Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Romans 15:14-16:27

Introduction

In the play which the high school put on last week, there was a scene in which Anne was marking papers. She suspected that one of the students had not actually written the essay she had handed in. Upon inquiry, she found that this girl had copied a love letter which her father had written to her mother and had taken credit for writing it. One of the first things you learn when you learn to write is that you need to give credit where credit is due. With ease of copying and access to all kinds of resources on the internet, this problem of copyright violations has only gotten worse. It is right and honorable to give credit where credit is due.

For the past eight months we have been studying Romans and today we come to the last message in the series. As Paul concludes his message, he gives credit where credit is due. He acknowledges that not only his writing, but his whole life, all he is passionate about and all he does is done in the power of God and with reference to God. We have studied many themes and looked at salvation from a number of different angles in the book of Romans, but at the center of everything is God. Paul begins the letter, in Romans 1:1 by talking about the “gospel of God.” He concludes the letter by declaring, “to the only wise God be glory forever.” Do we include God in the bibliography of our life? Do we give Him the credit where it is due?

In this final section from Romans 15:14 to the end of chapter 16, Paul deals with a number of issues. This morning we will examine these concluding issues and see how God is at the center of them all. Then we will conclude by declaring glory to God.

The Gospel

In Romans 15:14-22, Paul discusses his life’s purpose. Please notice this purpose in 15:15,16, “because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God…” In Paul’s first missionary journey, he went to Asia minor and after that he went on 2 more missionary journeys each time expanding the territory in which he had preached Christ. By this time, he had preached in much of what is today Palestine, Turkey and Greece. His passion was to be a pioneer missionary and to proclaim the gospel where it had not been preached before. The particular focus of his preaching was to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles. We have previously seen how he often went to the Jewish synagogues first and then to the Gentiles.

But what I want us to notice more than anything this morning is that all that Paul did in proclaiming the gospel was done through God and by God. The call Paul had as a minister came from God as he says in 15:15, “because of the grace God gave me to be a minister.” The gospel which Paul preached came from God and is identified in 15:16 as “the gospel of God.” The power and ability to proclaim the gospel came from God as it says in 15:18, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me.” The accompanying power of God was also present as it says in 15:19, “by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit.”

Over the next few months a number of you will be involved in various ministries. In early July, Amos and Wendy and many of you will be doing VBS in Woodlands. Trevor and Rebekah are going for a two month ministry to serve God in Asia and then also continuing to test the call God has given them to missionary service. Christa Penner is going with the YFC group out of Morris to the Ukraine. Taralee is going to Belize. In August the camp committee is once again planning for Living Fountain Bible Camp. There are also others of you who will be serving in other ways. As we see just how much God was at the center of Paul’s ministry, in his call, in the gospel, in giving direction and in empowering service, it is a lesson and encouragement for us to learn that same kind of dependence. May God be in the center of all our ministry.

Travel Plans

In Romans 15:23-33, Paul begins to discuss his travel plans. Because he has preached the gospel all the way from “Jerusalem to Illyricum” he is looking at the next place where he can proclaim the gospel. Because there is already a church established in Rome, he is looking beyond, into Spain. At this point in his plans he is on his way to Jerusalem. He has collected money for the church in Jerusalem. In part this offering was a way for the Gentile churches to say thank you to the Jerusalem church, from where the gospel had spread out. In part it was support for the poor in Jerusalem because of a famine which was happening there. After that, it was his intention to visit the church in Rome and then to ask them to help him launch a missionary campaign to Spain.

The question is, “did his plans happen?” We read here that he intended to go to Rome after Jerusalem and in Acts 21-28 we have a record of exactly how that unfolded and how he did actually go to Rome after Jerusalem. However, it was not at all how Paul had planned or imagined. In Jerusalem he was arrested and his life was threatened. The next several years he was in prison and at one point he appealed his case to Caesar. When he eventually made it to Rome, it was not as a free man, but as a prisoner. We also do not know if he ever made it to Spain. There is no record of a church in Spain until the 2^nd century and although there is one comment in I Clement 5:6,7, a non-biblical book, which says that Paul “reached the limits of the west,” there is no other evidence that he ever made it to Spain and even this reference is not conclusive.

