Romans Chapter XIV

Place in the Lectionary:

Rom 14:6-9: All done for the Lord Sat. 9th Week after Pentecost

Rom. 14:9-18: The Judgement seat of Christ Tues.oft the 5th week of Pentecost

Rom 14:19-23 We are free to fast correctly Sat. of Cheese-fare Week. (The Saturday before lent begins)

Piety and Living in Unity in the body of Christ

14:1 As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. 2 One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him.

1. Weak Christians are those who attach primary important to secondary things.

Immature conscience & wisdom (Orthodox Study Bible)

2. Weakness are to be supported and not become a matter of judgment

“Paul points out that the person in question here is not healthy and that he must be received because he needs a lot a attention, because of his infirmity. Furthermore, he makes it appear that the weak man’s error is of such a nature that the others, although they do not share his weakness, are nevertheless disconcerted by it and liable to fall into uncertainty themselves. (Chrysostom, Homily XXV, on Romans.)

On Fasting:

“We are not to abstain completely from different kinds of food but only not to be preoccupied with them. We are to eat what is set before us, as a Christian should, out of respect to our host.” (Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor)

4. Chrysostom sees here, the Gentiles who had no dietary laws as judging the Jews as having no faith for abstaining from certain foods and the Jews were judging the Gentiles as being gluttons because they ate everything. Both were wrong because they allowed food to become a source of contention.

4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Master is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind.

We are to forgive each other as Christ has forgiven us.

"Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 25 and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' 27 And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' 29 So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' 30 He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; 33 and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' 34 And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." (Matt 18:23-35)

6 He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

The intention of what one does reveals its intrinsic value.

2. All aspects of one’s life is now directed at living in Christ and for His kingdom. All cultural practices are “baptized” and given meaning, purpose and orientation once one becomes a Christian.

Personal piety carries the danger of loosing focus and the seed of narcissism.

“We must not please ourselves but rather assume the example of Christ, who alone died to sin, so that by imitating Him we too might become strangers to sin and die to it.” (Origen, On Romans)

The tomb and womb of Baptism (Origin)

On The Judgement seat of Christ

9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." 12 So each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Then let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

In the Orthodox Liturgy

“For a Christian end to our lives, peaceful without shame and suffering, and for a good account before the awesome judgement seat of Christ, let us ask of the Lord.”

Each of will give a account of our lives before Christ himself. (Matt 25)

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. (II Cor. 5:10-11)”

14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean.

Something becomes unclean not because of its nature but because of one’s mind-set.

We are all influenced by our cultural backgrounds which bring with them certain understandings about the world around us.

15 If your brother is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died.

1. The Church, as the “body of Christ” is defined as a Koinonia (community bond together in love for one another) there is nothing done on a personal level that is free from responsibility of its affect on the whole of the Church. We cannot be a Christian alone.

16 So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; 18 he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for any one to make others fall by what he eats; 21 it is right not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother stumble.

1. One’s personal piety must never become a stumbling block to others.

Mutual up-building is the final goal of all our actions.

“One who ruins his brother has subverted peace and harmed joy in a way which is more serious even than stealing money. What is worse is that although another has saved him, you have wronged him and ruined him.” (Chrysostom, Homily, XXVI, On Romans)

“A Christian must serve everyone who is upset with him in every way, at least insofar as he can.” (Basil the Great, The Morals)

22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God; happy is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves. 23 But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, because he does not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Keep practices of faith between us and God and do not impose it upon others - God’s approval is its own reward. (Origin)

2. Do not lay up for ourselves defeats based upon personal spiritual ambitions but persevere in the path you have chosen. (Origin)