Verse one. We are instructed to receive those who are weak in the faith. That is, we should neither reject them nor avoid them. It is important to note that this instruction is not about those who have not the faith or those who reject faith. We must not, for softness of heart, include any element that works against the faith. Save your strength for those who might actually be brought forward. Why would we waste our time on those who simply squander our energies? If there is at least some faith with which to work, concentrate on those souls that you can bring forward.
I see, in the first half of verse one, a forewarning to shore up the outer reaches, the lesser members of the body of Christ. Those who try and fail have at least tried. They are worthy of our help. What I do not see in the first part of that verse is an instruction to spend any time or effort on the person who refuses to believe. Neither do I see an instruction to include in our efforts those who believe differently – those who believe in other gods. In both cases, those individuals have made deliberate choices insofar that the matter is no longer between themselves and ourselves but, rather, the matter is now between them and the one true God.
There is a second half to the first verse. There is an addendum to the admonition to receive the weak in faith. It is a secondary instruction, a warning, actually, not to engage with the weak in faith in any manner that becomes contentious. In other words, we should never engage in “doubtful disputations.” This is an important point that every strong believer must keep in mind to remain strong and not, himself, become weak.
What is a doubtful disputation? The Institute for Creation Research gives this concise explanation: “Doubtful disputations” refer to critical judgments on the inward reasonings of others. Unless some practice is specifically revealed in Scripture to be right or wrong, each believer should be free to formulate his own convictions about it. New Christians may still feel constrained by certain criteria they had followed earlier, and thus may be reluctant to change when they become saved. Unless these are specifically enjoined or prohibited in the Word of God, older believers should receive them into fellowship without argument or criticism. The link to that, if you wish to verify, is https://www.icr.org › books › defenders
My Dad once told me a story about doubtful disputations. He told a tale of his youthful days in the city of Gadsden, Alabama. His anecdote involved two preachers both of whom were weak in the faith. As he walked down the main street in downtown Gadsden, two preachers stood on the sidewalk in front of the rented building they used as their church. It was one church shared by two preachers because neither could afford the rent on his own. They took my Dad by the elbows and led him inside. “Young man,” they said, “you need to be saved.” As they led him down the aisle in the old narrow building, a dispute erupted between the two preachers. One of them believed that Dad needed to repent before God would save him. The other man believed that God's love for Dad came before Dad's need to repent. By the time they reached the altar, they were engaged in a fistfight. Dad looked on in dismay. Quietly, while they were occupied, Dad turned and walked away.
Verses two through eight. People are different. Each of us has our own way. Above the minor differences, God deals with all of us. The author notes that one person might eat freely without qualms or reservations while another person, and here, the author places this second person as 'weak,' only eats herbs. These are two different choices based on two separate opinions. The one who, by comparison, eats meat is considered strong while the vegetarian or vegan is considered weak. I don't think the author intended us to view the so-called strong eater as someone who would just put anything in his mouth. Being both a Jew and a Roman, the author may or may not have subscribed to the Jewish restriction against pork but we know that he argued for the inclusion of pork eaters into Christianity.
Perhaps his point is not so much about food as it is about the spirit of the person. Perhaps the author recognized the stronger of the two as the one who walked in faith rather than living a life based on fear or a softness of heart. The vegetarian may not necessarily be seen as fearing to eat meat but rather as fearing for the animal. Yet, a reluctance can hold a person back. The person who is reluctant to fly may take the bus instead. He will not get there as soon as the flier but he will get there nonetheless. For weakness, that person has amputated his wings. A person is then seen to restrict not something outside of himself but, rather, a part of his own being. In regard to eating meat, I find it interesting that science makes the claim that a meat diet was responsible for the evolution of primates into humans – meaning, I think, that a vegetarian diet would have restricted the advancement of intellect.
Not necessarily in the author's own words, the person who flies should not despise the person who takes the bus. The person who takes the bus should not despise the person who flies. Both of them, barring the unforeseen, will reach their destinations. People are different. Still, there is an area of concern where it may be said that there is a right way and a wrong way. The person who walks on the sidewalk may think his way is right and that it more or less assures his likelihood of not being struck by a car. The person who enjoys the freedom of walking in the street may think his way is right because it is his way and that it is just as valid, as ways go, as the way of the side-walker. Equality under the law. Right? The man on the sidewalk may call out an earnest warning to the man in the street. The man in the street may reject that call. The man in the street may, indeed, increase his chances of being hit or reduce his opportunities to be in a safer area. He may for the time get by with his way but if he gets hit, he has only himself to blame.
What comes down, comes down from a level that is higher than the one on which we exercise our personal choices. While one man may be of the opinion that certain days of the week or year are special and should be celebrated, another person may hold a more profane view of the days, thinking that no one day is any different than any other day. It is permissible that each of us may be fully persuaded in our own view. We may look at the differences between Christianity and Atheism and it may be the view of the Christian that the Atheist needs to get right with God. On the other hand, the Atheist may view the Christian as someone who just needs to chill out and enjoy life without over-complicating matters. It is permissible that each of us be assured in our own world view. According to the author of this Biblical book, the Christian should not judge the Atheist and the Atheist should not judge the Christian.
He said that because of the higher level from which comes down to us all that occurs. In that regard, no man is an island. In other words, no man lives unto himself and no man dies unto himself. Where we come from and where we go are higher matters that have never been under our control. Therefore, while it is expedient for the faithful to exercise their faith, it is not beneficial to judge others by our own standards. Revelation 22:11 instructs all of us, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Beyond expressing our views and hopes and concerns, we should simply let the matter alone. Christians should serve their master and allow the Atheists to serve their master – whoever or whatever that master may be. The same standard should apply to all intelligent people. Atheists should allow Christians their place in the world we hold in common. Muslims and adherents to other faiths should allow a place in this common world for those of other views. It is wrong not only to condemn those unlike ourselves but worse, for our own sakes, to harm another for superficial differences.
