I read a friend’s blog post on Romans 14, actually his post was more about judging vs holding fellow Christians accountable for their actions, but since he quoted Romans 14, I felt I should read it, since I never have.
I am lucky, I am completely ignorant, I have never read the bible and more importantly I have never had it read to me from a pulpit and I haven’t read many commentaries, so I am looking at the bible through a child’s eyes. Who said “Ignorance is bliss”? smart dude.
I really had to examine the chapter to try to ferret out the meaning, I found myself looking to chapters 13 and 15 trying to get in perspective. I have heard people say that you have to remember when reading the bible – who wrote it, who they were talking to, what was going on at the time, the cultures involved, a lot of things like that, to be able to grasp the “real” meaning. In my ignorance, I start cold and just read it for what it is, God is speaking to us through these books, letters, writings, what is he trying to say???
I find 2 separate themes. I guess that is the word. The first, Romans 14:1-12, “get over yourselves!” , “what about that log in your eye!” , “God will be our judge”. The second, Romans 14:13-23, “can’t we just all get along?” I guess, the second part really confuses me.
The first part seems to stand on its own, he seems to be talking about the food different folks eat, I’ve eaten snails :P , but Paul seems to make an argument about judging that can apply anywhere in our lives. The second part, I can’t believe Paul is saying that as a Christian you are not to do anything that might offend someone for fear that you will become a stumbling block to them?????? Maybe it is because I live in a time and a place where people become offended very easily.
I am so confused I feel like I need to figure out who the heck Paul is talking to, can he be trying to write something for the ages to read and heed? Fortunately, I have discovered recently, in those days they were good about addressing letters, this one was written to the group of Christians in Rome.
So my conclusion, the believers in Rome were made up of some Jews and some Gentiles, I think the first part Paul is speaking to the Jews, telling them to quit judging the Gentiles on the fact that they eat bacon. The only sense I can make out of the second part is that in those days, believers would get together and share a meal, I think Paul is telling the Gentiles that it is wrong to be serving bacon when they have their fellow Jewish believers over.
I hope people less ignorant than me will help me understand this Chapter or at least the second part.
Just Posting Roger’s Comment from facebook:
Roger Venne [putting it here since I
can’t login to godstuff]
read your "poison" post. The
only reason I even put the Romans 14 scripture was cause somebody else
used them to make a point and it ended up getting twisted. I’m not too
sure how not making someone stumble applies to that chapter. The verses
that really stuck out to me on that subject were Matthew 18:6 and 1 Corinthians 8:9-13 (especially this one).10 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Roger Venne Plus, it’s a huge part of the way I’ve been discipled
about being WAY above reproach for the sake of not giving someone
encouragement to do something that might be sin for them. This subject,
go figure, has been one that i’ve thought about and meditated on many
times. I can’t remember where I read it (devotional or commentary) but it
talked about how people lead by the Spirit don’t have to worry about
idols because they have no power over someone who knows they are false
gods.
10 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Roger Venne I’m not saying that I always adhere to this, mainly
because my discernment isn’t to the point of always being able to
identify idolatry in my life until it is too late. For me, it’s always
myself that becomes my idol, not trivial actions (video games, dance
music, heavy metal, secular fiction). I’ve learned those things aren’t
evil, but I start worhiping my time spent towards them.
10 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Roger Venne I got a little off subject lol. But about the stumbling
thing, I think not causing someone else to stumble might be a huge
priority for me just because I mingle so often with guys in U-turn who
are at different seasons in their life. It’s almost like guys in the
program are just waiting for an opportunity. And I know that they’re just
looking for an excuse to walk from the program, I try not be the
catalyst. I’m curious how this concept is applied in Christian’s lives
that aren’t involved with U-turn. I guess rather than stumbling, it would
be done to not dishonor Christ. I don’t know.
Roger Venne And I didn’t reply only cause you said someone with
more knowledge should lol. I’m just replying because I do like to hear
what you have to say on most things. Without being guided by other’s
opinions via various sources, your view on things is very
straight-forward, genuine and much appreciated.
10 hours ago · LikeUnlike
Roger Venne thinking about this more, does scripture ever say that
Christ drank or did anything when hanging out with sinners? I mean,
couldn’t just hanging out with tax collectors, prostitutes and hooligans
be seen as "making a brother stumble"?
Roger Venne like someone going to bars saying "well Jesus
did".
10 hours ago · Like
@Roger.Venne, Yeah, I saw that girl from New Spring’s comment on facebook, she was on a rant and I figured that your post was a response, then when I started reading your post I ended up on a rabbit trail of my own.
As far as stumbling: Paul says: It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Rom 14:21 NASB (Imust have been reading NKJV when I wrote the post, this is a little different)
So your points here are perfect, if you show up to hang out with the U-turn guys some Saturday morning with a hang over, your pretty sure it may cause them to stumble, so Paul says don’t do it, I guess that would be no way to love your brother.
I don’t know much about ”idolatry”, me and Lei have been thinking about it though, we have come to the realization that American’s, us included, worship ”things”, God has pretty much smacked us in the face with the obvious, since we are being forced to look at each of our ”things” and decide what is important or necessary, we have pretty much discovered that none of it is necessary and yet we just spent the last 40 years of our life in a grueling quest for them.
Back to the stumbling, I think you have helped me find the key to what confused me about the last half of Romans 14. I missed the word ”brother”, I was thinking about strangers on street and non Christian acquaintances that are easily offended.