In reflecting on these travel plans, we see God’s hand once again. Paul made a plan, but the way it happened was directed in a different way by God. Paul was aware that all his plans were subject to God’s guidance and that is why in Romans 15:30-32 he asked for prayer. Please note the centrality of God in his request for prayer about his travel plans. He asks them to pray that “I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea.” He asks them to pray that “by God’s will I may come to you…” Paul had already learned to trust in God in all his plans and to recognize the sovereignty of God in those plans.

We have travel plans and I thought I would share them with you. Most of you already know that we begin our sabbatical this week. I want to thank you for giving us this opportunity for rest, reflection and growth. We leave for the study tour to Israel on Thursday and will be there for three weeks. If you want to keep updated, please look at the blog which is listed in the bulletin this week. Then on the way home we are spending about a month in different places in Europe, which is our vacation. When we return to Canada, I will be spending the rest of our sabbatical mostly reading, but I will also spend about 4 days at a retreat center. I will return to work on August 1. These are our plans, but we recognize and want to submit to God’s will for us. We ask that pray for us. My hearts desire is that I will learn and grow and come back more enthused and better equipped to serve God in this congregation. We also ask that you pray for God’s guidance in all our travels.

Many of you also have plans - travel plans, plans to get married, plans for a job. I would encourage all of us to recognize the centrality of God in all we do. I would also encourage all of us to continue to pray for each other.

Greetings

In the next section, Romans 16:1-24, Paul extends greetings. In 16:1-16, he extends greetings to people he knows in Rome. In Romans 16:21-24, he sends greetings from those who are with him, to the church in Rome. The first person mentioned is Phoebe, a servant, deacon or minister of the church in Cenchrea. It is possible that she is the bearer of the letter. The list continues until verse 16. What is interesting about these greetings is that they extend across many different people in different positions and from different backgrounds. At least a third of those mentioned are women. Some, like Phoebe, Priscilla and Aquila are people of means, whereas others are slaves. Ampliatus, Urbanus are known as slave names. Some of them are identified as relatives of Paul, although this may be a reference to the fact that they were Jews and on the other hand some of the names are clearly Gentile names. This in itself is evidence of the radical thing God was doing through the gospel. People from all walks of life, all economic situations, all racial groups and both genders are a part of the church God was building. As Paul says in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This is what God was doing! What he declares in Galatians 3:28 is demonstrated to be a reality in this list of people.

But the centrality of God is seen in these greetings in another way and that is in the constant mention of God and Christ in the greetings. God is in their lives. Notice the repeated use of the phrase, “in Christ” or “in the Lord.” They were people who knew the Lord and the bond that they all had was a bond which was because of God’s call and gospel.

Do we see our relationships in this way? Do we see God at the center of all our relationships? Do we recognize that we are connected to one another because of Jesus? May God be central in all our relationships.

Conclusion: Glory To God!

In the final section, Paul focuses, not only this last chapter and a half, but the entire book of Romans on God. For 16 chapters he has discussed some of the most profound theological truths and some of the most significant truths relating to the life of a disciple, but central to all of this is God. Romans is not about the Jews or the Gentiles or about us. Romans is about God and so it is appropriate that we conclude with our eyes on God. Paul says, “Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, ^26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— ^27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

Notice first of all that the beginning and the ending of this benediction is God. He starts with “to Him” and ends with “to the only wise God.”

In between these two references to God, there is a list of all the things that God has done. What is interesting is that each of the things mentioned here have a reference point in the rest of the book.

He says first of all, “to Him who is able.” The Greek word for “able” is “dunamis,” from which we get our word dynamite. It means power. God has power. If you recall back to Romans 1:16, the book began with the phrase, “the gospel is the power of God for salvation.” Glory is due to God because He has the power to accomplish what He intends by the gospel.

The power of God is there “to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.” God has made it possible for both Jews and Gentiles to become followers of God and for people of all nations to come to Him. By His power God has done this through Jesus Christ and therefore He is worthy of glory. This is also a theme that has appeared previously. In Romans 1:9, Paul said, “God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son…” Reference to the revelation of the mystery mentioned in verses 25,26, has also been mentioned previously in Romans 3:21 which says, “…but now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known…” God is worthy of glory because he did not leave the gospel hidden, but has revealed it to us. Mention has already been made of the revelation of the gospel, referred to in vs. 26, in Romans 1:2 where it says, “^ the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.” Giving glory to God is also appropriate because this gospel has resulted in the obedience of faith in people from all nations. This theme has been throughout the book and was mentioned as early as Romans 1:5, “Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.”

