The better to insinuate the exhortation, he puts himself in; Let us not; as if he had said, "It is what I have resolved against, therefore do you leave it: but judge this rather, instead of censuring the practice of others, let us look to our own, that no man put a stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall, in his brother's way,"proskomma, e skandalon. Not that it is in the power of any man's conscience to alter the nature of the action in itself, but only as to himself. This does not take away the need and the responsibility for admonishment (Romans 15:14) or rebuke (2 Timothy 4:2). Christians should take heed of grieving one another, and of saddening the hearts of Christ's little ones. We should distinguish between someone who is weak and someone who is rebellious. Romans 6:14. , Zealous, But Wrong Pentateuch Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat: It would be easy for a Christian who felt free to eat meat to despise others as hopeless legalists. It is a generous piece of self-denial, for which we have Paul's example (1 Cor 8 13), If meat make my brother to offend; he does not say, I will eat no meat, that is to destroy himself; but I will eat no flesh, that is to deny himself, while the world stands. It is goodpleasing to God, profitable to our brother, and no harm to ourselves. There it is, I have sworn by myself; here it is, As I live. 3. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. But why do you judge your brother? That which puts an acceptableness upon all our good duties is a regard to Christ in the doing of them. Do you have faith? All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. Every time you hear a sermon, if it be such a sermon as God would have us preach, it pleads with you to turn unto the Lord and live." (Spurgeon) c. Not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance: Many people misunderstand the goodness of God towards the wicked. He argues against both these jointly: we must not despise nor judge our brethren. While thou destroyest thy brother thou art helping forward the devil's design, for he is the great destroyer; and, as much as in thee lies, thou art crossing the design of Christ, for he is the great Saviour, and dost not only offend thy brother, but offend Christ; for the work of salvation is that which his heart is upon. Those who were weak, and durst not use their Christian liberty, judged and censured the strong, who did, as if they were loose Christians, carnal professors, that cared not what they did, but walked at all adventures, and stuck at nothing. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. The apostle, as a wise physician, prescribes proper remedies for the disease, which are made up of rules and reasons. But are any destroyed for whom Christ died? i. Every knee and every tongue, either freely or by force. to his own master he standeth or falleth. Whereas they should have pitied them, and helped them, and afforded them meek and friendly instruction, they trampled upon them as silly, and humoursome, and superstitious, for scrupling those things which they knew to be lawful: so apt are those who have knowledge to be puffed up with it, and to look disdainfully and scornfully upon their brethren. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brothers way. There are many reasons why a Christian might be weak. It is for God's sake, because he is afraid of offending God by eating that which he is sure was once prohibited; and he giveth God thanks too that there is enough besides. [2.] They may be a babe in Christ (babies are weak). The apostle Paul knew the mysteries of the kingdom of God as well as ever any man; yet he confesses himself at a loss; and despairing to find the bottom, he humbly sits down at the brink, and adores the depth. Several kinds of meat were forbidden to the Jews, that in that, as in other things, they might be a peculiar and separate people, Lev 11 44; Deut 14 2, 3. General Epistles The Gospels Cookie Notice: a. Now those that had been Jews were trained up in the observance of the ceremonial appointments touching meats and days. We have reason to think, because in other things he conducts himself like a good Christian, that in this also his eye is single, and that he regardeth it unto the Lord; and God will accept of his honest intention, though he be under a mistake about the observance of days; for the sincerity and uprightness of the heart were never rejected for the weakness and infirmity of the head: so good a master do we serve. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Why so? You should work together with God, do not countermine his work. Those who are weak must be received, but not to doubtful disputations, v. 1. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. Daniel and his fellows were in better liking with pulse and water than those were who ate the portion of the king's meat. b. He did not seek to be among his disciples as a king is in the midst of his troops, guarded and protected in the time of strife; but he exposed himself to the fiercest part of all the conflict. I QUESTION whether any man understands himself, and I am quite certain that no Christian does so. (4) We all, through faith, are one body in Christ. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point Whedon's Commentary Clarke's Commentary Verse Romans 14:23. [4.] GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. Now, happy is the man who so orders his conversation as not in any action to expose himself to the challenges and reproaches of his own consciencethat does not make his own heart his adversary, as he must needs do who does that which he is not clear he may lawfully do. Those who knew that all these things were abolished and done away by Christ's coming esteemed every day alike. Such gentle methods does he take, with such cords of a man does he draw them together; not by excommunicating, suspending, and silencing either side, but by persuading them both to a mutual forbearance: and as a faithful daysman he lays his hand upon them both, reasoning the case with the strong that they should not be so scornful, and with the weak that they should not be so censorious. Happy is the free man who is thus liberated by the . But why do you judge your brother? Blessing the creatures in the name of God before we use them, and blessing the name of God for them after, are both included; for eulogein and eucharistein are used promiscuously. Wisdom Literature Historical Books Concerning days, v. 5. Romans xiii. This arises from that unchangeable law of our creation, which is, that our wills, in all their choices, motions, and directions, should follow the dictates of our understandings. Luke-Acts Secondly, Confessing to himacknowledging his glory, grace, and greatnessacknowledging our own meanness and vileness, confessing our sins to him; so some understand it. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves: Not every Christian knows this happiness. (2.) But God has received those Christians who eat meat. Compare this with 1 Cor 8 10, 11. (1.) For the further pressing of this rule, we may here observe two directions which have relation to it:First, Let not then your good be evil spoken of (v. 16)take heed of doing any thing which may give occasion to others to speak evil, either of the Christian religion in general, or of your Christian liberty in particular. Me apollye. Remember that it is an inspired passage: although it consists of Christian courtesies addressed to different individuals, yet it was written by an apostle, and written not as an ordinary letter but as a part of the inspired volume. