Romans 14 on foods and judging. Although Paul has finished his great argument, in chapter 14, he demonstrates that his heart is still focused on the special concerns of Jewish and Gentile believers. He now addresses the issue of Jewish dietary laws. He has already explained that the dietary regulations of the law no longer apply. Nevertheless, some Jewish believers in Rome were continuing to observe the law's restrictions on various kinds of meats.
Paul's Gentile readers were probably surprised that Paul does not tell these Jewish Christians to discontinue following the Mosaic dietary regulations. However, Paul no doubt sensed that his Jewish Christian readers were already struggling to accept the truths he has just presented. So Paul permits these Jewish Christians to continue to observe these regulations of the law on two conditions. First, they must not imagine that there is salvation in these works of the law.
Second, they must not try to enforce these regulations on the Gentiles. From the tone of Paul's admonition, it is apparent that Gentiles outnumbered Jews in the church in Rome. So Paul admonishes the Gentile believers to be welcoming to their Jewish brothers who are still following the mosaic dietary regulations. In fact, he rebukes those Gentiles who are being inconsiderate about the consciences of their Jewish brethren.
Theodoret writes," The Gentile believers embraced the order prescribed by the gospel." However, there were also many Jews who had converted to the gospel. These Jews continued to follow the regulations of the law, observing special days and partaking only of the foods permitted by the law. As a result, disunity and outright quarrels arose in the church. The Jews condemned the Gentile believers for their indiscriminate use of all foods.
In turn, the Gentiles looked down upon the Jewish believers because of their fastidious and unnecessary adherence to the law. Therefore, to correct all this, the Holy Apostle offers appropriate admonition to both parties. He begins by first admonishing the Gentile believers to practice brotherly love. Romans chapter 14 verses 1 through 9.
Scruples about food, verse 1," Welcome the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of useless disputes." Addressing the Gentiles, Paul says," Welcome the one who is weak in faith." The ones weak in faith are their Jewish brethren who are still living by the dietary regulations of the law. In other words, make the Jewish Christians feel welcome. Nevertheless, do not accept them just so you can dispute with them about their adherence to the mosaic dietary laws.
As the early Christian commentators point out, Paul's considerable diplomatic skills are on display here. Most of this letter to the Romans has been directed against the unbelieving Jews and against the Jewish Christians who looked for salvation in the law. In his counsel about foods forbidden by the law, Paul could have simply reproved the Jews. Instead, Paul chooses to primarily caution the Gentile Christians. Yet in doing so, he is indirectly rebuking the Jewish brethren, for he calls them weak in faith.
Chrysostom writes," By calling such a person weak in faith, Paul shows that he is not healthy." Verse 2," For one believes that he may eat all things, but another who is weak, eats only vegetables, the ones who believe they can eat all things are the Gentiles," and perhaps some Jewish Christians who are no longer following the law. Paul says the weak brother, meaning Jewish Christians, who still observed the Mosaic Law, eats only vegetables. The reference to eating only vegetables is puzzling.
For the Mosaic Law never required the Jews to eat only vegetables. Chrysostom offers the following theory:" After believing, some Jews continued to observe the laws on meats, for they did not yet have the courage to entirely abandon the regulations of the law. However, if they only abstained from eating pork, then it would be obvious to everyone that they were still adhering to the law, so they abstained from all meat and ate only vegetables.
As a result, this appeared to be more of a fast than an observance of the law. Although this is a plausible explanation, it is only conjecture. We really do not know why some Christians in Rome were limiting their diet only to vegetables. Verse 3," He who eats must not despise the one who does not eat, and he who does not eat must not judge the one who eats, for God has received him." In short, Paul tells Jewish and Gentile believers alike to respect the conscience and freedom of each other.
The Gentile is not to look down on the Jew who is still following the Mosaic dietary laws. The Jew is not to judge the Gentile as being a sinner for eating formerly unclean foods, for God has received him. Ambrosiaster writes," What we eat or do not eat is a matter of personal choice, and therefore it should not become a subject for argument." Verse 4," Who are you to judge another man's servant? To his own master, he stands or falls.
