All Scripture text will be presented in normal cased lettering, and all notes within the text will be in TRUE TYPE FONT, as shown. This (I hope) will allow you to avoid confusion between God's Word and my notes. As I update this web site, I will continue to embellish the text so that anyone using NETSCAPE 3.0 or MICROSOFT 3.0 will be able to read the document easier. Greek tenses are abbreviated as follows:
Through Christ, Who taught us the way to Love: David Buffaloe, Didaskalos Ministries
Romans 14:1-4 "Him that is weak in the
faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that
he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him
that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not
judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest
another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he
shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. "
In this section Paul considers the Church of God. One of the greatest
stumbling blocks in the Church, in any age, has been judgment and condemnation
between the saints. Some saints, stronger in the faith, are able in
spiritual liberty to eat all things;
whereas the younger saints are unable to eat but a few herbs
for their faith is weak. Paul encourages us in the first verse to receive
the week in the faith, but not to doubtful
disputations. This is the Greek DIAKRISIS DIALOGISMOS, which
translated means "a judgment of faith or inward belief, disposition". We
are to receive the weaker in the faith into the fold, not casting judgment
on them, as God alone is their Judge.
1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Corinthians 3:8-9, 13-15 "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. "
We are to refuse to judge one another in the Body for two reasons: (1) Because each one of us are individually the servants of God, and not of each other. This is brought out when Paul states Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? We were bought with a price, and are not either our own nor do we belong to one another; God is our Master and we are His slaves. (2) As the servants of God, we will each be judged at the Bema Seat of Christ. The servants do not judge one another because they will be completely judged by the Master at that Throne of Mercy.
A point in question: if we see a brother in what we think is sin, do we refuse to say anything to him, fearing that we might be sitting in judgment? The answer is -- no! We studied earlier the following text of Scripture relating to the '' sin unto death'':
1 John 5:16-18 "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not."
This text is not saying that one brother should just 'ask God'
to forgive another brother for a sin that he might be in. We know that
the Scripture does not allow forgiveness by proxy. The verse is telling
us that if we see a brother in sin we should go to that brother,
and by this action perhaps lead him out from the trap of that sin. By correcting
our brethren in sinful error, we may save that brother from sin unto death.
There is a fine distinction between judgment and correction. Besides,
if you see a brother in sin you know that he is in sin if his actions
are contrary to Scriptural teaching. Often we judge one another in
the Church without Scriptural basis. We condemn and nag because someone
has a different spiritual perspective and we want them to be like us. These
things should not be! Unless your brother is violating the Biblical norm,
keep your opinions to yourself. We see this in our Romans text:
.
In verse 4 Paul asks,
.
Romans 14:5-6 "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. "
Some have read these verses and felt that Paul was teaching that it was fine to be legalistic. This is not the point he is making.
Galatians 4:9-11 "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. "
Paul was not teaching that it was fine or all right to be legalistic, but he was teaching that it was perfectly all right to be temporarily weak. When we were born again we were babies that needed to grow spiritually. No one expects an infant to walk, talk, and act as if he were fully grown. We must allow the weaker his time of growth. The stronger should not expect the weaker to fully understand Christian liberty. All are accountable to God, and God will judge both the stronger and the weaker, leading each person by His precious Holy Spirit. We need to be patient, to grow together in love. As long as both parties, both stronger and weaker, have the interests of their Lord at heart then God will bless their efforts.
Romans 14:7-9 "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."
In the first clause Paul highlights that we are not masters of either our lives or of our deaths. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. The entire purpose, our ultimate goal as Christians, is to worship and serve God. The Stoics, a philosophical sect, felt that they were "masters of their souls and captains of their fates". No man has ever asked to be born, and no man can control when he dies:
Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"
Another interesting thing about the context is that it tells us that Christ's death and resurrection was accomplished in order to give him Lordship over creation. We see this further expressed:
Philippians 2:7-11 "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Romans 14:10-12 "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
All Christians will, after the great resurrection day known as "the Rapture", be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We see this taught in:
2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
We who are saved by Grace are not saved from judgment, but we are saved from eternal damnation. It is important that we understand this. We are not to judge one another for one day we shall be judged, having to give an account of our stewardship to the Lord Jesus. We will have to explain how we used our stewardships while Christians. Give account is the Greek DOSEI LOGON, meaning "to refer to a bookkeeper's accounting ledger". It is important to realize that we will not be condemned at the Judgment seat of Christ, but all the work we did in this life will be tested. If our works do not stand the test then we will receive no reward (other than salvation, which was secured at the Cross). If our works stand the test we will receive crowns, which will glorify the Plan of God and the work of the Son.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. "
We are not condemned at the Judgment seat of Christ, though our stewardship of what God entrusted to us at salvation is accounted for. We should not judge one another's stewardship before the proper judge, Jesus Christ, judges them at the proper time. This is the main point Paul is making.
