Rev. David Holwick V Book of Romans series
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
June 11, 1989
Romans 14
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I. Dilemma.
A. Cable TV controversy several years ago in West Lafayette.
[Local cable owner did not want to offer premium channels because
they were too immoral. Community objected and he sold his
business.]
1) Each person now has a choice.
2) Get cable movie channel; don't get it.
B. Reflection on your spirituality.
1) Whichever option you choose, people will draw (different)
conclusions about your commitment to Jesus.
C. Church in Celeste's hometown:
"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things,
charity."
1) This is a great summary of Paul's teaching in Romans 14.
II. The conflict in Romans 14.
A. Two groups.
1) One group (the weak) has three hangups:
a) Eating meat. 14:2
b) Drinking wine. 14:21
c) Holy days. 14:5
1> Probably due to Jewish influence.
2> Jews thought unclean food made a person unspiritual.
3> We would call them Conservatives.
2) Second group (the strong) has one hangup:
a) Group #1.
b) They feel they are free to indulge in meat, wine, and
worship on any day they wanted.
1> Jesus declared all foods to be clean.
2> Paul agrees with them. 14:14
3> We would call them Liberals.
B. Conflict is not about essentials.
1) The "weak" group did not think these practices were necessary
for salvation.
a) "Faith" is on-going commitment to Jesus in daily life.
b) If salvation, Paul would have nailed them. (Galatians)
2) Instead, they saw it as a matter of spirituality.
Who follows Jesus the closest?
a) The "weak" saw the strong as unspiritual because they
lacked discipline.
b) The "strong" saw the weak as unspiritual because they
were hung up and not liberated as Christians.
C. Paul says both groups are wrong.
III. Application today.
A. Many groups are still hung up on Old Testament rules.
1) Seventh Day Adventists.
a) Saturday Sabbath, food restrictions.
b) Deep convictions, interesting prophecy bible studies.
1> Put doubts in many minds.
2) Friend in Ipswich.
a) Feels guilty eating shrimp and lobster.
B. Other hangups:
1) How you worship - Say Amen and clap?
2) How you relax - Play golf on Sunday?
3) How you vote - Can a Christian vote for Republicans?
4) How you spend your resources - Fancy car?
IV. Christians need to learn how to handle options.
A. Four basic positions: (cable TV)
1) Mature participator.
a) I can make good choices without acting superior.
2) Mature non-participator.
a) I do not have self-control so I won't get it, but I will
not condemn those who do.
3) Immature participator.
a) I get cable, and no church is going to tell me not to.
4) Immature non-participator.
a) I don't get cable, and no real Christian should.
B. Immature tend to dominate.
V. Convictions are important.
A. Necessary.
1) Not just pragmatic, "It works for me."
2) What pastor, mother, grandpa says?
3) What do I really believe?
B. Must have limits.
1) There are gray areas in life. (non-essentials)
VI. Four principles in making personal choices of faith in gray areas.
A. Be fully convinced in your own mind. 14:5b
1) Suggests a container filled to the brim.
2) Same verb describes Abraham's faith in God's promises. 4:19-21
B. What may be appropriate for one person may be totally inappropriate
for another.
1) Situation ethics?
a) No; evil is not so much in things -
- it is in people. (Mark 7)
2) Example:
a) Paul is convinced all food is clean. 14:14a
b) For someone else it can be unclean. 14:14b
C. People who are fully convinced in their faith are blessed. 14:22b
1) Blessed (or "happy") means favored by God.
D. Having doubts about gray area, and doing it anyway, is sin. 14:23a
1) Young Christian asked to play music in church; he does, but
feels guilty afterwards because of sinful associations it had.
2) Does not mean sin is only what we make it. (Mounce)
a) Violation of conscience is in view.
VII. Critical feature.
A. Sin is not so much outward behavior (eating meat), but lack of
conviction. 14:23
1) He acts on another person's faith, not his own.
2) It is doubting (unstable) faith. cf. James 1:6
B. Spirituality is also not so much outward as inward. 14:17
VIII. Combine freedom with responsibility.
A. Unrestricted freedom can lead to anarchy.
1) (Note upheaval in China.)
B. Necessary restrictions on freedom:
1) Duties because of our relationship to God.
a) God decides whom he receives. 14:3b
b) All believers are ultimately responsible to God. 14:4a
1> Mind your own business, let God mind his.
c) God assists each believer in standing up for his own
convictions. 14:4b
d) Christ himself is Lord of the church. 14:9
1> Let him rule it.