Yes, he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand." To further establish his point, Paul turns to the commandment laid down by Jesus:" Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you shall be forgiven." In the ancient world, it was not anyone's place to judge the performance of another person's servant. Each servant was answerable to his own master.
And Ambrosiaster writes," God whose servants they are is the judge of their intention in eating or abstaining. However, he will stand, for God is able to make him stand. He will stand," he says," in the sight of their Lord, because they are neither guilty if they eat nor blameworthy if they do not eat." They must act with devotion, however, and not avoid such food because they consider it evil. Although as Christians, we are sons of God, we are also spoken of as servants.
Jesus told His disciples," When you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, we are unworthy servants. We have done our duty." Paul told the Corinthians," He who is called while free is Christ's slave." For this reason, Paul referred to Epaphras and Tychicus as his fellow servants. Verses 5 and 6," One man considers one day above another. Another considers every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He who observes the day observes it to the Lord.
And he who does not observe the day to the Lord, he does not observe it. He who eats eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. And he who does not eat to the Lord, he does not eat. And he, too, gives God thanks. Since this chapter is about foods, Paul is probably not talking about Mosaic Sabbath and feast days in this verse. Rather, he is most likely talking about fasting on certain days, particularly on special Jewish fast days, such as the Day of Atonement.
Or Paul could be setting forth principles concerning fasting in general. Chrysostom writes," Here, Paul seems to be giving a gentle admonition about fasting. For it is not unlikely that some who fasted were always judging those who did not fast." Or among the Jewish brethren, there were probably some who abstained on certain days, but not on others. For this reason, Paul says," Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Paul notes that the person who fasts on particular days does it to the Lord.
Such a person gives God thanks during his time of fasting. Similarly, the person who is not fasting also gives God thanks. That is, he prays before eating and gives thanks for the food he eats. So both persons are thanking God. Therefore, there is no need for either person to criticize the other. Theodoret comments, Paul says this out of consideration for us to produce peace and harmony in the church.
He says," The God of the universe knows the intention of both those who eat and those who do not eat." God does not look merely at the deed, but also at the purpose of what is being done. Verses 7 and 8," For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself, for if we live, we live to the Lord. And if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." Paul is not changing the subject here. For what he says in these verses relates to both judging others and stumbling others.
Theodoret comments," We are not our own masters, for we have been bought with a price. Therefore, while living, we are the Lord's, and when dead, we are the Lord's. Accordingly, neither are you your brother's master, nor is he yours. For we all have one master as our Lord. Paul had told the Corinthians," He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who, for their sakes, died and rose again." Theodore of Mopsuestia writes," If we live, it is Christ's life that we live.
If we die, we die with Him under His custody." As to dying to the Lord, Ambrosiaster adds," Whoever dies dies to God, for God is the judge who will either crown him or condemn him." Verse 9," To this end, Christ died, rose and lived again, so that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living, that He may might be Lord of both the dead and the living." What does this expression mean?
Paul clarifies it by what he told the Ephesians." When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men." Now this, he ascended. What is it, but that he also first ascended into the lower parts of the earth? So Christ did not die only for those who were living at His first coming or who would live afterwards. Rather, he gave his life also for those who had died prior to His coming.
Irenaeus explains," For the benefit of man, Christ descended into the lower parts of the earth to behold with His eyes the state of those who were resting from their labors." Ephesians 4:9." For Christ did not come merely for those who believed on him in the days of Tiberius Caesar, nor did the Father exercise His providence only for the men who are presently alive. Rather, he exercised it for all men who from the beginning have both feared and loved God.
Irenaeus continues," And for three days, Christ dwelt in the place where the dead repose, as the prophet said, concerning him. The Lord remembered his dead saints who slept formerly in the land of the dead, and he descended to them to rescue and save them.