Romans 14

Romans 14:1

And, whereas there are different opinions among you about the continued obligation of some ceremonial rites of the Old Testament dispensation, I earnestly entreat you Gentile believers, who have more distinct views of the liberty of the gospel dispensation, to admit to your church fellowship and intimate friendship such Jews as still have some prejudices and scruples with respect to the abolition of these ceremonies, and beware of troubling them with perplexing disputes about meats, days, or things equally trivial; as these tend rather to puzzle and disquiet their minds than to godly edifying: 2. For some Gentile or other converts, who plainly perceive the abolition of the ceremonial law, have freedom in their own mind to eat every kind of wholesome food; and some Jewish or other converts, through the prejudice of education, think that the Mosaic rules relative to food are still binding; and hence, when they eat with Gentiles, are afraid to eat any flesh at all

Romans 14:3

In this case, let Christian charity and forbearance be exercised on both sides: for God bears with the weakness of the one, and hath accepted and taken the other into his family and church, without any regard to ceremonial observances

Romans 14:4

It is therefore very improper for any of you presumptuously to judge and condemn those whom God hath accepted and approved in their conduct: it is to God, not to you, they are accountable, and by him their state must be decided: and he, having accepted and admitted them, shall establish them in the faith and fellowship, comfort and holiness, of the gospel, and make them to stand with boldness in the last judgment.—5. Some think that the ceremonial seasons ought still to be regarded and religiously observed: others, who have clearer views of the gospel state of the church, are persuaded that no day but the Christian sabbath ought to be distinguished from others

Romans 14:6

As the regarders of the Jewish festivals do it from a principle of conscience towards God, and in obedience to what they think to be still his command, and in honour of Christ, who, they conceive, hath confirmed all the ancient institutions of Moses; and as they who do not observe these days forbear from a principle of conscience towards God, with a view to his glory and to the honour of Christ’s having fulfilled and abolished the whole ceremonial laws;—so that they who eat every sort of wholesome food aim at the honour of God and of Christ, who is Lord of all; and, in asking a blessing on their food, give him thanks for allowing them freely to eat whatever is most suited to their conveniency, necessity, and innocent delight; and they who refrain from the meats anciently prohibited do it with an upright intention to glorify God and Christ, in submitting to his authority in these ancient laws, and which they suppose still binding; and are thankful that enough besides is afforded them by providence:—it is therefore proper that they should in a Christian manner bear with one another

Romans 14:7

None ought, and no true believer will dare, to live as if he were his own lord and master, making his own honour the rule, or his own honour, profit, or pleasure, the end of his life, and none ought to make, and no real Christian will make, his own case or honour the end of his death

Romans 14:8

For, in whatever form or time we live, it ought to be in obedience to the command of Christ, and in order to serve and honour him in all that we think or say, do or suffer; and, whether we be cut off by a violent or natural death, it ought to be undergone with resignation to the will and appointment of Christ, who died for us; and with a fiducial commitment of our departing spirits into his hand, and a desire to glorify him and his truths, and the power of his grace, in the manner of our death; and to depart and be for ever with him. Whether therefore we live or die, we all ought to consider ourselves as Christ’s property and at his disposal, and, relying upon him, labour to glorify him in our bodies and spirits

Romans 14:9

For to this very end Christ, at his Father’s commandment, laid down his life as an atoning sacrifice for sin, and rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven, that, as Head over all things to his church, he might have an absolute, universal, and sovereign, dominion over them that are dead, or that are, or ever shall be, alive on the earth; and might have full power to direct, support under, and sweeten, death to his people, as well as bestow everlasting life and honour upon them

Romans 14:10

Why then should any of you judge, condemn, and think mealy of, your Christian brethren about matters which are in themselves indifferent, when all of us shall in a little time appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and have all our dispositions, tempers, thoughts, words, and actions, judged by him, and our eternal state of misery or happiness fixed in correspondence thereto? 11, 12. For, as Christ, to show the irreversible nature of his purpose in this point, has sworn by himself that every one of mankind shall be obliged to own him as the great God and Judge of all, to whom they are accountable, and by whom their eternal state must be decided, it is plain that all of us, both Jews and Gentiles, of every rank, character, or profession, shall be called to account in the last judgment, not for our neighbours’ mistakes and miscarriages, but for our own faith and practice

Romans 14:13

Let none of us therefore invade Christ’s prerogative, by taking upon us to censure and condemn one another; but let us all take care that we never, by a free use of that which is lawful in itself, grieve or ensnare our Christian brethren, or draw them into sin, by tempting them either to go into uncharitable censures, or to do that with a doubting conscience which we do with a satisfied mind

