Paul moved on to discuss a problem that arises as the dedicated Christian seeks to live within God's will in the body of Christ (12:3-21) and in the body politic (ch. 13). As Christians the 613 specific commands of the Mosaic Law no longer govern our conduct (7:6; 10:4), but the principles that Jesus Christ and His apostles revealed do (cf. chs. 12-13). How then should we deal with conflicting applications of these principles? How should we conduct ourselves when our interpretation of God's will conflicts with that of another believer? Paul explained how believers can disagree on nonessentials and still maintain unity in the church.
"From speaking of those who were too lax in the indulgence of natural appetites [13:11-14], the subject passes mainly to those who are too scrupulous. The object is not to remove these scruples, but to show those who have them and those who have them not how to live in Christian peace."381
The command to accept one another begins (14:1) and climaxes this section (15:7). Within it Paul also gave three other "one another"references (14:13, 19; 15:5).
The apostle dealt first with the importance of not judging one another. This was a particular temptation to those Christians who believed that they should refrain from some practices that they believed were displeasing to God but which other Christians felt were legitimate. When Paul wrote, this group included Jewish Christians who because of their background in Judaism tended to perpetuate the practices commanded in the Mosaic Code. In our day this group includes Christians who for one reason or another do not believe certain amoral practices are proper for a believer even though other Christians judge them permissible.382
"This paragraph divides into three sections: vv. 1-3, 4-9, and 10-12. The divisions between the sections are marked with similar rhetorical questions, each using the second person singular: Who are you who is judging the servant of another?' (v. 4a); Why are you judging your brother?' (v. 10a). . . . The first (vv. 1-3) and the third (vv. 10-12) state in almost identical language the main point of the paragraph: the strong' are not to despise' the weak'; the weak' are not to judge' the strong' (cf. vv. 3a and 10a). In the central section, vv. 4-9, Paul provides the theological foundation for these commands: every Christian is a servant of the Lord; and it is to that master,' and not to any other fellow servant, that the believer must answer."383
14:1 Paul spoke here to those who, as himself, understood the implications of Christian liberty. The other group, the weak in faith, consisted of those whose faith was not strong enough to enable them to exercise the full liberty they had in Christ.384In view of what Paul wrote about the weak they appear to have been Jewish Christians who refrained from certain foods and observed certain days because they remained loyal to the Mosaic Law. Peter at one time struggled with the extent of his liberty and moved from being weak to being strong in faith (Acts 10). However in the process of his growth he had a relapse (Gal. 2:11-12). The weak in faith have a sensitive conscience about doing things that might be unwise. A sensitive conscience is a good thing, but it can sometimes lead a person to restrict his or her freedom unnecessarily. Paul urged the Christian who appreciated the extent of his freedom to accept his weaker brother as an equal. Nevertheless he was not to accept him and then condemn him mentally, much less publicly, for his scruples.
14:2 Here is a specific case of disagreement. Paul did not say why the weaker brother chose not to eat meat. This brother's reasons were immaterial to Paul. The point is that for some reason this Christian believed that he would please God more by not eating meat than by eating it. He was wrong. God has not forbidden Christians to eat any food (1 Tim. 4:3-4). Eating food is an amoral matter. It is neither morally good nor morally bad. The contrast with life in Israel is again striking.
14:3 The person who eats should not view himself as superior even though he is right or look down on his extremely sensitive brother with a condescending attitude. The weaker brother should not judge the more liberal Christian as unacceptable to God either because God has accepted him.
14:4 The weaker brother needs to remember to whom the stronger brother is responsible and leave his judgment to God. Paul assured the weaker brother that the stronger brother would stand approved by God because God approves his liberty. God's grace provides both the possibility and the power for standing. The first part of this verse sounds very much like 2:1 and 3, where Paul rebuked the self-satisfied Jew.
14:5 Here is a second illustration. In this case the weaker brother does something and the stronger does not (v. 6). This is the opposite of the situation that Paul pictured in the previous illustration. Again the reason the weaker brother observes the day is immaterial. The point is that he observes the day. When Paul wrote, Sabbath and Jewish feast day observances were matters of disagreement among Christians. The Jewish believers tended to observe these and the Gentile believers did not. Today the idea that by observing a certain day we please God more than we would if we did not is quite common. Some Christians believe that we should behave differently on Sunday, during Lent, or on some other "religious"day.
14:6 The most important thing is to seek to please the Lord in all that we do. Christians will come to differing conclusions about what this means in practice, but their submission to Jesus Christ's lordship is primary. Paul meant that one person does not eat meat and another does eat meat, but both give God thanks for what they do eat (v. 2; cf. 1 Tim. 4:5).
