CENTER FOR CHURCH ENRICHMENT

SURVEY OF ROMANS

LESSON OUTLINE 11

Romans 14:1-15:13

Living In Christian Community

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Introduction

Romans 14 and 15 pick up where Paul left off in Rom 12 and 13 where he addressed covenant relations.

Fundamental to appropriate covenant relations is that Christians love one another and always put the other person first, where Christians are humble, not conceited, nor haughty.

Jesus addressed this in Matt 18 which one should read at this point.

Likewise in Matt 7:1 Jesus warned against being in the frame of mind in which one habitually finds fault with other Christians (the tense of the verb in Matt 7:1, a present imperative with the Greek negative particle me [pronounced may] implies a habitual action of finding fault.  It should be translated “do not habitually keep on finding fault”).

In the context  of Paul’s message in Romans of God showing no partiality and justifying both Jew and Gentile on the same ground of faith in Jesus Christ, his exhortation in Rom 14 and 15 is most appropriate and natural. 

The Jewish Christians might find themselves viewing the Gentile Christians as weaker in the faith, and the habitually finding fault with the gentile Christians because they did not understand matters as the Jew, informed by the Torah, might!

Likewise, there would be the tendency for the Gentile Christians, who were more stable in Rome, might constantly be finding fault with the Jews who kept on leaving and returning, although not by their fault, nevertheless creating an unstable situation in the churches.

It is amazing how easily well meaning Christians find themselves in situations in which they consider themselves to be the stronger ones, and in which they constantly find fault with their weaker brethren!

This seems to be an age old human fault which many Christians have not been able to overcome, which they should be able to overcome with God’s and His Holy Spirit’s help!

But then, this is what these two chapters are all about!

Understanding God’s grace and the fact that God and Jesus have welcomed us into their family should motivate us to do the same for one another without constantly judging one another!

Notice that this material is enclosed by two statements which technically we call an inclusio (an inclusio functions like parentheses binding material together in one block of teaching).

Rom 14:1 begins with the exhortation regarding the weaker Christian, “welcome him”.

Rom 15:7 Begins with the statement that Christians should “welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God”!

Whatever this passage teaches it teaches that Christians should welcome one another just as Christ has welcomed us, full of our weaknesses, but welcomed for the glory of God!
 

Rom 14:1-4 Welcome One Another For God Has Welcomed The Other!

Key to understanding this exhortation is the meaning of the word welcome!

One should also be aware of several other Scriptures that parallel and inform Rom 14 and 15, Matt 7:1-5; Matt 18; John 13:35.

The word welcome in Greek  is proslambanomai.

Lambanomai means receive, pros literally means in front of or before.

Putting these two words together we come up with welcome, receive, accept.

In our text Paul is instructing Christians to receive or accept the weaker Christians just as God has accepted us!

Who is the one who is weaker in the faith?

A fascinating question!

In our experience it is always the other person!

Whatever, we are to accept them just as God has accepted us!

However, we can come to some conclusion in Romans as to who the person is who is weaker in the faith.

It is the person who possibly does not understand the Torah we well as some might (Rom 14:2, 5-6; 15:17-22).
 

Rom 14:5-12 Judging God’s Servants!

Christians must be aware of the danger of judging others in matters of opinion! (Rom 14:1)

Sometimes our opinions may be on an interpretation of scripture!

We excuse ourselves by claiming that the dispute is over a doctrinal issue, but often it is over our opinion on a doctrinal issue!

Even on doctrinal issues we will not always agree!

We do not have the privilege or right to judge God’s servants, for only God has that right!

It might be good for Christians to recognize that they are not in the judging business!   

Read the following parables, Matt 13:24-30, The Parable of the Wheat and Tares, and Matt 13:47-50, The Parable of the Dragnet.

Our work is to preach the gospel, God will do the converting, saving, and judging, we do the welcoming!

I have no business deciding who can be my brother or sister, God our Father does that, we do the loving and welcoming!

Certainly we have on occasion to decide whether we can fellowship a person who is caught up in immorality (1 Cor 5:6-13), but not to decide whether they can go to heaven or not!

Dedicating certain days to the Lord is a personal opinion and others have no business judging that decision as long as we do not seek to bind our opinion regarding that day on others! (Rom 14:5-9).

We who will one day stand before the judgment seat of God should not put ourselves in the judgment seat of God in regard to others! (Rom 14:10-12).
 

Rom 14:13-23 Becoming a Stumbling Block

We should first understand what a stumbling block means!

The RSV translates this texts as "never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother".
The NIV translates it as "not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way".
The KJV translates it as "no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way".

Paul uses to words that are somewhat synonymous, “a stumbling block or hindrance”

The first word stumbling block derives from proskomma meaning an occasion of stumbling.

The second word skandalon means something that causes someone to stumble, or to stumble and sin.

[In Matt 18:7 in the RSV and (NIV similarly) we read these words, “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes! ⁸ And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.”
In these verses I have highlighted the word sin, in the Greek we have the word skandalon, the same word as in Rom 14:13; 21!

The context of Matthew clearly shows that the word skandalon can be used for stumbling to sin!

These two words, stumble and hindrance, do not mean doing something that someone else might object to!

They imply doing something that would cause someone to stumble and sin!

Paul urges Christians to give up judging, and to decide never to cause someone who might be weaker in the faith to stumble and sin!

Rom 14:17 indicates that there is more to the kingdom than opinions about eating and drinking, and yet too often we cast a shadow over the kingdom by squabbles over our opinions!

Rom 14:20 Paul exhorts the Christians in Rome not to destroy the work of God for the sake of food!

