CoreIssue
02-03-2006, 09:45 AM
Quote:The Weak and the Strong
1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
This clearly says there are saints whose faith is weak. And we are to accept them as brothers without looking down on them.
Those who are weak in faith struggle with deeper doctrines that require faith to understand. Doctrines that do impact sanctification but do not impact salvation.
It does not say we are not to try to correct them as commanded elsewhere in the Bible. It does not say we to turn blind eyes to sin.
We are to try to help them grow in knowledge and faith. But we are to do so lovingly and with restraint.
Quote:2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
Why food here?
Because again this is addressed to Jews who came out of very strict Law and traditions concerning what one could or could not eat.
Those whose faith is strong understand the food is not sinful and why the Mosaic Laws on food were given.
Those whose faith are weak still see the Law with fear and want to take the added safety measure of obedience to ensure they are saved and remain saved.
Quote:3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not,
Gentiles must not look down on Jews who lack the faith to abandon the old ways. Jews who have the faith must not see themselves superior to the Jews who cannot abandon the old ways.
Quote:and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does,
The Jews who were weak and will not abandon the old ways must not see those who do eat everything as violating the Law. They must understand their inability to eat does not make it sin for others to eat.
Quote:for God has accepted him.
God has accepted the Gentiles, who never followed the old ways, Jews who did but no longer do so and those who did and continue to do so as his own. They are all saints.
Quote:4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Each person must be judged by the one or the standard they live by. All who God accepts regardless of differences are judged successful by God.
Quote:5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
In the Church Age there is no Sabbath day. No declared feast or otherwise days. No Holy Days.
Each must decide how he will treat each day and how he will serve God within each day.
Quote:6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.
If one sets aside a day for God then he gives it to God as a sacrifice.
Quote:He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God;
If one eats meat he does so giving glory to God for the meat. Thus he honors God.
Quote:and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
If another does not eat meat he does so giving glory to God. Thus he honors God.
Quote:7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
No one lives their life or dies only impacting themselves. God is part of every moment of our lives. And how we live impacts others as well.
Quote:8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
How we live belongs to God if we belong to him. And how we live for him is a witness to others about him.
Quote:9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
Christ is Lord of every saint that has lived, lives or will live.
Quote:10You, then, why do you judge your brother?
Why are we judging our fellow saints for trivial issues when we have our trivial issues as well? Let God deal with the judging while we deal with the living of our lives and helping one another.
Quote:Or why do you look down on your brother?
Who are we to look down on our fellow saints under a magnifying glass? We need to be looking at ourselves this way.
Quote:For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "[1] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Whether at the Judgement of Rewards or the White Throne Judgement all will bow to God and all will give account of their own lives only.
Quote:13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.
Stop judging other saints on the little stuff and lets all work together for growth. Examine yourself carefully instead.
Quote:Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
Help and do not hinder a fellow saint.
Quote:14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food[2] is unclean in itself.
Food is food. No food is full of sin.
Quote:But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
If anyone regards some food wrong or harmful for them to eat they should not eat it. If nothing else the mental and emotional impact is harmful for having done so.
Quote:15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
When you know a fellow saint finds something wrong to consume do not consume it in front of them. You can wait.
Quote:16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.
But on the other hand if challenged that what you are or have eaten is wrong explain why it is not wrong.
Quote:17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,
Food and drink are not what get us into or keep us from being saved.
Quote:but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
Doing right is what gets us in or keeps us out. And that hinges on having the Holy Spirit within us to guide us and making us approved by God.
Then in being approved by God we may be approved by our fellow saints and other people.
Quote:19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Work on your sanctification. Learn, listen and grow. Then when with others sharing this same goal we further grow together.
Quote:20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.
Do not bring division and strife by attacking others for small issues not worth the controversy.
Quote:All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
While all good is good it is not good to eat good food if it harms one who is weak in faith or understanding.
Rather do not harm them and work to aid them and yourself to grow in Christ.
Quote:21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
Food is good and important. But your fellow saint is far more important.
Quote:22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.
Do not promote these issues with others. Keep them between you and God.
God will give the opening and timing for learning for those weak in faith.
Quote:Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
Do not go around like an inspector on every little detail of life.
Quote:23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
If you believe on these small issues, such as food, that something is not good to do you should not do it regardless of knowing others believe it is fine to do.
