Chapter 14

Christian Differences and Liberty

Introduction to Chapter 14

Romans chapter fourteen talks about how you should treat a weak brother. We need to help those that are weak in their faith. We see the need to be charitable. We need to live for God, and all that we do needs to be unto God. We should not judge one another, for one day every man will give an account of his own life.

How should we treat Christians with differences of opinion? (v. 1)

There are differences in the health of our faith and there are also differences of opinion (weak and strong). There is clear instruction given in Scripture:

But There is also a lot of opinion of interpretation and application that fill in-between the lines. Christians divide over things such as:

Receive him that is weak in the faith, but not so that you can argue with him

Most often our opinions are inspired by Scripture, but we tend to fill the gray (unclear) areas of Scripture with our opinions. The differences of opinion should not be cause for division or an excuse for quarreling.

Is it even reasonable to expect that everybody should be just like me?

What is a weak brother in this context? (v. 2–4)

The weakness Paul mentions here 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 (James 5:16).

Weakness in eating

In I Corinthians chapter 8 Paul had to deal with this same issue with the Corinthian church. This may sound trivial and kind of a non-religious 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?

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

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

Days

The spirit of the law does not ask "did you remember the day?", but it asks "did you do it as unto the Lord?" They worshiped on certain days, they fasted and feasted on certain days, and they were putting unbiblical emphasis on days instead of on the Christ.

We are brethren and not judges (v. 5–12)

Verse six clearly states that both sides of the argument know the Lord. Remember that we are brothers and sisters approaching holy and eternal matters.

What we are supposed to be doing for others:

Do not put a stumbling block in my brother's way, (v. 13–17)

We are told to pursue after peace in our differences (v. 18–20)

The blessing of Liberty (v. 22–23)

It is Much more blessed to have liberty before God which we do not use on account of our brother's weaknesses, than to insist on liberty, though it is distinctly given.

Galatians 5:1 ¶ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

1 Corinthians 10:23 ¶ All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Consider this Chapter One "Bite" at a Time

Receive him that is weak in faith in tenderness and not engage him in arguements to his hurt concerning disputable matters.

Application of the Doctrine of Christian Liberty

Where else can we apply these principles taught in this chapter? We certainly can apply them directly to decisions regarding eating meat and drinking things once offered to idols, but does the application end there? Can we find principles here that we could apply universally, i.e, in the case of questions regarding music and entertainment and the Christian?

Verses 6,7, & 8 can be applied to things that CAN be done unto the Lord” and (v.14,16) are not particularly clear elsewhere in Scripture.

a. Christian Liberty Includes Things that can be "Done Unto the Lord"

It is just assumed in verses 6,7, 8 that the Believer would know how and could do such things "unto the Lord". The list, however exhaustive, of parallel questions we can associate with these verses cannot include things that could not be accomplished as unto the Lord.

It may be an obvious point, but it is so important that it bears pointing out. Our Christian Liberty does not allow for activities that God has specifically forbidden.

b. The Principles of Christian Liberty Rule in Matters of Conscience

Verses 14 and 16 are specifically dealing with matters of conscience. These are questions that may not be entirely clear from Scripture. There are many things that Christians wrestle with that are not explicitly dealt with in Scripture. We may not find a specific "thou shall not ...." or "thou shalt..." in regards to your current question, but we are not left without guidance in these matters.

These matters of conscience are things God forgot to mention, but they are occasions to apply the principles of Scripture. If the will of God (the Holy Bible) is not explicit in a matter, then it is proper to dig a little dipper and seek to understand the "Spirit of the Law".

Consider this, although O.T. ceremonial laws are not regiven in the N.T. as universal Christian obligations, in the case of some of these matters we are not commanded to forsake them either. If a discipline, a rule of living, a ceremony, etc. truly strengthens our brother's faith and brings his heart closer to God, it is counter productive to focus our efforts on "freeing" him from this thing. It is entirely Biblically and logically consistent to conclude that your brother could be "free in doing" something that you are "free in not doing". I could be causing my brother to sin, if I encourage him to violate his own conscience.

In matters of conscience (no clearly apparent rule given), we must consider the question at hand in light of 1) what the Bible does say and 2) with a godly fear knowing we will give an account one day to God for such things.

The Gospel is Bigger and More Important than Our Disagreements