The point here is that Christians can so easily destroy God’s work of saving someone by squabbles over opinions!

However, Paul encourages the Christians (Rom 14:21) not to permit the freedom they have (to eat food and drink wine) to cause a weaker Christian to stumble (that is, to sin, perhaps in ignorance because the follow the example of a stronger Christian).

How Christians use their freedom (in the case of Rome, to observe special days, eat foods, drink wine) is important and sometimes equates to walking a narrow line.
Note Gal 5:1, 13 where Paul speaks of the freedom we have in matters of opinion and sets some parameters to this freedom, not the parameter of love and concern for others and their faith!

Rom 14:19 again stresses the need Christians have to pursue things that make for peace.  Squabbling over opinions does not make for peace, but create friction that too easily lead to division of the body!!

A significant point in Rom 14:19 is that Christians should strive for mutual up-building, that means to give others time to grow, but to make an effort to help them to mature by Christian example and teaching.
The heart of Christian faith is helping others to study and to grow in the faith, but not by studies that create decision!

In his final exhortation of Rom 14 Paul speaks of not permitting one’s faith to destroy the faith of another. 

By faith here Paul has in mind ones conscience!

Conscience is that inner sense of right and wrong that is informed and shaped by knowledge (in the case of a Jew, the Torah, in the case of a Christian it could include the Torah and the Christian “torah”, the instruction we have from Christ and his Apostolic witnesses, in short today, the New Testament.  Ultimately we are shaped by the example of Christ and living for him and His and God’s glory – a tall order and challenge!)

Whatever our conscience permits, and it should be shaped by our “torah”, Christ, we should use with care and concern to ensure that we do not cause a weaker Christian to sin.

We are not talking here about what might cause a strong Christian not  to like or to disagree with us over a matter of opinion! 

We are talking about causing a weaker, perhaps new, Christian to sin!

For a Christian to disregard conscience, however weak or strong that conscience (faith) may be, is sin!

In exercising our rightful freedom we can sin
 

Rom 15:1-6 Following Christ’s Example

Strong Christians (in our experience, usually ourselves!  Note Paul’s use of “we”!) must learn to be patient with those who are weaker and to “put up” (bear) with their failings.

We do not ignore these failings, but do not make a fuss about them!

We do this so the weaker Christian can be edified (built up and strengthened).

Edification comes form the example of others, prayer and study, and giving others time to grow!

Our example in this is obviously Christ and his giving himself, patiently, for us, and his continuing patient endurance of our weaknesses!

Paul prays that God, who is patient with us, will grant that we live in harmony with one another, in accord with Christ, which means as Christ is patient with us and lives in harmony with us.
 

Rom 15:7-13 Welcome One Another Just As Christ Has Welcomed us

Remember that he word “welcome” means to receive and accept others where and as they are!

This does not mean that we do nothing about their weakness!

We accept and receive them for mutual upbuilding!

It means we do not constantly find fault with them and judge them, but that we are patient as we work with them and encourage them to grow and mature, just as Christ has been doing with us!

We do this so we do not destroy the work of God in their life (Rom 14:20) and that we might bring glory to God (Rom 15:7).

We do not think of ourselves, but of the other person, Christ, and God!

Focusing attention on the tendency that Jews (informed by the Torah) might have in finding fault with Gentiles (who might not be informed by the Torah).

Christ became a servant of the Jew (the circumcised) so that both Jew and Gentile could be confirmed as beneficiaries of the promises to Abraham.

Paul then cites Psalm 18:49 and the Torah in support of the rejoicing of the Gentiles over their redemption.

As Christ has been patient with the Jews, so the Jewish Christians must be patient with the Gentile Christians, for the work of God among the Gentiles, and the glory of God!
 

Summary of Rom 14 and 15

In this section Paul brings his gospel theology and its implications to a conclusion.

We should all remember that it is only by the grace of God that we are saved.

No one of us is better than any other, and none of us deserve to be saved.

It matters not whether one is a Jew or a Gentile, male of female, rich pr poor, educated or uneducated, strong or weak in our faith, we are all sinners and saved only by the grace of God!

Those who think they are stronger that others must accept the weaker Christians, especially when it comes to matters of opinion.

Matters of opinion might include what we eat or drink, Kosher food or otherwise, drinking wine or not drinking wine.

[Of course gluttony and drunkenness are not to be part of the Christina experience.]

Matters of opinion also include personal interpretation of Scripture!

We prefer to think we are right and that our opinion is “doctrine”, but even in matters of opinion in interpreting Scripture, we should be careful not to permit such opinions to become divisive and cause another Christian to loose confidence in and leave Christ!

[Notice I have spoken of personal opinion in regard to Scriptural interpretation!  Every church has a shared system of doctrinal values, and we should be willing to fit in with these, or else leave!  We do not permit personal opinion to cause division!  We should have the freedom to restudy doctrine, but not to cause division over personal opinion.  We can keep our opinion in the presence of others who disagree with us without causing problems and division!]

Christians do not have the right, nor the mandate to judge God’s servants, for they too are only servants. 

It is only God and Jesus who are in the judging business!

We are in the proclaiming (sharing the Gospel), loving, and nurturing business 

Christians must be careful not to permit their personal opinion and freedom to cause another whose Christian conscience is not yet fully formed to sin.

Throughout this exhortation the emphasis has been on nurturing and helping the weaker Christian to grow in faith (conscience), not permitting personal opinion and freedom to cause another Christian to fall into sin, to be careful not to destroy the saving work of God in another, and to bring glory to God.

Just as Christ welcomed us in our sinful condition, and continues to welcome us in our weakness, we are to welcome others who might not agree with us in matters of opinion!