CHAPTER 14

(A.D. 60)

DOUBTFUL THINGS

¹Him who is weak in the faith receive ye (refers to the Believer not understanding the Cross as he should), but not to doubtful disputations (is directed toward the strong Believers and those weak in the Faith; it means that the strong, who welcome those of weak Faith into the fellowship of the Church, are to do so unreservedly and not with the purpose of judging and attempting to rule their minds).

²For one believes that he may eat all things (pertains to the strength of ones Faith, based on a proper understanding of what Jesus did for us at the Cross): another, who is weak, eats herbs (this latter group doesnt properly understand the Finished Work of Calvary, and think that eating or not eating certain things gauge their Sanctification and Holiness, etc.).

³Let not him who eats despise him who eats not (speaks of the spirit of spiritual superiority); and let not him which eats not judge him who eats (is the same thing in reverse; spiritual superiority or spiritual pride is no respecter of persons; it can fasten itself to either group with equal tenacity): for God has received him (speaks of the individuals in either case, strong or weak).

⁴Who are you who judges another mans servant? (This actually says, As for you, who are you to judge Gods Servant?) to his own master he stands or falls (the Lord Alone is to be the judge). Yes, he shall be held up: for God is able to make him stand (has reference to the fact that God Alone can hold us up, and He is able to do so; the idea is that brow beating an individual will never help the person!).

⁵One man esteems one day above another (is actually referring back to the Jewish Sabbaths): another esteems every day alike(subject every day to scrutiny; this is the proper course). Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind (the Apostle is not speaking of things here that are morally wrong and which the Word of God has already condemned; he is speaking of Rituals only).

⁶He who regards the day, regards it unto the Lord (whatever Ritual someone may be attempting to keep, he is supposed to be doing it unto the Lord, and not for some personal satisfaction); and he who regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it(the interests of the Lord should be in view in either case). He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks (his Faith is sufficient and whatever the food might be is of no consequence); and he who eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks (has the same end in view, or at least it should, to please the Lord).

⁷For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself (no Christian is his own end in life; what is always present in his mind as a rule of his conduct is the will and interest of his Lord).

⁸For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord (everything in our lives is to be, unto the Lord): whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lords (reflects the Lord having total control over our lives and deaths, which we must desire He use to the fullest).

⁹For to this end (refers to the fact of Christs absolute ownership of the Believer, spirit, soul, and body) Christ both died, and rose, and revived (a price was paid for us of such magnitude that it absolutely defies description), that He might be Lord both of the dead and living (refers to the Lordship of Christ over all Saints, whether alive or having passed on).

¹⁰But why do you judge your brother? (Is any Believer qualified to judge another Believer? Your Brother is another reason for not judging. It is inconsistent with the recognition of the Brotherhood of Believers.) or why do you set at nought your brother? (There is only one reason for refusing fellowship, and that reason is unconfessed, unrepentant, habitual sin in a persons life [I Cor., Chpt. 5].) for we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (we will be judged there, not for our sins, those having been handled at the Cross, but as it regards our stewardship and our motives, etc.; gain or loss of reward will be the result).

¹¹For it is written (Isa. 45:23), As I live, says the Lord (God cannot die), every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God (to make a confession of Gods Honor, and as well, to praise Him).

¹²So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God (each is responsible, meaning that the blame cannot be shifted elsewhere).

RESPONSIBILITY

¹³Let us not therefore judge one another any more (can be translated, let us no longer have the habit of criticizing one another): but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brothers way (tells us what is, in fact, permissible to judge; as Believers, we are to judge every Brother and Sister and situation which surrounds them, irrespective what it might be, as to how we can help them, instead of harming them).

¹⁴I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus (means that this declaration is of the Lord, not merely of Pauls reasoning power), that there is nothing unclean of itself (speaks of ceremonial impurity, not of actual immorality; in the manner in which everything was originally created by the Lord and intended to be used, there is nothing unclean): but to him who esteems any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean (is this way because of Faith placed in things other than the Cross).

¹⁵But if your brother be grieved with your meat, now walkest thou not charitably (do not take that as an occasion to be uncharitable toward him). Destroy not him with your meat, for whom Christ died (our actions should always be motivated by the fact that Jesus died for this person, and this person belongs to Christ; we should treat him accordingly!).

¹⁶Let not then your good be evil spoken of (our good must be exercised with a gracious spirit, always considering others):

¹⁷For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink (actually refers to rules, regulations, ceremonies, or rituals, etc.); but Righteousness, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit (a right spirit, which refers to a spirit that is controlled by the Holy Spirit, will always produce Righteousness, Peace, and Joy, not argument, etc.).

¹⁸For he who in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God (Righteousness, Peace, and Joy are acceptable to the Lord; but not contention, quarreling, and fighting in the Church), and approved of men (Righteousness, Peace, and Joy alone will bring men together).

¹⁹Let us therefore follow after the things which make for Peace (following that which is of God, and not that devised by men), and things wherewith one may edify another (refers to that which is produced by the Holy Spirit, and not by man).

²⁰For meat destroy not the Work of God (lets not fight over incidental things, which are what most Church fights are all about). All things indeed are pure (refers to that which is created by God, and used for its intended purpose); but it is evil for that man who eats with offence (refers to the man who is weak in Faith).

²¹It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak (the idea is that love is to be the ruling guide, not our freedom of liberties).

²²Have you faith? (This is addressed to the strong.) have it to yourself before God (dont run the risk of injuring a Brothers conscience merely for the sake of exercising in a special way the spiritual freedom we have the happiness to possess). Happy is he who condemns not himself in that thing which he allows (refers to this being joy enough, without us taking our liberty further and, thereby, hindering a weaker Brother or Sister).

²³And he who doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith (Faith, that is proper Faith, is the criteria for all things): for whatsoever is not of faith is sin (the type of Faith addressed here is Faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified; any other type of faith is sin).