul reemphasizes the truth about such matter as eating of "unclean" foods. This divine principle is first stated in the New Testament ins Acts 10:9ff. 
• It is true that certain foods had formerly been ceremonially unclean for God's people to eat, or even touch, but God had, like the Gentiles, made a way for them to accept them.

• But it is the person's conscience that can make these things appear as unclean.

• Each brother and sister in Christ is to have an attitude of love, consideration, and mutual respect for their brothers. You are not loving when you are not sensitive to the "genuine conscience" of those "weaker" brethren.
• Even though you have certain rights, don't cause another brother to lose his soul over your insistence at exercising your rights. See also 1 Corinthians 8:11-13

 

A. "Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil"

• Even though we might be personally right and honorable to do some things, we may, be doing them, cause a brother to stumble, become unfaithful and thus bring the church in disrepute among outsiders. 
• When we bicker over these non-essential matters they drive outsiders away and bring the church into reproach.

• "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
• The most important thing in the church is not the personal rights of individuals to exercise personal liberties, but it is the spiritual service of the Lord.
• The welfare of the kingdom, its reputation before outsiders, and the continued spiritual happiness of all its members, is far more important than any person's "rights."

• For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men."
• If we walk in love toward one another, especially being considerate of weaker members, it will create good will among even those outside the body. See also Acts 2:47.

 

• "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
• In other words, seek to build up one another and be considerate of one another.
• "Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food."
• Part of the same admonition before, repeated for emphasis. Our personal liberties are not worth doing damage to the body of Christ. See 1 Corinthians 10:27-29.
• "All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense."
• There is no "unclean" food as far as eating and being pleasing or not pleasing to God. But it is wrong for the man who believes it to be wrong.
• "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."
• It is significant that Paul expands the number of areas in which we should be concerned about causing a brother to stumble to encompass anything that would cause a brother to stumble.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

• "Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God."
• If a Christian knows his personal liberties he must not seek to flaunt it toward those whom might stumble because of a weak conscience.

• "Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves"
• Or, in other words, "happy is he who doesn't condemn himself through the practice he considers right."
• He can do something that is right, and which he may be perfectly sincere in so doing, but still be condemned because it causes a brother to stumble.

• "But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."

• Paul turns back to those who are weak in the faith. If the weaker brother goes ahead and violates his/her conscience they are sinning.
• We must not jettison cherished scruples in the area of indifference for acceptance or popularity. This will damage what God has placed within us to allow us to avoid sin.