So we see all of these different themes which Paul has spoken about throughout the book. In a way he is summarizing the main theme of the book and inviting the response to say, “Look what God has done! Isn’t He worthy!” And what is He worthy of? He is worthy of glory and so the concluding invitation, based on all that God has done, based on the centrality of God in all these things, is to give Him glory. That is the conclusion of the book, “to Him…be glory forever.”

What does it mean to give glory to God? Giving glory to God is a heart exercise by which we recognize how amazing God is. It is a verbal exercise as we join together and say to God “You are amazing!” It is also a lifestyle exercise in which we choose to do all things to the glory of God.

May God be the center of all and may we give glory to Him!

Be Wise About What Is Good

Romans 15:14-16:27

Introduction

It has been a long time since I have had a visit from Jehovah’s Witness, but a few times they have come to my door. The debate I often have with myself is, “do I welcome them in and share my faith in Christ or do I avoid them?” Truth and relationships are at stake.

Recently I had several conversations with people who noted that we don’t seem to hold each other accountable any more. If someone is doing stuff that is questionable, we don’t want to get involved. How can we accept them if what they are doing is unacceptable? Truth and relationships are at stake.

There are many connections between our understanding of the truth and our relationship to others who do not share our understanding. Some of you challenged me after last Sunday’s message to consider some other aspects of the topic I preached then. When I returned to Romans 15, 16 on Tuesday to plan for the final messages on Romans, I discovered something very interesting. Last week we looked at Romans 15:7 which says, “Accept one another.” Romans 15:14 says, “Instruct one another;” and Romans 16:17 says, “Keep away from them.” So what does the Bible really say? How can you instruct someone if you are to accept them? How can you accept someone if you are supposed to keep away from them? Is the Bible contradicting itself? How do we maintain a good relationship between truth and love?

Accept One Another

Last week, the theme was “accept one another.” By way of review, let me remind you that we found from Romans 14, 15 that we cannot get around the fact that there are disputable matters. We found that people who are sincerely trying to follow God come up with different understandings of what it means to be a disciple. We were instructed, in Romans 14:3 that we should not look down on those who do not seem to have freedom and, on the other hand, those who do not have freedom should not judge those who do. In other words, we should accept one another. At the same time, we also recognized that it is important to search the Scripture and seek God on these issues. Romans 14:5 says, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” A further lesson which came out of these chapters is that those who have freedom need to be very careful to hold that freedom in such a way that they do not cause a brother or sister to stumble. They need to act in love and in such a way as to build up their faith and not tear it down.

This is what it means to accept one another as this Scripture teaches and we need to recognize its importance and learn what it means to live by this way.

Instruct One Another

However, what if a brother or sister is doing something that seems to us to be more than just a disputable matter? What if a brother or sister is believing something that seems to us to be harmful to their faith? Is it then still OK to accept them and do nothing else? Are we not called to hold each other accountable?

We need to remember that Paul not only wrote Romans 14,15, but also Galatians 6:1 where he says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”

Paul alludes to an answer to this question in Romans 15:14. What he is doing in these verses is affirming them as capable followers of Christ. Remember that he had not planted this church and he had never actually been there before, although he was hoping to visit. He had heard about the church and cared about the believers in Rome and on that basis was writing to them quite passionately and clearly. In these verses he is being humble, recognizing that God has been at work in them and that it is by their graciousness that he has been able to write to them. So in 15:14, he affirms them and in so doing makes a significant comment on the theme we are looking at today. He says to them, “I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” It is evident from this that we should not just accept one another, but also instruct one another which includes holding one another accountable. So the question becomes, “how can we accept one another and also teach one another?” Or if you want to follow the verse in Galatians 6:1, “How can we restore someone, doing it gently, and keep watch for ourselves?

Perhaps the way to hold each other accountable is to ask some pertinent questions.