The Christian lives and dies unto his Lord. The people of other faiths live and die unto their respective Lords. The non-believer lives and dies unto the higher force of his or her existence. While we live and share this common realm, it is good to be useful to those we care about. It is also expedient to exercise the best within us, and that 'best' must necessarily include tolerance for those of different views.
Verses nine through twenty-three. The first word of verse nine leads our inquiry. To continue his argument, the author began verse nine with the word 'for.' To use the word 'for' as a connector between his previous argument and his current continuation is a matter that could as well be served by the use of the word 'because.' In other words, his former argument is the reason Christ died, arose, and revived. By doing what no one but Christ could do, he established his Lordship over not only the saved but the unsaved, as well. Think of it that way and connect the dots. For Jesus to be the “Lord both of the dead and the living,” it is the same as saying Jesus is the Lord both of the Christian and every other believer and non-believer, as well. It doesn't matter that some people don't believe or that some people believe differently, Jesus Christ is the one and only Lord.
Being the only Lord means that he is the only judge. All of us – Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists, or whatever – all of us must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. In this life, it is not our place to judge another. It is not our place to belittle or despise. Simply put, such thoughts and actions only add to the crimes that we commit against ourselves. We condemn ourselves by condemning others. In doing so, we are stealing the thunder from thunder's true owner.
The author justifies this view in verse eleven when he states, “For (because) it is written (it is legally established) As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” Every one of us must personally answer to the judge who is judge overall. There is no mention of a substitute judge. There is no stand-in. There is only one judge and “every” knee shall bow to that one judge. Likewise, there is established in writing only one God to whom “every” tongue must make confession. This is not a Hebrew thing. It is not an old testament thing. Neither is it a Christian thing. It is an everyone thing. It covers all of us. The Atheist is not excluded because he does not believe. The Muslim is not excluded because he believes in Allah. If you have a spirit, that spirit will stand before Christ. Every spirit must give an account of all that he or she truly said and truly did in this short life on Earth.
It is the conclusion and suggestion of the author that all of us stop judging and condemning our fellow man. We are challenged, rather, to no longer place a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in the paths of our brothers and sisters. What does that mean? To behead a Christian for not being a Muslim is a stumbling block. To excommunicate a so-called heretic is an occasion to fall. For the purpose of being righteous, there must no longer be the view that a brother can be an infidel. Knowing that we must all make an accounting of our righteousness before a righteous judge, there can be no infidels, there can be no heathen. There may only be brothers and sisters and beloved all.
Many of us know in our hearts what the author is persuaded of in verse fourteen. Is it merely an opinion? No. It comes down from the judge of all. There are no infidels. There are no heathen. There are no heretics. In and of ourselves, none of us are unclean. None of us are wrong except in the minds of those who insist that it is so. The message is clear in verse fifteen. We should not destroy another with the thing in which we are strong, be it our meat or our faith or our lack of faith. The meat-eater should not in any way cause harm to the vegetarian. The vegetarian should not do harm to the eater of meat. Both are blessed with sustenance. The Christian should not destroy the Muslim for the sake of his Christian faith and the Muslim should not destroy the Christian for the sake of his Muslim faith. Both are blessed with faith that gives them the strength to live. Christ died for all. Our attitudes toward our brothers and sisters should be charitable.
Verse sixteen is advice for the ages. If you think there is something in you that is good – whether it be your faith as a Muslim or your faith as a Christian, don't give it a bad reputation. Give no cause for others to see you as an evil enemy. Tolerance is the skeleton of the spirit. Charity is the muscle of the spirit. How can we stand without tolerance for our brothers and sisters? How can we move without charity? What is the highest ideal that we strive for in life? What is our heaven and what is our paradise? It is not found in setting differences and insisting that yours is the best. It is not in the dietary restrictions of a religion. It is not in the particular name we employ for our God. It is not found in a desire to have power or the bitter arguments that lead to destruction. It is only found in right-thinking and good deeds toward all people. It is found in peace between people and joy in the assurance of a right mind.
If in peace, joy, and rightness of mind, you serve the judge you will someday stand before, two things will be true of you. You will be acceptable to God and you will be approved by men. You will be a hero with an assured reward. If you know the work belongs above you and is not in your control, why would you destroy the work of God for your small opinion or desire? All things are pure, the evil is in forcing another to receive what is not for them. Don't force the vegetarian to eat meat. Don't force the Christian to be a Muslim or the Muslim to be a Christian. Don't force the Atheist to believe. It is not good to do anything to offend a brother or to make him stumble in his particular path through life. Do not offend them or wear them down.
This is the culmination of chapter fourteen in the book of Romans – a book considered to be only Christian. It is better for us to see it as spiritual. If you have faith, exercise your faith within yourself before God. If you do not condemn yourself before the true judge in the things that you adopt for yourself, you can count yourself happy. The things that you allow are things for you. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. That is to say that if you do not have full assurance in the thing that you do, you are damned in the doing of it. If the vegetarian who is doubtful of meat is forced to eat meat, he is damned by doing so. It is not the meat eater's place to damn his vegetarian brother. It is not the Muslim's place to damn his Christian brother. It is not the Christian's place to damn his Atheist brother. While this is what the author of a Christian book has said, it is more a tenet of the spirit. Greater than the petty differences between mortal men is the Spirit within us.
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