Romans 14:14

For my part, I know, upon the authority of Christ and the nature and design of his death, which was to reconcile and take away all religious distinctions between Jews and Gentiles, and to remove the curse which the fall had brought upon our created enjoyments, that no sort of food is in its own nature morally, or now any longer ceremonially, unclean: yet, if any one should think any particular sort of food forbidden by God, his eating of it would violate the dictates of his conscience, and so defile it, by doing what it represented as sinful

Romans 14:15

Yea, if ye yourselves were ever so fully persuaded that you might eat whatever food comes in your way, yet, if your Christian brethren through weakness should be troubled and offended at it, it would be very untender and uncharitable in you, if ye knew their scruples, to persist in using your liberty before them. Never dare to stagger the faith, wound the conscience, destroy the peace and comfort, of a brother, or draw him into damnable sin, for whom it appears Christ, in infinite love, laid down his life

Romans 14:16

Take heed that your lawful liberty, in the use of meats or other indifferent things, be not reproached as licentiousness through your imprudent and unseasonable use of it, to the scandalizing of your weaker brethren

Romans 14:17

But, after all, the nature, glory, and blessedness, of the gospel dispensation, or of the kingdom of grace thereby erected in men’s hearts, do not consist in any circumstantial and external things, but in the righteousness of Christ imputed in true holiness of heart and life, in a solid peace in our own souls, and a peaceful temper and carriage towards others, under a sense of God’s being reconciled to us through Christ, and in those supernatural and divine comforts which the Holy Ghost imparts to us through the word

Romans 14:18

And whoever, in these substantial points of vital religion, behaves as a faithful servant of Christ, obedient to him, dependent on him, and aiming at his glory, is, through him, acceptable to God in his person and services, and is approved by all good and wise men as a sincere Christian, whatever be his opinion in things indifferent

Romans 14:19

Let us therefore, instead of laying any stress upon or contending about such things, labour to pursue what tends to promote our own inward peace and prosperity, and an amicable temper and conduct towards our brethren in Christ; and to propagate such 3 opinions and practices as may strengthen one another in faith and love, hope and holiness. - 20. Never, for the sake of meats or such like indifferent things, obstruct that harmony, love, and peace, spiritual edification and comfort, which the Holy Ghost produces and delights in. All meats may now indeed be eaten without defilement to the conscience, and to every true believer they are cleansed from the curse brought on them by sin; but it is very sinful and injurious for professed Christians to abuse their liberty in even eating them, or doing things indifferent, when they know it will grieve and stumble a tender-spirited brother

Romans 14:21

In such cases it is right, kind, prudent, commendable, and well pleasing to God, to abstain from whatever has any tendency to stumble, discourage, prejudice, weaken, or grieve, any of our Christian brethren, or ensnare them into rash censuring or sinful compliances

Romans 14:22

If therefore ye be fully persuaded that ye may eat all manner of wholesome food, and neglect the observance of the ceremonial festivals, hold it fast, and act according to it on all proper occasions, as in God’s sight and with a view to his glory. Happy is that Christian whose conscience can approve his conduct in every point as both lawful and expedient

Romans 14:23

But he who eats meats, or practises any thing indifferent, while he doubts of the lawfulness of it, is condemned in his own conscience and by the word of God; for, in all matters of a religious nature, it is very sinful for us to practise or comply with any thing which we do not believe authorised by the word of God, being at once a contempt of what we allow to be his law, and our only rule of faith and practice, and a violation of the restraints of our own conscience

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XIV.—With great care ought we to extend church fellowship, as far as can tend to the honour of Christ and the mutual edification of church members in faith and holiness. And no lesser differences, which do not affect the system of divine truth or the vitals of religion, ought to hinder our mutual intimacy. We have all need to beware of an uncharitable, disdaining, and censorious spirit. And earnestly should we be concerned to comfort ourselves in God’s love to us, and to approve ourselves to him, and to our own conscience, in the view of our appearance before his awful tribunal. What reverential thoughts ought we to entertain of Jesus Christ as the great God and Judge of the world! And, in the view of his impartial and final judgment, with diligent care should we, by faith, live on his person and fulness, and to his glory, and avoid all uncharitable judging or offending the weakest of his apparent members. Yes, it becomes us always to act from principles of faith and a good conscience in all things, and to promote each other’s edification and peace; and always to remember the excellency and spiritual nature of the blessings of his kingdom, that it consists not in any thing external, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost