Romans 14:13–23. Paul now moves beyond, “Don't judge your brother,” to something harder: Sometimes love will cause me to give up something I have every right to do.

One phrase especially deserves attention: “Nothing is unclean in itself.” Paul is not merely telling the “weak” brother to relax. He agrees that the food itself is clean. Yet the stronger Christian's correct understanding does not give him permission to damage someone for whom Christ died.

DON'T PUT A STUMBLING BLOCK IN YOUR BROTHER'S WAY

Romans 14:13–23

Paul has just said:

“Each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

So he concludes:

“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer.”
— Romans 14:13

But then Paul changes the kind of judgment he wants Christians to make:

“But rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”

In other words:

Stop judging your brother.

Start judging:

your own behavior.

Ask:

Could what I am doing hurt him?

WHAT IS A STUMBLING BLOCK?

Paul isn't merely talking about something another Christian:

doesn't like.

If that were the meaning, anyone could control everyone else simply by saying:

“That bothers me.”

The concern is more serious.

A stumbling block contributes to another Christian's:

spiritual fall.

Paul is concerned that my exercise of freedom might encourage another believer to violate his conscience and sin.

That's very different from merely:

annoying him.

PAUL TELLS US WHAT HE BELIEVES

Paul says:

“I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.”
— Romans 14:14

Paul is not neutral about the food question.

He believes the food itself is:

clean.

So the stronger Christian is correct about the food.

But being correct isn't the end of the matter.

Paul adds:

“But it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.”

Why?

Because that person cannot eat it with a clear conscience before God.

A CONSCIENCE CAN BE WRONG

This teaches us something important.

A person's conscience is not always an infallible guide to what is objectively right or wrong.

Paul believes the weak Christian's understanding of the food is mistaken.

The food really is:

clean.

But Paul still doesn't tell the person:

Ignore your conscience and eat it anyway.

A conscience can need:

education.

But until it is properly taught, deliberately violating it is dangerous.

DON'T USE TRUTH WITHOUT LOVE

Paul continues:

“For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love.”
— Romans 14:15

Think about that.

The stronger Christian can be:

right about the food

and

wrong in how he treats his brother.

That's a lesson worth remembering far beyond food.

It is possible to win the argument and still fail at:

love.

Correct doctrine does not excuse careless treatment of another person.

“FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED”

Then Paul says:

“By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.”

What is more important?

My food?

Or:

my brother?

Christ died for that person.

Surely I can give up a meal for him.

Paul puts the value of my freedom beside the value of my brother.

There really isn't much comparison.

DON'T LET YOUR GOOD BECOME EVIL

Paul says:

“So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.”
— Romans 14:16

Christian freedom is:

good.

Understanding that food is clean is:

good.

But a good thing can be used badly.

Freedom exercised without love can become destructive.

So the question isn't merely:

“Am I allowed to do this?”

There is another question:

“Is this the loving thing to do here?”

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM REALLY ABOUT?

Paul continues:

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking.”
— Romans 14:17

That's a powerful statement.

Christians were in danger of allowing food to become so important that it damaged fellowship.

Paul says:

You're arguing about the wrong thing.

The kingdom isn't about:

food and drink.

It is about:

“Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Don't destroy something important over something that isn't.

THIS IS A KINGDOM PASSAGE

Romans 14:17 is also worth noticing for another reason.

Paul speaks of the:

“Kingdom of God”

as a present reality in the lives of these Christians.

He does not say:

Someday, when the kingdom comes...

He says:

“The kingdom of God is...”

These Christians are already living under God's reign.

And kingdom life is characterized by:

righteousness,

peace,

and

joy in the Holy Spirit.

WHAT PLEASES GOD?

Paul continues:

“Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.”
— Romans 14:18

Notice again:

serves Christ.

The Christian's first concern is not:

Can I prove I'm right?

It is:

Am I serving Christ?

That changes the way disagreements are handled.

PURSUE PEACE

Paul says:

“So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”
— Romans 14:19

The word pursue is active.

Peace doesn't always happen automatically.

Sometimes we have to:

work at it.

And notice the second goal:

mutual upbuilding.

Ask:

Will this build my brother up?

That's a much better question than:

Can I get away with it?

DON'T TEAR DOWN GOD'S WORK OVER FOOD

Paul says:

“Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.”
— Romans 14:20

What a contrast.

On one side:

food.

On the other:

the work of God.

Which matters more?

The answer is obvious.

Yet congregations have sometimes been divided over matters no more important than Paul's:

food.

Something can become enormous to us that is actually very small compared with:

a brother or sister in Christ.