I know that my motives are not always pure and my reasoning is not always sound. Therefore, the place to begin as we think about holding others accountable might well be to ask ourselves, “Why do I want to do this?” Why do I feel a need to confront a brother or sister about the way they are living or believing? It is entirely possible that we may want to do so because we have a need to manipulate other people. How subtle this attitude can be! It is possible for us to cloak manipulation in a veil of righteousness indignation. It will take some brutal honesty in our own hearts to determine if that is the motivation which drives us to want to teach others. It may also be that we want to hold them accountable because we have a difficult time accepting differences. Sometimes when we are insecure in our own beliefs, we manifest over confidence, not because we are so certain but because we want others to think that we are. If we want to hold others accountable because we are having a hard time accepting them or because we cannot help ourselves from judging them, then we must re-examine our own hearts. If, on the other hand, our motive for holding someone else accountable is because we are deeply concerned for their soul and their life and we believe that they are in danger, then may be safe to go ahead. So the first task is to examine our own hearts before we “teach one another.”

Another question we could ask the other person is, “Is this a disputable matter or is it more serious?” The way in which we can ask this is to go back to Romans 14:5. There we were told that “each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Because this command is in Scripture, I think we have every right to ask one another, “are you fully convinced in your mind that you can do this or believe this “unto the Lord?” If they say “yes” we need to accept that and accept them. If they are not sure, we have the opportunity to invite them to reconsider. I believe that this allows us to “instruct one another” gently.

Accepting one another is only one part of being community and living in God’s truth. Another part is teaching one another.

Keep Away From Them

Last week as we looked at how Paul was very gracious to those who were refusing to eat meat and were insistent on keeping certain days, I was a little puzzled about Paul’s gracious attitude. The reason I was puzzled was because Paul is much more vehement about these very same issues in other passages. For example, in Colossians 2:16-23 he is much harder on people who are promoting these same issues. That makes this whole discussion very puzzling. Are we to accept one another or are we to avoid those who teach things contrary to the gospel?

The third passage, Romans 16:17-20, calls us to an extreme opposite perspective and helps us understand when it is time to accept and when it is time to avoid. The primary difference seems to be between people who are genuinely trying to follow the Lord, but struggling with some issues and those who are boldly teaching things contrary to God’s truth. But let us examine the text to see the details.

Watch Out

One of the things Paul helps us do in this passage is to recognize that there are certain situations when we cannot accept the influence or teaching of certain people. How do we recognize when they are beyond being accepted and even beyond accountability?

First of all, Paul says that they “cause divisions and put obstacles” in the way of good teaching. We need to be very careful when a teacher or a group says, “we have the only truth” or “ours is the only true church.” Such attitudes are divisive and although this is not the only thing to watch for, when you hear that, it should raise a warning signal in your mind about the truth of this teaching.

There are different stumbling blocks which may be put in the way of faith and one of them is when teaching becomes complicated and confusing. If they are teaching, as essential truth, things that are obscure in Scripture, that should also raise a warning in our mind.

As we read on we see that we can also recognize those who are dangerous because they teach what is contrary to sound teaching. We know that there are disputable things. For example, as Mennonites, we believe that as Christians we would not take up arms in war. Yet we would never say that unless you agree with that you are not a Christian. We recognize this as a disputable matter. But there are some matters of the faith that are not disputable, they are foundational. We recognize that believing in God as the supreme creator and Lord of the universe, the coming of Christ to earth to die for our sins and the resurrection of Christ which has gained life are foundational truths. If any teachers proclaim things that are contrary to these foundational truths, we would recognize them as dangerous teachings.

A further indicator of those who present a danger to faith are those who “are not serving our Lord Christ.” The center of the Christian faith is Jesus Christ. A while ago, Ben found a piece of paper in the pews in which some young person had counted the number of times I said the word “Jesus” in a message. The count that Sunday was 55. May that never stop, but even more may we not only give Him lip service, but serve Him with our whole lives. If the church or a certain teaching is at the center, that is a sign of danger. Jesus must be at the center.

Paul goes on to say that these teachers do not have Jesus at the center, instead, they have their own selves at the center. NIV says that they serve, “their own appetites.” NKJV has a more literal translation when it says they serve “their own belly.” I don’t want to say anything about specific TV preachers, but when you look at the extravagant lifestyle some live and the fact that they refuse to divulge their financial statements, you have to wonder what their true motive is. There is reason for significant concern about them.

