ROMANS Study Guide

Chapter Fourteen:

Living for Christ not ourselves!

Note: This chapter extends into Chapter 15 (first seven verses)

(Rom.14:1 thru 15:7)

Paul faces in this chapter a very real issue for the church that must be faced in every generation and culture. How do we live together in what I am going to call “righteous disagreements? ” In this chapter Paul is going to deal with differences between believers that are not wrong but not agreed upon. Today we face mixed congregations with many different cultural values and different religious traditions. An awakened and Spirit lead believer will have to face the reality of believers having different “convictions” about how they need to walk in submission and love with God. There may be really differences in what one believer (or churches) feels is “God honoring” and what another believer (or church) thinks it is. In such situations we must learn how to keep unity and right relationships with each other. In this chapter Paul identifies those he calls the “spiritually strong” and the “spiritually weak.” Paul lays out two issues and how these two types of believers deal with them. These two issues are wh at I would call “non - essential issues.” What I mean by this is that the two issues do not deal with essential doctrine that must be believed by all believers or moral conduct that is forbidden by scripture. Each believer then must make up their mind how they want to personally deal with them before God. Rom 14:1 And receive him who is weak in the faith, but not to judgments of your thoughts. Rom 14:2 For indeed one believes to eat all things; but being weak, another eats vegetables. Rom 14:3 Do not let him who eats despise him who does not eat; and do not let him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has received him. Rom 14:4 Who are you that judges another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. But he will stand, for God is able to make him stand.

1. Receive (in friendship and graciousness) the weak (feeble in faith) but

not to “doubtful disputations” (judging of personal thoughts, convictions,

practices - in such a way as to trouble and demean the weaker brother or

sister). Paul continues his discussion of Ch.13:14 in which he has

encouraged his readers to “put on Christ” but not in fleshly ways. What

he means is we are to be Christ-like in not being divisive or carnal in our