14:7-8 In verse 7 Paul did not mean that our behavior influences other people. Obviously it does. He meant that no Christian should live to please himself alone but should live to please the Lord. The context makes this clear (vv. 6, 8). Really the dedicated Christian's desire to please the Lord will continue beyond the grave so Paul could also say that we do not die for ourselves. Our whole existence this side of the grave and the other, in life and in death, should express our commitment to please the Lord (8:38-39; cf. Phil. 1:20; 2 Cor. 5:9). Death does not just mark a transition for the Christian from struggle to rest. Death is also a doorway that leads to new enlarged opportunities for service and worship (cf. Luke 19:11-27). Intimate relationship to the Lord is and remains of primary importance. God controls the events leading to our deaths as He does those governing our lives.
14:9 Jesus Christ also lived, died, and lives again. Consequently He is Lord of both those who have died and those who are still alive. Paul's point was that He is the Judge, and we are not.
14:10 Both the critical weaker brother and the scorning stronger brother are guilty of the same offense, namely judging prematurely and unwarrantedly. Note that Jesus Christ (v. 9) is the God (v. 10) who will judge. This then is another reference to the judgment seat (Gr. bema) of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; cf. 1 Cor. 3:12-15).385
14:11 Everyone will bow in judgment before the Son of God (Isa. 49:13; 45:23; cf. Phil. 2:10-11). Christians will do so at the judgment seat of Christ following the Rapture (Luke 14:14; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:12). Old Testament saints will do so at the Second Coming (Isa. 26:19; Dan. 12:2). Unbelievers will do so at the great white throne judgment at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:11-15). Of course, no one judged at the judgment seat of Christ will be an unbeliever. The Lord will judge us to determine our faithfulness to our stewardship during our earthly lives. The judgment we receive will apparently determine our opportunity to serve Him in the future (Luke 19:11-27).
14:12 In this summary statement Paul identified the personal responsibility of every Christian to give account of himself or herself to God. We will not have to answer for our fellow Christians or anyone else, but we will have to account for our own deeds.
"We stand before God in the awful loneliness of our own souls; to God we can take nothing but the self and the character which in life we have been building up."386
In this pericope (vv. 1-12) the apostle stressed the folly of judging our fellow Christians who relate to amoral practices differently from the way we do. There is a strong emphasis on recognizing Jesus' lordship in our lives in these verses. The word "Lord"occurs seven times in verses 5-9.
In the previous section Paul addressed both the "weak"and the "strong"Christians, but he spoke mainly about the weaker brother's temptation to condemn the stronger believer. In this section he dealt more with the temptation that the stronger brother faces. Paul structured his argument in a chiasm.387
AWarning about stumbling blocks (13b)
BNothing is "unclean"in itself (14a)
CWarning about destroying one for whom Christ died (15b)
C'Warning about tearing down the work of God (20a)
BAll things are "clean"in themselves (20b)
AWarning about causing another believer to stumble (21)
14:13 The Greek word translated "obstacle"(NASB) or "stumbling block"(NIV; proskomma) refers to an object on a path against which someone strikes his foot and consequently stumbles or falls (cf. 1 Cor. 8:9). The stronger brother's liberty might retard the weaker brother's progress as he walks the Christian path. It might set him back temporarily or even do permanent damage to his sensitive conscience.
Another Greek word translated "stumbling block"(NASB) or "obstacle"(NIV; skandalon) describes a snare used to catch an animal or victim as it walks by (cf. Matt 16:23; 1 Cor. 8:13). The stronger brother's liberty might even constitute a temptation for the weaker brother to sin. It might tempt him to go beyond his stronger brother's behavior and cast off restraint in moral as well as amoral matters.
"Here now is indeed a field for judging!and it is ourselves, not our brother, which we are to judge!"388
14:14 The Lord Jesus taught that the distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean food had ended (Mark 7:15-23). Nevertheless not all Christians had grasped this teaching (e.g., Acts 10:9-15). Many still regarded the Jewish dietary laws as God's will for them. Is it any wonder that many Christians even today mistakenly think that the Mosaic Code constitutes their rule of life?
14:15 The words "grieved"and "destroy"describe two different stages. When one person sees another doing what his own conscience condemns, it grieves him or causes him pain. When he then proceeds to do himself what his conscience condemns, he commits sin and experiences moral destruction.
The apostle's point was this. If your behavior regarding amoral things is creating spiritual problems for another Christian, your conduct is not loving (cf. 12:10). The welfare of a brother should obviously take precedence over our liberty to do something amoral (cf. 1 Cor. 8:13). The stronger brother's conduct could destroy the weaker brother's walk with God permanently or just temporarily. It would be terrible for a Christian to destroy someone whom our Lord has saved.
14:16 The good thing refers to the liberty to eat meat or to do anything amoral. People could legitimately speak of it as evil if it resulted in the fall of a brother.
