By James Riley Strange, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament, Samford University
Accept
Romans 14:1–4, 13–19
Is there a more appropriate time to talk about accepting Christians with whom we disagree? Today is the last in our series on practices that can restore and fortify relationships among believers. The first we talked about was love, from which the rest grow: encourage, forgive, serve, yield and accept.
Paul had not visited Rome when he wrote to its Christian congregations (1:8–15; 15:22–33). The letter became one of the most important biblical sources for the Church’s teaching about sin and God’s redemption through Jesus’ death and resurrection. As usual, however, Paul also instructed readers, both ancient and modern, in correct behavior toward one another.
One of the issues Paul addresses stems from the presence of both Gentile and Jewish believers in the Roman church. Gentile converts were not required to keep the Jewish Torah (instruction/law), but apparently many Jewish believers were still observant.
On top of that, after Emperor Claudius expelled Jews from Rome in A.D. 49, many Jewish Christians went back when they were able. For example, Paul met Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth in Acts 18:1–3, but they must have returned to Rome because Paul greeted them in Romans 16:3–5. These Jewish Christians’ presumed loss of status and their continued observance of dietary practices and Sabbath days may have generated tension with their Gentile brothers and sisters. (Read 14:1 through 15:13 for context.)
Acceptance means we can accept a person whose opinions differ from ours. (1–4)
“Weak in faith” may refer to Christians who placed great stock in either keeping or ignoring dietary regulations (“kosher”) and either keeping or ignoring the Sabbath. Some Jewish converts must have avoided meat sold in the public markets because it came from animals sacrificed to Roman gods (1 Cor. 8:1–13), it was improperly slaughtered, according to Jewish practices, or it came from unfit animals such as pigs (remember that Daniel ate vegetables in Babylon, Dan. 1:8–16). Most Gentile converts had no such scruples. Apparently Jewish and Gentile believers quarreled about this. Because communal dining was an important early Christian practice (1 Cor. 11:17–22), these arguments would have strained the fellowship.
The word translated “welcome” or “accept” or “receive” in verses 1 and 3 has the force of “take as a partner.” This implies Christians should not merely avoid quarrels and welcome each another into their homes but also be willing to work alongside one another.
After all, God has taken on both kinds of believers as His partners (vv. 3–4). To accept one another in this way, therefore, is to be like God.
Acceptance means we do nothing to cause the other person to stumble. (13–15)
The instructions here are for Gentile converts. Contrary to his Jewish upbringing, Paul says uncleanness is a human notion, thus agreeing with Gentiles. Nevertheless, if it causes “grief” or “pain” (v. 15), Gentile believers must not eat food their Jewish brothers and sisters regard as unclean. If such food is being served to everyone, and since Jewish Christians would probably not serve it, then it’s Gentile Christians who are doing so.
Paul wants Roman believers to abandon their hard positions and to be motivated by mutual love.
Acceptance means we do that which builds up the other person. (16–19)
Accordingly, Paul wants the believers in Rome to pursue whatever builds up a brother or sister and thus the congregation. You and I probably don’t deal with attitudes about ritual purity, but we do judge one another, don’t we?
Let us now more than ever turn our judgment into acceptance and pursue what promotes peace.
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