The great danger of these false teachers is that, “By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people.” They seem to be so nice and so sincere. Their message is so well presented and yet they are deceivers. This makes this warning so significant that we must be aware of such dangers. If any of the above issues – causing divisions, putting obstacles in the way, teaching what is contrary to sound doctrine, serving their belly instead of Jesus and being deceptive – are evident in any teacher, that is a warning sign.

How Do We Avoid Deception?

So how do we respond to such warnings?

First of all, Paul says, “Keep away from them.” Keeping away from them does not mean being rude to them or slandering them. Romans 12:14 teaches us to “Bless those who curse you” and Romans 12:18 encourages us to “live peaceably with all.” Avoidance does not mean that we stop caring about them or praying for them. But we do need to make sure that the influence of their teaching does not enter into our hearts and become a part of our life. I would challenge some of you to be very careful about regularly watching the television programs of some who would fall into this category. If the warnings I mentioned go up in your mind, find out more and discuss it with other believers and then avoid whatever is dangerous to faith.

One of the best remedies for avoiding false teaching is to walk in obedience to the truth. Most often the way in which a person falls away from the faith is not that they believe differently and then begin to behave differently. Often they begin to behave differently and then accommodate their beliefs to their behavior. Therefore, the way to keep on in the faith is through obedience. Whatever we are taught in Scripture must be obeyed. As we obey Jesus because we want to obey Jesus, we will walk in the truth.

The third thing Scripture says is “be wise about what is good and innocent about evil.” The question we are answering is, “How can we live in faithfulness to the truth of Jesus?” It is not by knowing evil that we will be able to avoid evil, but by being so familiar with good that the evil will be quickly obvious. If we have such a deep understanding of what is good, if we understand God’s truth and focus on Jesus and love Him deeply, then anything that is contrary to that life will be quickly evident. I know some people who seem very naïve. They don’t have an understanding of all the cultural nuances in the world and it seems that you can easily fool them because they are very trusting. But I also know that those same people, who love Jesus deeply and serve him faithfully would never be drawn into evil. Because they are so wise about what is good and so innocent about what is evil, they naturally and intuitively walk in the truth.

Promise Of Victory

At camp I have often heard the youth sing “Romans 16:19 says.” They do it with great enthusiasm because this verse not only speaks about the means to victory over evil, it also speaks about a promise about the victory God is bringing. The good news is that we won’t have to fight this battle forever.

This is the only mention of Satan in the book of Romans. The mention of Satan reminds us that we are not just in a human battle, but a demonic one in which vigilance is important. But the fact that he is only mentioned once tells us that we should not focus much on Satan, but rather on the truth of God. John Piper says, “Those who think of all struggles in terms of conflicts with the devil to be fought in face-to-face combat must wonder how Paul could write fifteen chapters about salvation and Christian living and not mention the Satan. Paul’s silence till now does not mean that Satan is insignificant, or that he can be trifled with. But it does mean that we deal with Satan mainly indirectly rather than keeping him in our mind and going toe to toe.”

The good news is that his days are numbered. God promised in Genesis 3:15 that the enemy would be utterly crushed. How is that happening? First of all, Christ has defeated Satan decisively on the cross. Colossians 2:15 says, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Our hope is that when Christ comes again he will be completely defeated and put out of the way for all the rest of eternity. Revelation 20:10 says, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” So what happens in the meantime? The encouragement of this passage is that the deception and evil in the world is being overcome by God and we have a part in it.

This verse says three important things. First of all that “God will crush Satan.” But what is interesting is that we have a part in that. He is crushing Satan, “underneath your feet.” As we rely on God and as we do God’s work we share in the defeat of Satan. We also notice from this verse that he will do it speedily. As we get tired of waiting, perhaps a bit impatient, we need to recognize that the victory will come in God’s perfect timing. This struggle with evil and falsehood in the world will not last forever.

Conclusion

In matters of concern, we must gently and graciously teach one another and hold each other accountable. In disputable matters, we need to make sure we don’t look down on one another or judge one another, but accept one another. In matters that undermine the foundation of the faith, we need to make sure that the false teaching does not influence us or our brothers and sisters.