Romans 14:13-14 "Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. "
Paul now addresses the gray areas of sin. We all know that adultery, murder, theft, and so forth is sinful. These things are plainly highlighted in Scripture. But eating meat offered to idols, is this sinful? There are gray areas not mentioned in Scripture which are left up to us to determine whether it is sin or not. Though no meat or drink is unclean of itself, if your action causes a brother to stumble then the action becomes unclean because of the result. Unclean is the Greek KOINON, meaning "that which is opposed to the Divine". Anything which causes someone to stumble is unclean, opposed to God's Plan. It is God's will that we love one another and not cause any to stumble.
Romans 14:15-18 "But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. "
In verse 15 the responsibility for removing stumbling blocks relies on the older or stronger brother. This verse can be paralleled with:
1 Corinthians 8:7-13 "Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. "
The burden of non-offensiveness is placed on the stronger believer in Christ. The weaker brother often cannot help himself, much like an infant must be helped by someone older. The younger in Christ must be helped by the matured believers in the Church. Though Paul placed the injunction on the weaker not to judge the stronger, the stronger Christian has the heavier burden. Christ, in the parable of the unfaithful servant, gave the following rule for stewardship:
Luke 12:48 "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. "
Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required refers to the mature Christian who, in growing, understands the Divine Law of Liberty. As the mature has been given much, God expects more from him than He does from the immature believer. The elder must serve the younger, willingly and out of love.
In the phrase Destroy not him with thy meat we see the seriousness of the mature Christian's responsibility. In an earlier lesson we looked at the Doctrine of the Sin unto Death, noting that any habitual unconfessed sin can cause a believer meet an untimely death. We read:
1 John 5:16-19 "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, {Tell his brother about it} and he {God} shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. {This brother's life may be saved if his eyes are opened and he not continue in sin} There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. "
If we see a brother in sin (as clearly outlined in the Scriptures), by going to that brother we may redeem or save him from physical death. The reverse is also true, as seen in our paralleled Romans and Corinthians texts, Destroy not him with thy meat . If we who are Christians cast a stumbling block before a weaker brother, we may cause him to feel that he has sinned. Feeling that he has fallen out of fellowship by eating meat, he may then, in despair, turn to actual sin. This may lead to habitual sin or the Sin unto Death. The mature Christian who is careless with his freedom may start a chain reaction which will cause the weaker to be destroyed. The mature Christian has a terrible responsibility to avoid offending the weaker. We need to keep this constantly in mind.
Romans 14:19-23 "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. "
Follow is the Greek DIOKO, meaning "to run swiftly in order to catch, to seek after eagerly". The idea is that the Christian should diligently seek to create peace in the Body of Christ. This is not an passive action, but a vibrant and active role that we must each take.
Another interesting point can be drawn from the sentence: It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine. Let's take a look the Biblical aspect of Christians drinking alcohol. It is often said in many of our denominations that the Christian is forbidden to partake of alcohol. Some Churches have Covenants specifying that believers are forbidden to partake, sell, or give alcohol to anyone. I myself personally despise Church Covenants, for they are often prone to the whims of the democracy and totally devoid of Biblical truth. Many have been created as a tool by the weaker brother to despise the stronger, or by the stronger to condemn the weaker. Covenants are often used in place of the Scripture, providing the audience of the Church an opportunity to say what they like without really seeing what the Bible teaches. The Covenant forbidding alcohol is based on Scripture taken out of context in order to satisfy the world view of "religious behavior".
First let me state that I do not drink alcohol. This teaching is not influenced by a desire to drink. I refrain from alcohol much as Paul did, to avoid offending my brother. But not because it is forbidden to me. The Scripture teaches of all things, even alcohol:
Romans 14:14 "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. "
Matthew 15:10-11 "And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. "
Titus 1:15 "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. "
1 Corinthians 6:12-13 "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. "
Matthew 12:34-37 "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. "
Jesus, in His earthly teaching ministry, never taught that the Christian was to abstain from any form of food or drink. He looked at the heart of the man, and taught that that which came from the mouth (our words from our hearts) defiled a man (his body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit), because the words were a true indicator of the inward condition of that man.