Study, learn and ask until you are firm in faith it is okay to do.
1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
This clearly says there are saints whose faith is weak. And we are to accept them as brothers without looking down on them.
Those who are weak in faith struggle with deeper doctrines that require faith to understand. Doctrines that do impact sanctification but do not impact salvation.
It does not say we are not to try to correct them as commanded elsewhere in the Bible. It does not say we to turn blind eyes to sin.
We are to try to help them grow in knowledge and faith. But we are to do so lovingly and with restraint.
Quote:2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
Why food here?
Because again this is addressed to Jews who came out of very strict Law and traditions concerning what one could or could not eat.
Those whose faith is strong understand the food is not sinful and why the Mosaic Laws on food were given.
Those whose faith are weak still see the Law with fear and want to take the added safety measure of obedience to ensure they are saved and remain saved.
Quote:3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not,
Gentiles must not look down on Jews who lack the faith to abandon the old ways. Jews who have the faith must not see themselves superior to the Jews who cannot abandon the old ways.
Quote:and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does,
The Jews who were weak and will not abandon the old ways must not see those who do eat everything as violating the Law. They must understand their inability to eat does not make it sin for others to eat.
Quote:for God has accepted him.
God has accepted the Gentiles, who never followed the old ways, Jews who did but no longer do so and those who did and continue to do so as his own. They are all saints.
Quote:4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Each person must be judged by the one or the standard they live by. All who God accepts regardless of differences are judged successful by God.
Quote:5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
In the Church Age there is no Sabbath day. No declared feast or otherwise days. No Holy Days.
Each must decide how he will treat each day and how he will serve God within each day.
Quote:6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.
If one sets aside a day for God then he gives it to God as a sacrifice.
Quote:He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God;
If one eats meat he does so giving glory to God for the meat. Thus he honors God.
Quote:and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
If another does not eat meat he does so giving glory to God. Thus he honors God.
Quote:7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
No one lives their life or dies only impacting themselves. God is part of every moment of our lives. And how we live impacts others as well.
Quote:8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
How we live belongs to God if we belong to him. And how we live for him is a witness to others about him.
Quote:9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
Christ is Lord of every saint that has lived, lives or will live.
Quote:10You, then, why do you judge your brother?
Why are we judging our fellow saints for trivial issues when we have our trivial issues as well? Let God deal with the judging while we deal with the living of our lives and helping one another.
Quote:Or why do you look down on your brother?
Who are we to look down on our fellow saints under a magnifying glass? We need to be looking at ourselves this way.
Quote:For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "[1] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Whether at the Judgement of Rewards or the White Throne Judgement all will bow to God and all will give account of their own lives only.
Quote:13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.
Stop judging other saints on the little stuff and lets all work together for growth. Examine yourself carefully instead.
Quote:Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
Help and do not hinder a fellow saint.
Quote:14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food[2] is unclean in itself.
Food is food. No food is full of sin.
Quote:But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
If anyone regards some food wrong or harmful for them to eat they should not eat it. If nothing else the mental and emotional impact is harmful for having done so.
Quote:15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
When you know a fellow saint finds something wrong to consume do not consume it in front of them. You can wait.
Quote:16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.
But on the other hand if challenged that what you are or have eaten is wrong explain why it is not wrong.
Quote:17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,
Food and drink are not what get us into or keep us from being saved.
Quote:but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
Doing right is what gets us in or keeps us out. And that hinges on having the Holy Spirit within us to guide us and making us approved by God.
Then in being approved by God we may be approved by our fellow saints and other people.
Quote:19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Work on your sanctification. Learn, listen and grow. Then when with others sharing this same goal we further grow together.
Quote:20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.
Do not bring division and strife by attacking others for small issues not worth the controversy.
Quote:All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
While all good is good it is not good to eat good food if it harms one who is weak in faith or understanding.
Rather do not harm them and work to aid them and yourself to grow in Christ.
Quote:21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
Food is good and important. But your fellow saint is far more important.
Quote:22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.
Do not promote these issues with others. Keep them between you and God.
God will give the opening and timing for learning for those weak in faith.
Quote:Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
Do not go around like an inspector on every little detail of life.
Quote:23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
If you believe on these small issues, such as food, that something is not good to do you should not do it regardless of knowing others believe it is fine to do.
Study, learn and ask until you are firm in faith it is okay to do.