Lesson 442

(Lesson 442)(10-31-12) Romans 14:10-23, "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

This lesson is a continuation of Paul's instructions to those disciples in Rome, promoting the acceptance of minor differences among Christians. Mainly that the Gentiles who were believers should be accepting of the Jewish tradition of abstaining for certain foods, and that the Jews should be accepting of the Gentiles who did not observe that custom.
This lesson clears up a possible message conflict in an earlier lesson in which Paul had seemingly denied the will of God when allowing the Jewish Church elders in Jerusalem to declare that all Gentile converts were to be required to abstain from eating "unclean" things, Acts 21:25, "As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication."

It had been clearly established by God's interaction with Peter, that ALL things in His creation were to be deemed clean and therefore could be used as food. The Jewish elders in Jerusalem, however, decided to drop the circumcision requirement of the Law, but to maintain certain food requirements.
Paul makes it clear, in this lesson, that the two differing opinions should never become a "stumbling block" in the spiritual path of of one seeking the saving grace of God.

He appears to be preaching the will of God as expressed by Peter, correcting his earlier stance of requiring all new converts to observe the customs of the law by now allowing those Jews who believed in the food requirements under the law, to continue their custom, while at the same time, making it clear to all that the custom was not a requirement within the Church.
Paul, careful to give ALL the credit for salvation to God through Jesus Christ, stressed the fact that what a person consumes, or does not consume, has nothing to do with their eternal salvation, which comes, NOT by the actions of our physical bodies, but through total faith in Jesus Christ crucified.~