We can go a step further and note that: no where in Scripture are we taught not to drink alcohol. The Romans, Titus, and Corinthians passages make it plain that the Christian has spiritual liberty insofar as food and drink are concerned. Many evangelicals are fond of quoting the following passages in an effort to prove that "imbibing" is wrong:
Proverbs 20:1 "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. "
Ephesians 5:18 "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; "
I draw your attention to the Proverbs passage first, which states whosoever is deceived thereby. To be deceived by alcohol is to drink unto drunkenness, not to partake in a moderate manner. No scholar of the Hebrew text would seek to prove that this passage teaches against drinking. It teaches against drunkenness. The same is true of the Ephesians text, which teaches against drunkenness (be not drunk), not drinking. So why do many preachers teach the opposite intent of these texts? Because many cling to Galatianistic Legalism, not trusting the power of God to uphold the Christian.
Jesus, according to the Bible, drank wine. This was a common practice among all Jewish people of this time.
Matthew 11:19 "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. "
Luke 7:34 "The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! "
Jesus, by drinking and eating with publicans and sinners, opened himself up to false charges of alcoholism and obesity. Many evangelicals try to tone the Biblical truths on alcohol down by saying "Jesus was just drinking grape juice", but He was obviously drinking mildly alcoholic wine if the Pharisees could bring the charge of winebibber out with a straight face. There had to be the remotest possibility that what they said was true if it was to be an effective slander. The Pharisees were not fools. If Jesus was only drinking grape juice they would have known it, and attacked Him in some other way.
Jesus, scripturally, gave others wine during a wedding feast:
John 2:3-10 "And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. "
At his mothers request He turned the barrels of water into wine. And this was not just "grape juice" or some breakfast drink, for the Greek word for wine here refers to fermented alcohol. If drinking alcohol is wrong, then Jesus, by his actions, became the merchant of sin. Yet this is not so! Many preachers, though Biblical expositors, rarely study the historic background of the Scriptures. Historically the Jewish people, from Abraham till today, have drunk wine with their meals. This was often the case because water sources were often tainted, unfit for human consumption. This brings us to the point of the Lord's supper.
Matthew 26:27-29 "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. "
"1 Corinthians 11:20-21 "When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. "
The Passover Supper, from which came the Lords Supper, traditionally was held with wine, the fruit of the vine, as it's beverage or 'symbolic "blood of the Lord". It was not until more recent times that the cup of the Lord became grape juice. This is evident when we see the admonition that Paul gave the Corinthians in our text. He rebuked these Christians for improperly partaking of the Lord's table in greed, eating and drinking wine unto excess. He did not condemn the church for use of alcoholic beverages, but of it's overuse, for another is drunken. Now, I am not saying that all churches should turn from using grape juice to alcohol at the Lord's table. The Lord's table is symbolic, and in it's symbolism and in the spirit of Love we worship the Lord. If we partake using wine, orange juice, grape juice, or whatever; and do it in the remembrance of Christ, then we honor His table. I do advocate that Christians everywhere refrain from vain legalism that edifies neither the Body nor the Spirit of God. I also encourage Christians to avoid creeds and covenants apart from Scripture. The Bible is our guide in Godly living, not some document written by popular vote in the local Church.
Romans 15:1-3 "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. "
Many people feel that the chapter divisions were placed in the Bible by God. This is not true. The chapter, verse division, and even punctuation was placed in the Scriptures and standardized by translators. In most cases the chapter divisions are accurate to the subject, though in this case it is not. The first three verses of chapter 15 belong to chapter 14 as it's conclusion and summary.
Infirmities is the Greek ASTHENEMA, which means "physical or mental weakness". The stronger brethren are to understand and allow for the weaker faith of their younger brethren. Paul makes it plain that this is not just a suggestion or request, but stands as a command from God. We see this in the Greek OPHEILO <ought > which means "to be a debtor under obligation, bound to a duty". Paul also reckons the elder's job is not a light one in his use of the word bear BASTAZO, which means to "hold up that which is burdensome". We are to hold up or to bear up under the weaknesses of our younger brethren, knowing that this will edify the church of Christ. Paul draws our minds to the sacrifice of Christ. Though Christ cried "my Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me (the cup of suffering)"; he nevertheless said after this, "not my will but thine be done". Christ bore up under our infirmities, thus bringing us to salvation. Likewise we, as our duty, must bear up under others who are weak also.
We will take a short break, and resume in Romans 15.4 shortly. God Bless
you all!
.
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