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Do Not Judge Others

Romans 14:1-12

Good News Translation (GNT)

1  Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue
   with them about their personal opinions.
2  Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the
   person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables.
3  The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one
   who doesn't; while the one who eats only vegetables is
   not to pass judgment on the one who will eat anything;
   for God has accepted that person.
4  Who are you to judge the servants of someone else?
   It is their own Master who will decide whether they
   succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord
   is able to make them succeed.
5  Some people think that a certain day is more important
   than other days, while others think that all days
   are the same. We each should firmly make up our own
   minds.
6  Those who think highly of a certain day do so in honour of
   the Lord; those who will eat anything do so in honour
   of the Lord, because they give thanks to God for the food.
   Those who refuse to eat certain things do so in honour
   of the Lord, and they give thanks to God.
7  We do not live for ourselves only, and we do not die for
   ourselves only.
8  If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die,
   it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we
   belong to the Lord.
9  For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of
   the living and of the dead.
10  You then, who eat only vegetables - why do you pass
   judgment on others? And you who eat anything - why do
   you despise other believers? All of us will stand before
   God to be judged by him.
11  For the scripture says, "As surely as I am the living God,
   says the Lord, everyone will kneel before me, and
   everyone will confess that I am God."
12  Every one of us, then, will have to give an account to God.

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Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary' (Kingsway)

Do Not Condemn Your Brother (14:1-12)

It is best to take the word 'weak' in Romans 14 as referring to the conscience of Jewish Christians, who had been brought up to regard lots of food as ritually unclean. In every church, in every country, there are those whose faith is weak, those who have trouble distinguishing between essential and non-essential beliefs.

Paul says that we must accept such brothers and sisters without criticizing and judging them for these unnecessary beliefs.

These beliefs concern disputable matters, and are not worth arguing over. It is not wrong to discuss them during a Bible study, but we should do so only in a spirit of love and humility.

Above all, we must not look down on our brothers or sisters whose faith is weak, or pass judgment on them for their beliefs. Rather, we should accept them in love just as they are.

In this section, Paul mentions two of the rules that were followed by some of the Christians in Rome. The first rule was: We must not eat meat. The second rule was: We must regard certain days as more sacred than other days.

As we study this section, we should ask ourselves: Are there other examples of such "rules" which might exist in our own church? Because Paul's teaching here applies to any such beliefs in our own churches as well.

Those whose faith was strong knew that only by their faith could they please God. But the weak in faith (mainly those who had formerly been Jews) thought that it was still necessary to obey all the Jewish regulations. Thus in the Roman church two opinions had sprung up: the weak in faith said it was wrong to eat meat; and others said it was all right.

When two such conflicting opinions arise in a church, what usually happens? An argument develops, and then, eventually, a split comes in the church.

"Let this not be!" is Paul's plea. The brother who is strong in faith, must not look down on others. At the same time, those who are weak in faith must not condemn those who are strong for breaking some non-essential rule.

The strong can't be condemned, because they have been justified by their faith; God has accepted them.

How common it is in our churches to see those of weaker faith condemning and criticizing those whose faith is stronger!

How grievous this is to Jesus! In this verse Paul speaks to the brother with weaker faith, and tells him not to judge the stronger person.

We must never judge another Christian.
He is not our servant, but Christ's.

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