As Paul begins discussing one specific application of the love he taught in previous verses, we get a glimpse of the cultural diversity and division in the church in Rome, which was made up of both Jews and Gentiles.
In Paul’s day, Gentiles (non-Jews) were expected to adopt Jewish dietary laws if they converted to Judaism. This expectation may have been carried over by Jewish Christians as they saw Gentiles converting to Christianity.
On the other side of the table, Gentile Romans had ridiculed Jews for their dietary customs. This attitude may also have carried over with the Gentiles who became Christians.
Paul says to welcome other believers into your life and community, even if their faith is weak. But don't welcome them just to start a debate and pass judgment on their opinions. (v.1) Paul gives an example of “weak faith”, indicating that eating only vegetables (for perceived moral reasons) is the result of some weakness in one’s faith. (v.2)
Now, regardless of who has the right perspective on this or a similar issue, we are not to have contempt for each other or “judge” each other. The Greek word for “judge” in verse 3 means “to divide, separate, make a distinction”. So in matters like this, we shouldn’t have contempt for each other or even show preference for one person over another because of where they stand on similar, non-critical issues. (v.3)
The reason is that evaluating the performance of other Christians isn’t our job. They are ultimately serving God, not us. Employee evaluation is the job of the employer. Not the fellow employee or anyone else. (Yes, many businesses ask for customer evaluations etc., but the employer makes the final call and I don’t think God needs our input.)
It was not the responsibility of any Christian in the Roman church to save another from judgment and condemnation (the meaning of the Greek for “fall” in verse 4) because of their dietary views. God would do any saving necessary. (v.4)
Another example Paul gives is the different value some believers in Rome gave to various days of the week or year. Paul teaches that whatever they believed, they should be fully persuaded. We can apply this today by holding to opinions and beliefs, not because they are what we’ve always believed, or they are what we like to believe, but because we have been convinced by good reason. (v.5)
Even with a faulty belief, though not as desirable as a true belief, there is a sense in which we can honor God. God ultimately judges the heart. If we hold to a certain belief, not out of stubbornness, pride, or personal preference, but because we believe it best honors God, then God recognizes this. And on the grounds of desiring to honor God, even those of us with differing opinions can come together. (v.6)
It should be noted that these verses do NOT teach that we shouldn’t discuss our differing views, sweep them under the rug and take an overly simplistic “live and let live” mentality. The focus of these verses is that our differences of opinion should not cause us to think negatively of each other.
So whether we have different views on diet, holidays, entertainment choices or anything else, we should aim to seek the truth out together while maintaining respect and selfless love for each other.
For more on how we can apply the Bible to "Grey Areas", specifically our choices of entertainment, visit- spiritblade.net/unsterilized
Next- More On Grey Areas And Disagreements Between Christians
Coffee House Question- Online forums have done a lot to help us communicate our ideas to each other, but they also have some failings as we use them to exchange ideas. What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of using online forums to exchange differing ideas, beliefs and opinions?
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