2) Duties imposed by our responsibility to people.
a) Positive - Just as God accepts all his children, we must
accept one another, regardless of gray areas. 14:1
1> Learn to trust them, even when they differ from us.
b) Negative - stop judging those who have different
convictions. 14:3, 14:13a
c) Give the benefit of the doubt to fellow believers. 14:6-7
1> We are not only one dedicated to Lord.
d) Avoid becoming a stumbling block to others. 14:15-21
1> Jesus says having a millstone around your neck and
being thrown in a river is better option.
IX. Two obligations:
A. The weak is obligated to let the strong know how he is being
affected.
B. The strong has the obligation to curtail his freedom for the
sake of the weak one's conscience.
1) Most of Paul's warnings are for the "strong."
X. Overriding goal: Pursue peace. 14:19
A. Often personal differences obscure our vision of God's big goal.
1) Value and promote harmony in church.
a) True spirituality puts others first.
2) Be humble.
Cromwell to rigid Scots -
"I beseech you by the affection of Christ, think it possible
that you may be mistaken." (Barclay)
B. People will know we are Christians by our love. (Jesus)
1) Jesus died even for picky people. 14:15
*************************** NOTES **************************************
C.E.B. Cranfield
I. Different interpretations of who "weak" are:
A. Legalists trying to earn favor with God. Barrett,Barclay
1) Against:
a) In this case they would not be genuine believers.
b) Paul would have dealt vehemently with them (cf. Galatians)
B. Issue is "things sacrificed to idols", as in 1 Cor 8; 10. Augustine
1) In favor:
a) Many verbal parallels.
b) Abstention from food (to keep pure of idolatry) is plausible.
2) Against:
a) Idolatry is never mentioned in Romans 14.
b) Observance of special days does not fit in.
c) In Romans, the "strong" are not condemned in and of themselves;
in 1 Cor 10:20-22, they are exposed to danger apart from their
treatment of the weak.
C. A fast of sorrow for the unbelief of the Jews. Schlatter
1) In favor:
a) Conflict is between Jewish and Gentile believers.
b) There was a comparable fast by the Pharisees.
2) Against:
a) No positive support in Rom 14.
D. Mortification of the body for spiritual reasons; food not intrinsically
bad.
1) Against:
a) The weak seem to feel the matters are "unclean."
b) Non-compliance by "strong" Christians would not have had such
a disastrous effect on the "weak".
E. Ancient religious attitudes in which eating meat and drinking wine keep
a person from being spiritual. (Cranfield)
1) In favor:
a) Attitude has persisted for centuries.
b) Use of words "common" and "unclean" fits in.
2) Against:
a) Third feature, special days, does not fit in.
F. OT legalism that does not seek salvation in the Law, but believes it
must be followed for spiritual reasons.
1) In favor:
a) It agrees with 15:7-13 that points to a division between
Jewish and Gentile believers.
b) It agrees with use of "common" and "unclean".
1> Cf. Mark 7:19. It was probably still a live issue in
the church.
2> Although only some meat was unclean according to OT, it
is reasonable for them to abstain from all meat.
3> Biblical precedent is found in Dan 1:8,12,16.
c) It agrees with the observance of days.
d) It agrees with the implication of the section that they are
also weak in character; they could not defend themselves
well, but relied on emotional arguments.
e) It agrees with the spiritual ruin that is described, because
convictions without rational support endangers personal
integrity.
f) It agrees with Paul's gentleness toward them.
1> He is mostly exhorting the strong.
A> (Chrysostom saw it as an indirect rebuke of the weak)
2> If salvation by grace were at stake, he would have been
much harsher.
2) Against:
a) Abstention from wine is not as easily supported from the OT.
1> Only priests on duty (Lev 10:9) and Nazirites (Num 6:3-4)
are required to abstain.
2> Dan 1:8,12,16 does not adequately explain Rom 14:21.
3> (Recabite parallel in Jer 35:2ff?)
II. Conclusion.
A. The strong recognized that the goal and meaning of the OT law was
fulfilled in Jesus; the ceremonial portion does not need to be obeyed.
B. The weak felt the a continuing concern with the literal obedience of
the ceremonial law was an integral element of their response of
faith to Jesus Christ. However, they were not fundamentally
legalists as in Galatians; obedience expressed their faith but did
not earn it.
III. Meaning of "faith".
A. In view of 14:22-23, "confidence" or "assurance" may be best.
B. Distinct meanings of "faith" in Paul:
1) Salvation faith which God imparts to us (Paul's basic use).
2) Miracle-working faith imparted to a select few.
3) Assurance for a particular matter.