14:17 The kingdom of God here refers to the sphere over which God rules and in which all believers live and operate.
"[The kingdom of God' is] an echo of our Lord's teaching. The phrase is used normally in St. Paul of that Messianic kingdom which is to be the reward and goal of the Christian life . . . Hence it comes to mean the principles or ideas on which that kingdom is founded, and which are already exhibited in this world (cf. I Cor. iv. 20)."389
The emphasis in this reference is on the authority of God over His own. The primary issues in the lives of dedicated Christians should not be external amoral practices but the great spiritual qualities that the Holy Spirit seeks to produce in them. These qualities include right conduct (cf. 6:13, 16, 18), peace with God (cf. Phil. 4:7), and joy (cf. Gal. 5:22-23). Paul wanted his readers to keep their priorities in perspective.
14:18 Acceptance with God for Christians involves the stressing of these great kingdom graces rather than whether or not we engage in some amoral practice. This emphasis also wins the approval of other people since they realize what is more and less important.
"Let us ask ourselves, Does mywalk please God? Is it approved in the hearts of men?"390
14:19 The things that make for peace in the context refer to practices that do not cause others to stumble and attitudes that are non-judgmental. Peace between the strong and the weak is in view primarily. Rather than tearing down we should do things that build one another up. For the strong this might be foregoing some legitimate amoral practice. For the weak it could be refraining from verbal criticism and judgmental thinking.
14:20 "Christian history, alas, shows numerous examples of people utterly earnest about nonessentials, who have felt at liberty to break the unity of the Church for the sake of their particular fetish."391
Even though God permits the eating of all foods, for example, He does not sanction eating a food if a Christian causes spiritual problems for someone else by eating it. This destroys the work that God is doing in building His church.
"While freedom is a right, it is not a guide for conduct. Love serves that purpose. Rights are to be laid aside in the interest of love."392
14:21 It is interesting that the apostle mentioned drinking wine since that is one of the most problematic amoral practices in American evangelicalism. Paul himself was willing to forego any particular food or drink to avoid causing spiritual growth problems for a brother (1 Cor. 8:13; cf. Mark 9:42). Certainly we should be willing to do the same. We willingly alter our pace of walking while leading a small child by the hand so he or she will not stumble. How much more should we be willing to alter our Christian walk for the benefit of a weaker brother or sister in Christ whom we are leading.
". . . modern Christians who . . . abstain from all alcoholic beverages do so not because they fear ritual contamination. Some abstain because they are leery of a product that has had such a sad history of enslaving' those who partake (see the principle of 1 Cor. 6:12b). Many others do not drink because they do not want to set a bad example for others who might not be able to handle alcohol. Abstinence on these grounds may be a laudable course of action; but it has little basis in Paul's argument in these chapters. For the weak' here are not those who cannot control their drinking. They are people who are not convinced that their faith in Christ allows them to do a particular thing. They are not weak' in respect to handling alcohol; they are weak' in respect to their faith (14:1). And Paul urges the strong' to abstain, not because their example might lead the weak' to drink to excess but because their example might lead the weak' to drink and so to violate their conscience (14:22-23)."393
14:22 Paul evidently wrote this verse with the strong in view primarily (cf. v. 23). He did not want his readers to force their convictions ("faith") about amoral practices on others. The strong believer can be happy in his private enjoyment of amoral practices because he knows that he is neither violating the will of God nor the conscience of a weak brother.
14:23 This verse, in contrast to verse 22, seems addressed particularly to the weak. The weak brother who eats something that he believes he should not eat stands condemned by his own conscience and by God (cf. Gal. 2:11). His action is contrary to what he believes is right. "Faith"here as in verses 1 and 22 does not refer to the teachings of Christianity but to what a person believes to be the will of God for him. If a person does what he believes to be wrong, even though it is not wrong in itself, it becomes sin for him. He has violated what he believes to be God's will. His action has become an act of rebellion against God for him.
"Whatever is done without the conviction that God has approved it is by definition sin. God has called us to a life of faith. Trust is the willingness to put all of life before God for his approval. Any doubt concerning an action automatically removes that action from the category of that which is acceptable."394
"For a Christian not a single decision and action can be good which he does not think he can justify on the ground of his Christian conviction and his liberty before God in Christ."395
Paul now developed the key concept to which he referred in chapter 14, namely putting the welfare of others before that of self (cf. Gal. 6:2). This is love.
