Skip to main content

Exegetical Notes on Romans 14:1-12

Exegetical Notes on Romans 14:1-12


Romans 14:1-12


Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.


Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.


Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall give praise to God."

So then, each of us will be accountable to God.



Observations:

  • Welcome those weak in the faith
  • Do not quarrel over opinions
    • Some eat anything - don’t despise
    • Some only eat vegetables - do not pass judgement
    • God has welcomed them
  • Who are you to pass judgements on the servants of another
    • Before the Lord they stand or fall.
    • They will be upheld
      • The Lord is able to make them stand
  • Some treat certain days as special - do it in honor of the Lord
  • Some judge all days alike
  • Eat - eat in honor of the Lord - they give thanks to God
  • Abstain - in honor of the Lord - they give thanks to God
  • We do not live or die to ourselves
    • We live to the Lord
    • We die to the Lord
    • We are the Lord’s
    • Christ died and lived again
      • He is Lord of both dead and the living.
  • Why pass judgement
  • Why despise
  • All shall stand before the judgement seat of God
  • It is written (Isaiah 45:23)
    • As I live every knee shall bow to me
    • Every tongue shall give praise to God
  • Each of us will be accountable to God.


Who: Paul

Where: Writing to the Church in Rome

When: 50’s - 60’s A.D.

What: Stressing the importance of not judging b/c there is great variety in the body of Christ.



Interpretation:

Why: There is inevitable differences in polity and personal practice.  If we are united in Christ, there is plenty of room for differences over details.


Last week was Romans 13:8-14 - idea was that love does no harm to a neighbor.

Verses 13-23 deal with caring for the brother or sister who differs in opinion from you.  It suggests that we don’t flaunt our freedom in the face of those for whom it is bothersome.


We know we are not to judge because everyone is God’s servant.  Therefore it is not our place to judge another.


In verse 4, we know that God is able to make people stand metaphorically.  This has more to do with being acquitted at the judgement seat of God.  So if God acquits us of wrongdoing, it is even more important not to judge one another.


Verse 13 equates judging with putting a stumbling block in the way of another.


Verse 5 tells us that whatever your piety, you should be fully convinced in your own mind.

Convinced = Plerophoreo:  to bear or bring full, to make full

to cause a thing to be shown to the full

to fulfill the ministry in every part

to carry through to the end, accomplish

things that have been accomplished

to fill one with any thought, conviction, or inclination

to make one certain, to persuade, convince one

to be persuaded, persuaded, fully convinced or assured

to render inclined or bent on


So do what you’re called to do, and do it fully.  Live it up.  But at the same time, don’t flaunt it in the face of someone who is different from you.  Live it up, but don’t judge others who don’t share your convictions.  Find the path that works for you.



Correlation:

1 Corinthians 8:13 - If eating meet causes a brother to stumble, may I never eat meat again.


Application:

What is going well that I should continue:  I think I’m pretty good at refraining from judgement, so long as I see someone making a sincere effort in their faith.  I probably do judge when I perceive people as heretics, or trying to do something completely silly.  


What might I need to improve upon:  I can’t say I’m fully convinced/persuaded/etc.  That is something I’m working out in my spiritual direction.  I do appreciate certain days as more holy than others, and perhaps I need to spend more time celebrating them.  Next Monday is Holy Cross Day so that’s a good opportunity for me.


Homiletical Works:

Fallen Creation Focus: Human beings have an innate tendency to judge those who’s convictions differ from them.


Expository statement: Because human beings have a tendency to judge, we are brought under the Lordship of Christ.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Setbacks, Disappointments, and New Opportunities

Yesterday I received a phone call I had been waiting anxiously for. It was about a job I had put in for - and I didn’t get it. The person delivering the news was kind, and even encouraged me to apply for another position that, in her opinion, was a better fit for me. It is a different kind of job, would require a decent commute, and I’m not sure I have it in me to enter another process right now.  This morning I got myself showered and dressed and put on my clericals. Even though I was home all day I wanted to shoot a video and hence the outfit. Somehow just dressing up had me feeling less dejected - like I still could do something I was proud of. I remember years ago when my dad was looking for work. Each day he put on a shirt and tie before filling out job applications.  After the video I scheduled some more content, opened up my notebook, and started working on my plan. The ideas began to flow, time seemed to flow by, and before I knew it I had a pretty great outline for a ...
1 comment
Read more

What’s In Store For The Future

I have some supply work this coming Sunday, and I’m excited to be in a pulpit again. The OT text is God’s promise to Abraham - how he was to become the father of many nations - that his descendants would be more numerous than the sands on the seashore or the stars in the heavens. That’s a lot of people.  God made this promise so that Abraham’s offspring would be a blessing to the world. Because of the Jewish people we have a great deal of Scripture, and a moral consciousness that raised the world to new levels.  What strikes me about this promise is how many people are involved. God counted on Abraham having so many descendents that they couldn’t be counted. This many people created a critical mass that influenced the rest of the world.  Today in the Church we need another another critical mass. We need a critical mass of people willing to tell their faith stories. We need so many faith stories out there in the public space, to influence people in a positive, respectful w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus Christmas What A Celebration

We stepped out of the cold into the foyer of my grandparent's raised-ranch on 104 Washburn Drive.  Kicking the snow off our boots we lined them up while hanging our coats in the front closet with the sliding natural wood doors.  There was a little hole in each of the doors where you could grab onto to start it moving, and I swear on more than one occasion if I looked closely I could see a penny in there.  On the side table my grandmother's small Church figurine sat proudly, lit up from the single bulb inside.  Every year it was the same, and we wouldn't have had it any other way.  We were first greeted by smell of tobacco lined walls, and the sound of Nat King Cole's Christmas album scratching away on the record player upstairs.  "Hey come on up!" my grandfather bellowed from his easy chair in the living room.  Even though it was a mere 15 minute drive from our house to his, his face always lit up when he saw us as if he hadn't seen us for years. My fa...
1 comment
Read more