How do we know which response is called for in any given situation? There are two fundamental truths we must keep in mind. One is the concern for truth and righteousness and the other is a concern for the loving thing. Most often, if we keep these two truths in mind, we will know how to act. Sometimes we find it hard to know which action is the holy and loving thing to do. At such times, we need wisdom and God has also promised us that in His Word.

May God help us to live in His truth with grace.

Accept One Another

Romans 14:1-15:13

Introduction

A few weeks ago one of you told me that you had to work on Sunday, which was unusual for you. We talked a little bit about whether this would be a time to take a stand or “pull the donkey out of the well.” The debate about working on Sunday is one that occurs almost every fall when harvest becomes a pressure and rain is threatening on Monday. Some of you have taken a firm stand and under no circumstances will you work on Sunday. Others will harvest even when Monday looks like it will be a nice day. Evidently we differ in our opinions about this.

I am aware that there are people in this congregation who will partake of wine or other alcoholic beverages on occasion. I also know that there are some here who have a very firm stand of abstinence. Evidently we differ in our opinions about this.

As some of you know, I believe that God has opened the door for women to be involved in church leadership and has nothing against women preaching or leading in the church. I am fully aware that there others in this congregation who have very different opinions and also many who are in between. Evidently we differ in our opinions about this.

In each of these issues, many people hold their positions firmly and passionately. It is often difficult to accept other points of view because we have thought deeply about our point of view. This makes dialogue difficult because we care about the perspective we take. I do not want to debate these issues this morning, but I do want to talk about how we can be brothers and sisters in the body of Christ even when we hold such different perspectives. I do want to reinforce that our oneness in Christ and our service for Christ is a higher value than that we agree on all of these issues. I do want to urge us to love one another and serve Christ arm in arm in spite of our differences.

The text we will be examining is Romans 14:1-15:13.

The Issue

In order to be faithful to God’s Word, we need to understand the issue which Paul was addressing to the Romans. One writer has suggested that this passage is really at the heart of the purpose for writing Romans. The church in Rome was divided along several lines and this was causing division in the body. Paul’s message is a strong encouragement to unity in the body of Christ.

As we have seen previously, there were both Jews and Gentiles in the church in Rome. Although the church was not only divided around ethnic issues, there is a strong connection. Many years before Christ, during the time of the kings of Israel, the Jewish people living in Israel continually sinned. Two of their sins were that they participated in the religion of the people around them through inter-marriage and they failed to honor God by keeping the Sabbath. As a result of their wandering away from God in these ways, God continually warned them and threatened that if they would not mend their ways and follow Him, He would drive them out of the land. They did not mend their ways and God did drive them out by the hand of the Babylonians and for 70 years they lived in exile in Babylon. When they returned, we read in Ezra and Nehemiah how they diligently sought to follow God.

By the time of Jesus, the dietary laws which identified them as Jews and the Sabbath laws were firmly entrenched in their observance of religion. From young on the values that were deeply engraved on their hearts and minds were the value of avoiding all contact with pagan religion, which included avoiding eating meat sacrificed to idols, and keeping the Sabbath laws. John E. Toews says, “since the middle-second century B.C.; they were boundary markers which defined Jewish particularity over against other people.”

When Jesus came, he invited people to a new kind of relationship with God. It involved a relationship with God which was based on Christ’s death and resurrection and in which a person could participate in that relationship not on the basis of outward rituals like abstaining from certain foods or keeping the Sabbath, but by faith. Paul thoroughly understood this and lived by it, but he also understood that some people could not shake the values they had grown up with and so abstaining from certain foods which might have been offered to idols or failing to keep the Sabbath was just too much for their spiritual understanding to accept. Paul calls them “weak in faith” and they were because they did not have enough faith to understand that they were saved by faith alone and that eating meat sacrificed to idols and keeping the Sabbath laws added nothing to their acceptance by God. The things that Paul says in this section are set in this context and as we read it, we first of all need to understand it in that context.

However, the principles which are presented here also apply to many other situations like those I have mentioned above and others like head covering, jewelry, media, dancing and other issues about which sincere followers of Christ have differences of opinion. The question is, “How does the body of Christ function when it doesn’t agree?”

The Principles

I would like to address these issues by presenting the principles which permeate this passage. Rather than examine them by going verse by verse, I have drawn out the principles which appear over and again throughout the text. There are four principles which can help us relate to one another as brothers and sisters in disputable matters.