4) The body of doctrine believed - "the Faith." (disputed)
C. Implications for interpretation:
1) The attitude of his hearers:
a) The strong assumed they were strong in (3) and therefore
strong in (1).
b) They also assumed that since the weak were weak in (3),
they were also weak in (1).
2) Paul's attitude:
a) While weakness in (3) may mean weakness in (1), it is not
proof of it.
b) Many who are strong in (3) are actually weak in (1).
Evidence: they are willing to destroy a brother
in Christ for the sake of mere meat.
**********************************************************
CT article by Ronald Habermas:
I. There is a need to educate Christians about options.
A. Four basic positions: (cable TV)
1) Mature practicer.
a) I can make good choices without acting superior.
2) Mature non-practicer.
a) I do not have self-control so I won't get it, but I will
not condemn those who do.
3) Immature practicer.
a) I get cable, and no church is going to tell me not to.
4) Immature non-practicer.
a) I don't get cable, and no real Christian should.
B. Immature tend to dominate.
II. Encourage convictions.
A. Convictions:
1) Necessary.
a) Not just pragmatic, "It works for me."
b) What pastor, mother, grandpa says? (experience at Wheaton)
1> What do I really believe?
2) Must have limits.
a) There are grey areas in life.
B. Four principles in making personal choices of faith.
1) Be fully convinced in your own mind. 14:5b
a) Suggests a container filled to the brim.
b) Same verb describes Abraham's faith in God's promises.
Rom 4:19-21
2) What may be appropriate for one person may be totally inappropriate for
another.
a) Explosive - situation ethics?
1> No; evil is in people, not so much in things. (Mark 7)
b) Example:
1> Paul is convinced all food is clean. 14:14a
2> For someone else it can be unclean. 14:14b
3) People who are fully convinced in their faith are blessed. 14:22b
a) Blessed (or "happy") means favored by God.
4) Having doubts about a gray area, and doing it anyway, is sin. 14:23a
a) Young Christian asked to play music in church; he does, but
feels guilty afterwards because of sinful associations it had.
b) Does not mean sin is only what we make it. (Mounce)
1> Violation of conscience is in view.
C. Critical feature.
1) Sin is not overt behavior (eating meat), but lack of conviction. 14:23
a) He acts on another's faith, not his own.
b) It is unstable (doubting) faith. cf. James 1:6
2) Faith is either settled or shifting.
III. Combine freedom with responsibility.
A. Unrestricted freedom can lead to anarchy.
1) (Note upheaval in China.)
B. Necessary restrictions on freedom:
1) Duties based on our relationship to God.
a) God decides whom he receives. 14:3b
b) All believers are ultimately responsible to God. 14:4a
1> Mind your own business, let God mind his.
c) God assists each believer in standing up for his own
convictions. 14:4b
d) Christ himself is Lord of the church. 14:9
1> Let him rule it.
2) Duties imposed by our responsibility to others.
a) Positive - Just as God accepts all his children, we must
accept one another, regardless of gray areas. 14:1
1> Learn to trust them, even when they differ from us.
b) Negative - stop judging those who have different
convictions. 14:3, 14:13a
c) Give the benefit of the doubt to fellow believers. 14:6-7
1> We are not only one dedicated to Lord.
d) Avoid becoming a stumbling block to others. 14:15-21
IV. Stumbling blocks.
A. Five components operate as a chain of events:
1) Strong acts in way permissible to him, but ethically questionable
to others. 1 Cor 8:3-8
2) Weak observes strong doing it; he himself does not have a clear
conscience to indulge in it. 1 Cor 8:10a
3) Seeking freedom, weak follows the strong lead. 1 Cor 8:10b
4) Because weak has not acted upon his own conviction, his conscience
is wounded and he becomes grieved. 1 Cor 8:12; Rom 14:15
a) "Grieved" is same word used to describe Jesus saying he would
be betrayed by one of them. (Matt 26:22)
b) It is same word used to describe Jesus' experience in
Gethsemane. (Matt 26:37)
c) It is more than a superficial difference of opinion.
5) The strong is informed (probably by weak) that he is responsible
for the condition grieving his brother.
B. All components must be present for the strong to be a stumbling
block to the weak.
C. Two obligations:
1) The weak is obligated to let the strong know how he is being
affected.
2) The strong has the obligation to curtail his freedom for the
sake of the weak one's conscience.
V. Pursue peace.
A. Often personal differences obscure our vision of God's big goal.
1) Goal - value and promote harmony in church.
2) (Cromwell to rigid Scots - "I beseech you by the affection of
Christ, think it possible that you may be mistaken." (Barclay)
B. People will know we are Christians by our love. (Jesus)
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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