PAUL SAYS IT AGAIN: THE FOOD IS CLEAN

Paul continues:

“Everything is indeed clean.”

Paul doesn't change his position to keep peace.

He doesn't say:

The weak brother believes the food is unclean, so I suppose it really is unclean.

No.

Truth remains truth.

“Everything is indeed clean.”

But then:

“It is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.”

That is the balance.

Truth without surrendering truth.

Love without pretending error is truth.

SOMETIMES LOVE SAYS, “I WON'T”

Paul says:

“It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.”
— Romans 14:21

Notice the principle expands beyond:

meat.

And:

wine.

Paul says:

“Or do anything...”

Christian freedom sometimes means:

I can.

Christian love sometimes says:

But I won't.

Not because the thing itself is sinful.

But because, in this particular situation, another person's spiritual welfare matters more to me than exercising:

my freedom.

BUT BE CAREFUL HERE

This verse has sometimes been used to give the most restrictive person in a congregation control over everyone else.

That isn't Paul's point.

Paul is not saying:

If another Christian dislikes something, you can never do it.

He is talking about causing someone to:

stumble.

The concern is spiritual harm, not simply disagreement.

Otherwise Paul's command to the weak Christian not to judge the stronger Christian would disappear.

Both sides have responsibilities.

The strong must not:

destroy the weak through careless freedom.

The weak must not:

judge the strong and turn personal conscience into law for everyone.

“KEEP IT BETWEEN YOURSELF AND GOD”

Paul says:

“The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.”
— Romans 14:22

In context, Paul is talking about conviction concerning these disputed matters.

You understand your freedom?

Fine.

You don't have to:

display it.

You don't have to:

prove it.

You don't have to exercise every freedom simply because:

you have it.

Some freedoms can remain quietly between:

you and God.

DON'T VIOLATE YOUR CONSCIENCE

Paul then turns back to the person who has doubts:

“But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith.”
— Romans 14:23

Suppose I think something may be wrong.

But everyone around me is doing it.

So I do it too.

Even though inside I believe:

I shouldn't.

Paul says that's a problem.

Why?

Because I'm not acting:

from faith.

I'm deliberately doing something while believing I may be disobeying God.

“WHATEVER DOES NOT PROCEED FROM FAITH IS SIN”

Paul concludes:

“For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

This statement belongs first in its context.

Paul is talking about acting against one's conscience in a disputed matter.

It isn't a random definition of every possible sin.

His point is:

Don't do something while believing God doesn't want you to do it.

Even if another Christian knows the action itself is permissible.

Until your conscience has been instructed otherwise, act:

in faith.

CONSCIENCE NEEDS BOTH RESPECT AND EDUCATION

Romans 14 gives us a helpful balance.

Don't deliberately violate your conscience.

But don't assume your conscience is automatically:

correct.

Paul respected the weak brother's conscience.

But Paul also taught the truth:

“Nothing is unclean in itself.”

So conscience should not merely be:

followed.

It should also be:

trained by God's Word.

The goal isn't to remain weak forever.

The goal is to develop a conscience increasingly shaped by:

truth.

THIS IS WHERE TEXT B4 TRADITION BECOMES VERY PRACTICAL

Suppose I have always been taught:

“A Christian must never do that.”

The first question shouldn't be:

“What did my church teach me?”

Nor should it be:

“What do other Christians do?”

Ask:

What does the text actually say?

If Scripture forbids it:

don't do it.

If Scripture commands it:

do it.

If Scripture permits freedom:

don't turn your preference into God's law.

But then add Paul's second question:

How will my freedom affect someone else?

Truth determines what is right.

Love helps determine how I use:

my freedom.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE

Ask the text:

What judgment should I make first?

Not judgment of my brother.

Judgment about whether my own behavior might cause him to:

stumble.

Was Paul uncertain whether the food was clean?

No.

“Nothing is unclean in itself.”

Can my understanding be correct while my behavior is wrong?

Yes.

If I use my freedom without:

love.

What is more important than food and drink?

“Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

What should Christians pursue?

“Peace and mutual upbuilding.”

Does Christian freedom mean I must exercise every freedom?

No.

Sometimes love says:

“I could—but I won't.”

Should I deliberately violate my conscience?

No.

“Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

Paul has told the stronger Christian not to destroy the weaker one.

Now he goes one step further.

The strong should not merely:

tolerate the weak.

They should:

bear with them.

And the model is not our own patience.

The model is:

Christ.

NEXT: CHRIST DID NOT PLEASE HIMSELF

Romans 15:1–13

TEXT B4 TRADITION
Read First. Conclude Later.

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