There Are Disputable Matters

The first thing we need to notice is that there are disputable matters among those who are sincerely following Jesus. Notice how this fact appears again and again in this passage.

Right in 14:1, Paul speaks about “disputable matters.” In both 14:2 and 5, he indicates that one man eats and another man doesn’t/ one man considers one day more sacred and another man considers every day alike. In other words, there are differences.

Furthermore, we need to recognize that the differences are not a difference between people who are faithful to God and those who are not. In 14:6, he indicates that the one who eats “eats to the Lord” and the one who abstains “does so to the Lord.” Both of these people have come to their positions as a part of their faithfulness to God. Paul himself had very strong opinions about the matter of days and food laws and says in 14:14, “As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself.”

One of the things that has disturbed me is the matter of labeling. I am aware that I have been labeled by some as “liberal” in some of my views. I have also heard such labels applied to other conference leaders. I also know that I have applied the label “legalistic” to some people at times. Such labeling and the opinions that are behind them are not helpful and violate one of the basic premises of this passage. That premise is that equally sincere followers of Jesus who base their faith and hope on His finished work on the cross and who seek with all their heart to follow Him in life come to different conclusions about some of the details of what it means to be a disciple.

If it is our opinion that we have the only correct interpretation of what it means to follow Jesus, we will find it very difficult to live in unity and we might find that we are being disobedient to this Scripture which acknowledges differences.

As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me that although Paul is very tolerant here, he is not always so tolerant. There are other times where he directly and vehemently attacks others as false teachers. What is the difference? I believe that the difference is that those areas are not “disputable matters.” In those cases he is attacking matters that go to the heart of the gospel, to the core of what it means to be a Christian.

Furthermore, acknowledging differences does not mean that we compromise our perspective. Embracing differences still allows for firm convictions.

Do What Leads To Peace

The problem is, how can we do that and still relate with those who disagree as brothers and sisters? The primary thesis in this passage is a call by Paul for unity. I believe that the key verse in this section is that found in 14:19 where he says, “do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” The specifics of that are spelled out in the text.

We read, for example, in 14:1, “accept those who are weak in faith.” We also read in 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

I believe that 14:3 is a very important verse which addresses both sides of the issue. For some, the one temptation is to despise or look down on those who do not share our perspective. In Paul’s theology, he saw a measure of bondage for those who did not eat meat and who kept all the Sabbath laws. He calls them people who have “weak faith.” Yet he says that one should not look down on them. So those who might have more freedom in their faith on various issues today must be very careful not to look down on those who do not share that freedom.

On the other hand, those who believed that it was God’s will to refrain from eating meat and that it was necessary to keep all the Sabbath laws, could face the temptation to judge those who had freedom. They could easily view them as being people who were unfaithful to Scripture. They were convinced that their understanding was rooted in the Old Testament Scripture. Paul’s word to them in 14:3 is that they “must not condemn.”

This is difficult to do! It is difficult because we believe that we have thought about these issues and have looked at Scripture and are certain that we have understood them correctly. How can we then accept others whose views are different? How can we have fellowship with them as brothers and sisters? It is so easy to either despise or judge.

Paul answers this question in Romans 14:4 where he says, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls.” Why must we not despise or judge? Because we have no right to. We are not the master of anyone else. God is our master and only God can judge whether we have sincerely listened to Him and are obedient to Him.

That does not mean we should not talk about these things or share with one another why we believe what we believe. In fact, I think it is critical that we do have those kind of conversations. But when we look down on another or judge another, then we have stepped into the role of God and we have no right to do that.

So the critical response to differences on disputable matters is to accept one another and make every effort to be peace makers.

Be Fully Convinced

On the issue of eating meat and observing all the Sabbath laws is able to say in 14:14, “I am fully convinced.” Evidently he has taken the time to examine Scripture and pray and think through things and has a firm conviction on this issue. We often think that if a person really studies Scripture and is sincere they will come to the same conclusion as we have. In other words, we assume that if a person does not agree with us, they have not really studied Scripture well enough or that there is something wrong with their relationship with God. As we have already said, that is not necessarily the case. Even sincere people who are in a good relationship with God and who diligently and sincerely study Scripture will come to different conclusions. That was the first point. However, it is also possible that people have not done that, that they have not thoroughly examined an issue or do have something wrong in their relationship with God. Paul addresses that issue in this passage as well.