15:1 The strong ought to take the initiative in resolving the tension between the strong and the weak. They need to be willing to limit their Christian liberty if by doing so they can reduce the problems of their brethren. The weak need knowledge, and the strong need love. Paul was not saying that the strong must determine to put up with the weak. He meant, "Those of us who are strong must accept as our own burden the tender scruples of the weak."396
15:2 All Christians, not just the strong, need to apply this principle of love. Paul was not saying that we should be "people pleasers"and do whatever anyone wants us to do simply because it will please them (cf. Gal. 1:10, 19; Eph. 6:6; Col. 3:22; 1 Thess. 2:4). The goal of our behavior should be the other person's welfare and spiritual edification (cf. 1 Cor. 9:19-23). We should not please others rather than God, but we should please others rather than ourselves.
15:3 The apostle illustrated the commitment to doing the will of God that he advocated with the example of Jesus Christ. In Him we can see the difference between a people pleaser and a people lover. Sacrificing His own preferences for the welfare of others did not make Him acceptable to everyone, but it did make Him acceptable to His Father. David voiced the testimony that Paul quoted here regarding his zeal for God's house (Ps. 69:9). Christians need to show as strong commitment to building up God's spiritual house as David displayed in promoting His physical house.
15:4 Paul used his reference to David's experience as an occasion to comment on the usefulness of all Old Testament Scripture.397It provides motivation for enduring and gives encouragement as we seek to remain faithful in our commitment to do God's will. These Scriptures give us hope because in them we see God's approval of those who persevered faithfully in spite of opposition and frustration.
15:5 Endurance and encouragement come to us through the Scriptures, but they are gifts from God. Paul wished that all his readers, the strong and the weak, would appropriate these gifts and apply them in their interpersonal relationships. The result would be unity in the church.
"The centripetal magnetism of the Lord can effectively counter the centrifugal force of individual judgment and opinion."398
15:6 United vocal praise of God in the assembly would be an evidence of unity among the strong and the weak. Christians who do not love God and one another have trouble praising God together in church meetings.
"This suggests to us that the local church must major in the Word of God and prayer. The first real danger to the unity of the church came because the Apostles were too busy to minister God's Word and pray (Acts 6:1-7)."399
This section concludes Paul's instructions concerning the importance of accepting one another as Christians that he began in 14:1. In this section the apostle charged both the strong and the weak.
15:7 "Accept"repeats Paul's opening exhortation (14:1). "One another"encompasses both groups, the strong and the weak. It is inconsistent for a Christian to reject someone whom God has accepted. We are to receive one another as Jesus Christ has received us. We are fellow members of the family of God. This results in glory for God.
15:8 Verses 8-10 expand the idea of Jesus Christ accepting us. Verse 8 deals with His acceptance of Jews. He not only accepted Jewish believers but came to serve the Jewish people, as the Old Testament predicted, fulfilling God's promise to the patriarchs (Mark 10:45; Matt. 15:24; cf. Gal. 3:16). Consequently the typically stronger Gentile believers should not despise their sometimes weaker Jewish brethren.
15:9-10 These verses deal with Jesus Christ's acceptance of Gentiles. The citations show that God always purposed to bless the Gentiles. Therefore conservative Jewish believers should not despise their more liberal Gentile brethren. I use these adjectives describing their relationship to amoral matters. Four quotations from the Old Testament ("writings,""law,"and "prophets") follow that support Paul's assertions in verses 8 and 9a as a whole.
Psalm 18:49 pictures David rejoicing in God for his victories among the nations that had become subject to him. In Deuteronomy 32:43 Moses saw the Gentiles praising God with the Israelites. These passages would have encouraged Paul's Jewish readers to accept their Gentile brethren.
15:11-12 Two more quotations picture the Gentiles praising God alone apart from participation in Israel (Ps. 117:1; Isa. 11:10). Perhaps Paul cited them to help his Jewish readers remember that their Gentile brethren did not need to come to God through the Jews or Judaism.
15:13 This verse concludes the section dealing with the practice of God's righteousness (12:1-15:13). It is another pious wish (cf. v. 5).
The mention of hope points forward to the future. Throughout this epistle Paul kept referring to the fact that God had not finished His saving work in his readers' lives. They were still under construction as Christians. There was more to God's salvation than they had experienced yet. In closing his treatise on God's righteousness the apostle focused his readers' attention on the rest of their sanctification and final glorification.
The God of hope is the God who inspires hope in and provides hope for His redeemed ones. Christians can be joyful because of what God has already done for us and is doing for us. We can also be peaceful as we realize what He is doing for us now and what He will do for us in the future. It is possible for us to abound in hope because the omnipotent Holy Spirit is at work in us.
This concludes Paul's exposition of the theme of the righteousness of God that constitutes the heart of this epistle (1:18-15:13). Paul showed man's need of God's righteousness (1:18-3:20), how God imputes it to people who trust in His Son (3:21-5:21), and how He imparts it to those to whom He has imputed it (chs. 6-8). Moreover he demonstrated that God is righteous in doing all this (chs. 9-11). He ended by urging his readers to practice their righteousness in their most important relationships (12:1-15:13).
