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Romans 14

Chapter Fourteen


"A Receiver of the Weak"


Paul instructs how to receive a weak brother. There is a need for grace in our hearts to the weak, and often we must make a space of mercy for the ignorant. Let us consider a weak brother from Romans chapter fourteen.


        1. Weak Brother in Codex

        2. Weak Brother in Context

        3. Weak Brother in Contrast


              1. Weak Brother in Codex. It carries the very ideas of disease and impotence. Those weak in faith are likened to a lame man needing a crutch, a blind needing a guide, or a paralyzed man needing help with every necessity of daily life. Disease ultimately will snuff out life if it is not cured. This weakness of faith is as a sickness that must be understood and handled with grace, but also must be administered healing. Weakness must not be left alone, but must be strengthened.


              1. Weak Brother in Context.

                1. Eating — for meat destroy not the work of God! v. 20 In I Corinthians 8 Paul had to deal with the same issue with the Corinthian church. This may sound trivial and non-religious of a dispute to the modern Christian, but The Layman's Bible Commentary gives insight into this controversy.


It was a different kind of religious question in the Roman Empire. The fact is in a Roman market you could hardly find a steak or a roast or any kind of meat that had not come from some animal slaughtered in a heathen temple. The animal would be killed as a sacrifice; then the priests (who, numerous though they were, could not possibly eat all the animals the people offered) would sell the meat through retail outlets. This being the major source of meats on the market, the Christian shopper was faced with a problem: in buying and eating this meat, am I or am I not helping out the heathen worship?


                1. Servants — Who are you to judge another man's servant?

                2. Judgment — Every man must give account to God and not to another.

                3. Days — The spirit of the law questions not did you remember the day, but whether or not you did or did not as unto the Lord?

                4. Brothers — Let us not be a reason for someone else's failure. Let us be encouragers of their faith.


              1. Weak Brother in Contrast

Finally contrasted here is weakness and faith. Weakness looks at the letter of the law, but faith can also see the spirit of the law.

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