Romans 14

Notes

Ver. 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. 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. 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. 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. 7. None ought, and no true believer will dare, to live as if he were his own lord and master, making his own humour 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 ease or honour the end of his death. 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 faithful 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. 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 loving 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 all people, as well as bestow everlasting life upon all who believe. 10. Why then should any of you judge, condemn, and think meanly 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 them to the scandalizing of your weaker brethren. 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 mind of Christ imparted, 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. 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 19. Let us therefore, instead of laying any stress upon, ontending about, such things, labour to pursue what is to promote our own inward peace and prosperity, an amicable temper and conduct towards our thren in Christ; and to propagate such opinions and ctices as may strengthen one another in faith and e, hope and holiness. 20. Never, for the sake of ats, or such like indifferent things, obstruct that mony, love, and peace, spiritual edification and nfort, which the Holy Ghost produces and delights All meats may now indeed be eaten without de'ment to the conscience, and to every true believer 'y are cleansed from the curse brought on them by ; but it is very sinful and injurious for professed iristians to abuse their liberty in even eating them, doing things indifferent, when they know it will ieve and stumble a tender-spirited brother. 21. In ch cases it is right, kind, prudent, commendable, and MW wlancing ta Gad ta ahstain from whatever has LASTS LL AD Lapitacy ansaarey pt cny we . pleasing to God, to abstain from whatever has endency to stumble, discourage, prejudice, weaken, ieve any of our Christian brethren, or ensnare them rash censuring or sinful compliances. 22. If thereye be fully persuaded that ye may eat all manner j a rholesome food, and neglect the observance of the monial festivals, hold it fast, and act according to 1 all proper occasions, as in God's sight, and with j J 2w to his glory. Happy is. that Christian whose iclence can approve his conduct in every point, as 1 lawful and expedient. 23, But he who eats meats, dractises anything indifferent, while he doubts of lawfulness of it, is condemned in his own connce and by the Word of God; for, in all matters of ligious nature, it is very sinful for us to practise or iply with anything which we do not believe author. by the Word of God, being at once a contempt of it we allow to be his law and our only rule of faith . practice, and a violation of the restraints of our a conscience. er.1. Him that is weak in the farth. “olding things inrent, such as observance of days and abstinence from parlar kinds of food to be matters of paramount importance. — 'not to doubtful disputations. : Not to harassing controversy he points where he is ignorant—but rather to strengthen him chose things which he understands, to edify him in love, so t he may be won to a love of all the truth by the loveliness of interconrre with those who profess it, Seech.rs.2. C. . m the ascetic principle carmea so lar as tu rcuuc: Urea Casey pecies of fasting. C. Ver. 3. 'The strong' is warned against despising; 'the weak' ainst judging; and both, being in faith, are mercifully accepted God. Therefore, 'let not the weak judge him that eateth: for od (who is judge of all) hath received him.' C. Ver. 17. This 'righteousness' is interpreted by Haldane, not 'the righteousness of God imparted to the believer, but of at righteousness 'of which he is the subject.' And as eace and joy in the Holy Ghost' are received not merely s gifts, but as powers by which God establishes and mains ins a kingdom in the human heart—so righteousness, iough a gift (ch. 5.17), is also viewed as & similar power 7 which grace reigns unto eternal life, ch. 5.21. C.

Reflections.—With great care ought we to extenc uurch-fellowship as far as can tend to the honour o hrist and the mutual edification of church-member: 1 faith and holiness. And no lesser differences, whict o not affect the system of divine truth, or the vitals o 2ligion, ought to hinder our mutual intimacy. W: ave all need to beware of an uncharitable, disdaining nd censorious spirit, and earnestly should we be con erned to comfort ourselves in God's love to us, and ti CQ LO CUMMOLL UUIdLLVES sae Cree Wee we we AH -., 'ove ourselves to him, and to our own conscience, 1e view of our appearance before his awful tribunal. at reverential thoughts ought we to entertain of is Christ as the great God and Judge of the world! { in the view of his impartial and final judgment 1 diligent care should we by faith live on his person fulness, and to his glory, and avoid all uncharitable xing or offending the weakest of his apparent mem3. Yea, it becomes us always to act from principles faith and a good conscience in all things, and to mote each others' edification and peace; and always 'emember the excellency and spiritual nature of the j s ssings of his kingdom, that it consists not in anything ernal, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the} t ly Ghost. é