Bible Commentaries
Romans 14

Verses 1-27

XXI

SOME FRAGMENTS OF CHAPTERS 14-16

These scriptures have been covered generally in the discussion already. So in this chapter it is our purpose only to gather up the fragments that nothing may be lost. Then let us commence by expounding Romans 14:9:

1. The revised version here is better than the common version.

2. The death of Christ was on the cross; the living after death is his resurrection – life in glory. (Compare Revelation 1:18.)

3. The end of Christ’s dying and reviving is said to be that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living, the dead meaning those sleeping in the grave to be raised from the grave at his coming.

The latter clause of Romans 14:14 does not make our thought of what is sin the standard of sin, but God’s law alone determines that. It means that when a man violates his own conception of law he is in spirit a sinner, seeing that he goes contrary to his standard.

The doctrine of Romans 14:20-21 is that what is not sin per se may become sin under certain conditions arising from our relations to others. For example:

1. Eating meat offered to idols is lawful per se, (Romans 14:14; 1 Corinthians 8:4).

2. But if it cause a weak brother to worship idols, then charity may justify a total abstinence pledge, (Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 8:13).

3. This thing lawful per se, but hurtful in its associations and effects on the weak, may be also the object of church prohibition, the Holy Spirit concurring, (Acts 15:29),

4. And a church refusing to enforce the prohibition becomes the object of Christ’s censure and may forfeit its office or lampstand (Revelation 2:14-16).

In this whole chapter Romans 14, particularly in the paragraph, Romans 14:22-23, (1) what is the meaning of the word "faith," (2) does the closing paragraph make all accountability dependent on subjective moral conviction, and (3) does it teach that the virtues of unbelievers are sins?

1. Faith, in this chapter throughout, does not so much refer to the personal acceptance of Christ as to the liberty in practice to which that acceptance entitles. So that, "weak in faith," Romans 14:1, does not imply that some strongly accept Christ and others lightly. But the matter under discussion is, What liberty in practice does faith allow with reference to certain specified things, the lawfulness or expediency of which may be a matter of scruple in the sensitive but uninformed conscience of some? One may have faith in Christ to receive him though in his ignorance he may not go as far as another in the conception of the liberty to which this faith entitles him as to what foods are clean or unclean, what days are holy or common and as to partaking in feasts of meats which have been offered to idols.

2. The "whatsoever" of Romans 14:23 is neither absolute nor universal in its application. It is limited, first, to the specified things or their kind; and second, to believers, having no reference to outsiders making no profession of faith.

3. Subjective moral conviction is not a fixed and ultimate standard of right and wrong, which would be a mere sliding scale, but it is God’s law; yet this chapter, and particularly its closing paragraph, seems to indicate that the willful violation of conscience contains within itself a seed of destruction as has been intimated in Romans 2:14-16.

4. If this whole chapter was not an elaboration of the duties of a Christian toward his fellow Christian, both presumed to be members of one body, the particular church, it might plausibly be made to appear that "faith" in this chapter means belief of what is right and wrong. The theme of Romans 16 is the courteous recognition of the Christian merits and labors of all workers for Christ, each in his own or her own sphere. The great lessons of this chapter are –

1. As we have in this letter the most complete and systematic statement of Christian doctrine, and the most systematic and elaborate application of morals based on the doctrine, so appropriately its conclusion is the most elaborate and the most courteous recognition of the Christian merits and labors of all classes of kingdom workers in their respective spheres.

2. With the letter to Philemon it is the highest known expression of delicate and exquisite courtesy.

3. It is a revelation of the variety and value of woman’s work in the apostolic churches, and in all her fitting spheres of activity.

4. It is a revelation of the value of great and consecrated laymen in the work of the kingdom.

5. It is a revelation of the fellowship of apostolic Christians and their self-sacrificing devotion to each other.

6. It magnifies the graces of hospitality.

7. It magnifies the power of family religion whether of husband and wife, brother and sister, more distant kindred, or master and servant.

8. It digs up by the roots a much later contention and heresy of one big metropolitan church in a city, with a dominant bishop, exercising authority over smaller churches and "inferior clergy" in that it clearly shows that there was not in central Rome one big church, with a nascent pope, lording it over suburban and village churches. There was no hero, no "church of Rome," but several distinct churches in Rome whose individuality and equality are distinctly recognized.

9. It shows the fellowship of churches, however remote from each other) and their comity and co-operation in kingdom work.

10. It shows in a remarkable way how imperial Rome with its worldwide authority, its military roads and shiplines, its traffic to and fro from center to each point of the circumference of world territory and its amalgamation of nations, was a providential preparation for the propagation of a universal religion.

11. The case of Phoebe (Romans 16:1) in connection with hints here and elsewhere, particularly 1 Timothy 3:11, sandwiched between verses 10 and 12, seems to prove the office of deaconess in the apostolic churches, of the propriety and apparent necessity of which there can be no question.

12. The various names of those saluted and saluting, about thirty-five in all, indicating various nationalities, not only show that the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles is broken down in the churches, but that in the kingdom "there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman, but Christ is all and in all."

13. But the lesson seems greatest in its mercy and privileges conferred on women and slaves.

14. The homiletic value, in pulpit themes suggested, from these various names, labors and conditions, which Spurgeon seems to have recognized most of all preachers.

Let us now expound the entreaty in Romans 16:17-18, containing the following points:

1. We need to distinguish between those "causing the divisions" and those "causing occasions of stumbling." The "divisions" would most likely come from a bigoted and narrow Jew insisting on following Moses in order to become a Christian, as in the churches of Galatia, Corinth, and elsewhere, but those "causing occasions of stumbling" (as in Romans 14:14-22) would likely be Gentiles insisting on the extreme of liberty in the eating of meats offered to idols, and like things.

2. While both classes are in the church, and not outsiders, as many teach, yet neither class possesses the spiritual mindedness and charity of a true Christian, but under the cloak of religion they serve their own passions for bigotry in one direction or license in another direction, utterly misapprehending the spiritual character of the kingdom of God.

3. Both classes are to be avoided as enemies of the cross of Christ. Compare Philippians 3:18; Galatians 5:19-23. In Romans 16:20 there are three points:

1. There is an allusion to the promise in (Genesis 3:15) that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head.

2. This was fulfilled by Christ’s triumph on the cross over Satan (Colossians 2:15).

3. And will be fulfilled in all Christ’s seed at the final advent.

QUESTIONS

1. What three things noted on Romans 14:9?

2. Does the latter clause of Romans 14:14 make our thought of what is sin the standard of sin? If not, what does it mean?

3. What the doctrine of Romans 14:20-21? Give examples.

4. In the whole of Romans 14, particularly in Romans 14:22-23, (1) What is the meaning of the word "faith"? (2) Does the closing paragraph make all accountability dependent on subjective moral conviction? (3) Does it teach that the actions of unbelievers are sins?

5. What the great lessons of Romans 16?

6. What preacher seems to have most recognized the homiletic value of this chapter?

7. Expound the entreaty in Romans 16:17-18.

8. What the three points of Romans 16:20?