Romans 14

     Having just urged us to fulfill the law by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (Ro.13:8-14), Paul turns to issues of conscience that are in themselves indifferent, but have the potential to divide the church.  The actual issues aren’t apt to come up often in most churches today, but the principles involved come up all the time.  Forbearance of each other, and the giving up of our own rights for the sake of others, is an act of love.  And love is the fulfilling of the law (13:10).

     The eating of meat could be a snare to both Jews and Gentiles.  A Jewish man’s conscience, trained by the symbols and shadows of the old covenant law that pointed to Christ, condemned him if he ate ceremonially unclean meat, or if he failed to observe a holy day.  Jesus fulfilled the law and turned the focus from the external shadow to the internal reality.   Obedience of the heart made one clean.  Righteousness is not only what you do, but what you are (Mt.5:17-20).  Jesus declared all foods clean (Mk.7:19).  But the Jewish conscience needed time to understand these things (cf. Peter’s vision before his visit to Cornelius, Acts 10:13-15).  These were temporary things, due to pass away when fulfilled in Christ.  Abraham was not under the yoke of the law (Gal.3:17f.).  Daniel, under the law, refused the kings dainties and ate nothing but vegetables (Dan.1:8ff.).  Both men acted in faith according to what they were given, and were blessed for it.

     The eating of meat offered to idols was also a problem for Gentiles.  (This is explained more fully in 1 Cor.8 and 10:23-33).

     The real issue for Paul was the division such issues could cause in the church.  Either Jew or Gentile could wound his conscience and either cause himself or his brother to stumble over an issue in which we actually have freedom in Christ.  “We are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat” (1 Cor.8:8).

     As I have said, there are many indifferent issues that can divide a church.  This is the real issue, and Paul sums it up well here.  Pursue the things that make for peace (19).  Whatever is not from faith is sin (23).

      We need to beware of those who try to apply such passages as this to things that are not indifferent.  Grace does not make sin indifferent.  Love demands wise church discipline, and it is not judgmental to admonish a sinner (15:14).  The church council in Acts 15 acted with the kind of discernment that is called for.  The Jews who were troubling their Gentile brothers were ordered to stop, but as a loving concession to the Jewish conscience, the Gentiles were ordered not to eat blood.  And because meat had such a strong connection to idol temples and the false worship and prostitution that took place there, Gentiles were reminded that fornication was a sin against both the letter of the law and the Spirit of grace.  There was nothing indifferent about fornication, then or now.

     In practice, these issues can be very difficult.   What is indifferent to one can be an essential of the faith in the opinion of another.   One man must avoid something truly indifferent because it is a temptation to sin for him.   To another man, it may be completely harmless and have good uses.  Let us take care, both for the needs of our weaker brother, and for the things which we approve, that we do not condemn ourselves by them (22).