I mentioned in the last section that we should not judge one another because God is our master. In several verses, Paul reinforces that this is not only a reason not to judge one another, but also a reason to make sure that we are standing on solid ground in our opinions. He challenges in 14:5, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” That implies thinking and praying and discerning in order to be at peace in the presence of God. We should get to the place that whatever we do or think we should have the confidence to do it to the Lord. This is the theme of verse 6 where the one who eats meat “does so to the Lord” and the one who abstains, “does so to the Lord.” You can’t do that unless you are fully convinced in the Lord that what you do is the right thing. The incentive for this kind of careful thought and conviction is that, as 14:12 says, “each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Whatever we do, we must also let our conscience be our guide. For a person who believes that something is sin, for that person it is sin. Paul says in 14:22, “the man who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” So again we are encouraged to make sure that we are at peace in the presence of God about how we live our life.

Act In Love

In the situation which faced the Romans, Paul is very clear that he is convinced of his perspective on the issue. He is so strongly convinced that he even calls those who are troubled by eating meat those who are “weak in faith.” He encourages those who are weak in faith that they should not judge those who have freedom, whom Paul calls the strong.

In spite of Paul’s strong convictions and in spite of the fact that he identifies those who disagree as “weak in faith” it is amazing to see that he nevertheless calls for a very gracious way of relating to them. In 14:1 he has said that they should “accept him whose faith is weak” He says a similar thing in 15:1, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” This is powerful and worthy of note. I like the way John Toews puts it when he says, “The weak are prohibited from judging, but only the strong are exhorted to change their actual behavior because they alone have the power to do that.”

The tendency of those who have freedom in certain areas is to look down on those who do not have that freedom and to try, in some way, to force them to have a greater freedom. God’s Word calls us to a different way of acting. It calls us to selflessness, submission and sacrifice.

In 14:13 and following, he first of all teaches that those who eat meat should not put a stumbling block in front of those who do not eat meat. In verse 15 he says, “If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.” What a powerful teaching when it comes to disputable matters! The value that should form all of our actions is not first of all our freedom, but “acting in love!”

In 14:22 there is another statement which speaks to this ethic. Paul says, “So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.” I was intrigued by the phrase “does not condemn himself by what he approves.” What does this mean? I believe that it does not mean that there is a danger that we have gotten it wrong. What it does mean, in the context of the passage is that if you have freedom to do something, and you exercise that freedom and in the process you cause another person to stumble, you condemn yourself, not because the act itself is wrong, but because you cause another person to stumble. You condemn yourself because you are not acting in love.

As we move into chapter 15, we come to the foundation which supports such a way of living. In 15:2 Paul speaks very plainly when he says, “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” By setting aside our freedoms and submitting to that which will build up our neighbor, we act in the way that is right. This is not always easy to do and so Paul reinforces the motivation for such living when he points to the example of Jesus Christ. In 15:3 Paul says, “For even Christ did not please himself…” It is from the example of Christ that we learn to live in love. How did he handle insults? He absorbed them on the cross and so silenced them.

Love and the good of the other lived out with self sacrifice and submission are the higher values we are called to follow. Doing whatever we can to build unity is the value that supports such love. What a wonderful encouragement in Romans 15:5 where Paul prays “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion

I know that this is an intensely practical issue. I know that I have failed to follow this teaching and, on the other hand, I have experienced the insults of people who disagreed with me who have also not been following this teaching. What does God teach us here? Although the issue Paul was addressing is not our issue, the principles which arise are for us.

1. There are differences and that is just the way it is. In fact, in one way we could say that those differences are a part of the incredible variety with which God has blessed us in this world.

2. When we disagree, we must not, on the one hand, look down on each other or on the other hand judge one another.

3. We will all stand before God and so it is important that we be diligent to submit all of our opinions and actions to God and continually seek His will.

4. Whatever conclusions we come to we must also be willing to submit to the body of Christ and to treat each other with love so that none of our actions will cause a brother or sister to fall in faith.

This tells us that loving one another, accepting one another, honoring one another and submitting to God are higher values than “being right.”

May God help us to live in peace with grace.