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself: We must understand that from beginning to end our life is connected to other lives. We reckon it a piece of ill manners to meddle with other people's servants, and to find fault with them and censure them. Pauline Epistles a. In the Epistle to the Hebrews our apostle tells us of the marvellous exploits which it has wrought in subduing kingdoms and obtaining promises, in quenching the , The Dual Nature and the Duel Within Every knee shall bow: The quotation from Isaiah 45:23 emphasizes the fact that all will have to appear before God in humility, and give account of himself before God. Clearness in doubtful matters contributes very much to our comfortable walking, as it frees us from those scruples, jealousies, and suspicions, which those who have not such clearness are entangled in endlessly. 2. (2.) We may lawfully eat flesh, even those meats which were prohibited by the ceremonial law; but, if we abuse this liberty, it turns into sin to us: It is evil to him that eats with offence. c. Nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak: However, we shouldnt think that Paul would permit this kind of heart to cater to someones legalism. 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Please see Blue Letter Bible's Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. David Guzik commentary on Romans 13, in which Paul describes the christian's obligation to the authority given to government. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. Now if Christ paid so dearly for his dominion over souls and consciences, and has such a just and undisputed right to exercise that dominion, we must not so much as seem to invade it, nor intrench upon it, by judging the consciences of our brethren, and arraigning them at our bar. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.Romans viii. Major Prophets As the particular end specifies the action, so the general scope and tendency specify the state. Therefore, whatever we do, we do it to the Lord because Jesus is our Lord (that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living). b. 2. a. Yet there was nothing that could justify the destruction of a Christian brother over food. Presented here is a verse by verse exposition of the New . Historical Books Christ deals gently with those that have true grace, though they are weak in it. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. The bowing of the knee to him, and the confession made with the tongue, are but outward expressions of inward adoration and praise. To clear this argument against rash judging and despising, he shows how essential it is to true Christianity to have a regard to God and not to ourselves, which therefore, unless the contrary do manifestly appear, we must presume concerning those that in minor things differ from us. The evil concupiscence of your nature revolted against the command, and led you astray. It was after he had died and risen that he said, All power is given unto me (Matt 28 18), and presently he exerts that power in issuing out commissions, v. 19, 20. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. Romans vii. It was not so much the difference itself that did the mischief as the mismanagement of the difference, making it a bone of contention. Nor must we act against the dictates of a doubting conscience. The business of our deaths, to which we are every day exposed and delivered, is not to make ourselves talked of; we run not such hazards out of vain-glory, while we are dying daily. Because both the one and the other must shortly give an account, v. 10-12. We are apt, in such a case, to lay all the blame on that side. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Particularly, he gives rules how to manage our different apprehensions about indifferent things, in the management of which, it seems, there was something amiss among the Roman Christians, to whom he wrote, which he here labours to redress. What is Christianity but the serving of Christ? Romans 8:28. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. The strict Christian found it easy to judge his brother, writing him off as an unspiritual meat-eater-compromiser. 14 23) that it were evil to ask his father's blessing, that mispersuasion would make it become evil to him: but, if he should be as verily persuaded that it were good to curse his father, this would not make it become good. As to ourselves, it is joy in the Holy Ghostthat spiritual joy which is wrought by the blessed Spirit in the hearts of believers, which respects God as their reconciled Father and heaven as their expected home. (1.) This is laid down v. 13, Let us not judge one another any more. [1.] 3. But have your strong faith before God, not before a brother who will stumble. (3) Christ died for all men. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. I. For it is written: As I live, says the LORD, (Romans 14:3-4) Judging our brother is inappropriate because we are not their masters. Receive him, proslambavesthetake him to you, bid him welcome, receive him with the greatest affection and tenderness; porrigite manum (so the Syriac): lend him your hand, to help him, to fetch him to you, to encourage him. Sin had brought a curse upon the whole creation: Cursed is the ground for thy sake; the use of the creatures and dominion over them were forfeited, so that to man they were all unclean (Tit 1 15), in token of which God in the ceremonial law prohibited the use of some, to show what he might have done concerning all; but now that Christ has removed the curse the matter is set at large again, and that prohibition is taken away. End every tongue shall confess to God.. Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in mine heart. for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. See Matt 18 6, 10. 14. To illustrate this (v. 11), he quotes a passage out of the Old Testament, which speaks of Christ's universal sovereignty and dominion, and that established with an oath: As I live (saith the Lord), every knee shall bow to me. Site by Mere. Here it seems to be taken more strictly; whatever is not of faith (that is, whatever is done while we are not clearly persuaded of the lawfulness of it), is a sin against conscience. To this purport he argues, v. 14 and 23, which two verses explain this, and give us a rule not to act against the dictates. If he conscientiously deny himself that which he takes to be forbidden fruit, yet he blesses God that of other trees in the garden he may freely eat. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point May the Holy Spirit help me to place it before you in a clear light. By these wounds the life and soul of religion expire. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. First, Bowing to himthe understanding bowed to his truths, the will to his laws, the whole man to his authority; and this expressed by the bowing of the knee, the posture of adoration and prayer. The matter is left at large. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. The former is a stumbling-block, that gives our brother a great shake, and is a hindrance and discouragement to him; but this is an occasion to fall. Passwords should have at least 6 characters. as a Christian by seeking the welfare of his wife and family only, for these are only a sort of greater self." (Spurgeon) . The Jewish religion consisted much in meats and drinks (Heb 9 10), abstaining from some meats religiously (Lev 11 2), eating other meats religiously, as in several of the sacrifices, part of which were to be eaten before the Lord: but all those appointments are now abolished and are no more, Col 2 21, 22. He has the love and favour of God; his person, his performances, are accepted of God, and we need no more to make us happy. The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, Every creature of God is good, 1 Tim 4 4. (1.) 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