\\INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 14\\

The apostle, having finished his exhortations to duties of a moral and
civil kind, proceeds to the consideration of things indifferent, about
eating some sorts of meats, and keeping days; to which he might be led
by the last clause of the preceding chapter, lest that should be
interpreted as referring to those who used their Christian liberty in
eating every sort of food; in the use of which it was requisite to
exercise that love which is the fulfilling of the law, he had so much
pressed and recommended in the foregoing chapters. The church at Rome
consisted both of Jews and Gentiles: and the former, though they
believed in Christ, were not clear about the abrogation of the
ceremonial law, and thought they ought still to observe the distinction
of meats and days, which were made in it; the latter looked upon
themselves under no manner of obligation to regard them; and even among
thee Jews, some might have greater light and knowledge in these things
than others, and used their Christian liberty, when others could not;
and this occasioned great animosities and contentions among them; and
some on account of these things were called strong, and others weak:
and the chief view of the apostle in this chapter, is to give advice to
each party how to behave one towards another; how the strong should
behave to the weak, and the weak to the strong: and he begins with the
strong, and in general exhorts them to a kind, tender, and affectionate
regard to their weaker brethren, and not to perplex their minds with
disputations about things to little profit, \\#Ro 14:1\\, then a
distribution of the members of this church into two parts is made,
\\#Ro 14:2\\, showing the reason of the above exhortations; the one sort
being strong believers, the others weak, the one eating all things, the
other herbs; when some advice is given to each, that the strong should
not despise the weak, nor the weak judge the strong; for which reasons
are given: and the first is taken from the common interest they both
have in the affection of God, and in divine adoption, \\#Ro 14:3\\, And
another is taken from the relation which believers stand in to God, as
servants; and therefore not to be judged and condemned, but to be left
to their Lord and master, which is illustrated by a simile of such a
relation among men, \\#Ro 14:4\\, and then another instance of different
sentiments about Jewish rites and ceremonies is given, \\#Ro 14:5\\,
respecting the observation of days, in which also the members of the
church were divided, some observing them, and some not; and the
apostle's advice is, that every man should act as he was persuaded in
his own mind, and not be uneasy with another: the reason for which he
gives, \\#Ro 14:6\\, because the end proposed by the one, and the
other, is the honour and glory of God, and which is the same in the man
that eats, or does not eat meat, since both give thanks to God. And
this is further confirmed from the general end of the Christian's life
and death likewise, which is not to himself, but to the Lord,
\\#Ro 14:7,8\\, from whence it is concluded, that they are the Lord's
in life and death, and all their actions are devoted to him; who by
dying, rising, and living again, appears to be the Lord of quick and
dead, and will judge both, \\#Ro 14:9\\, and therefore to his judgment
things should be left, and one should not condemn or despise another,
since all must stand at his bar, \\#Ro 14:10\\, which is proved
\\#Ro 14:11\\, from a passage in \\#Isa 45:23\\, from all which it is
concluded, \\#Ro 14:12\\, that an account must be given by everyone to
God, at the general judgment; wherefore it is right and best, not to
judge and condemn one another, but to judge this to be the most
reasonable and agreeable to Christian charity, that care be taken not
to offend, or cause a brother to stumble, \\#Ro 14:13\\, and whereas it
might be objected, that nothing was impure in itself, and therefore
might be lawfully eaten, which the apostle allows, and as for himself,
was fully persuaded of, yet it was impure to them who thought it so,
\\#Ro 14:14\\, and therefore should not eat; nor should others, when it
gave offence to such persons; and which is dissuaded from, because to
eat to the grief of the brethren, is contrary to Christian charity; and
because it destroys the peace of such persons, and they are such whom
Christ has died for, \\#Ro 14:15\\, besides, hereby reproach might be
brought upon them, the Gospel they professed, and the truth of
Christian liberty they used, \\#Ro 14:16\\, and moreover, the kingdom
of God did not lie in the use of these things, but in spiritual ones,
\\#Ro 14:17\\, and which should be chiefly regarded, since the service
of God in them, is what is grateful to him, and approved by all good
men, \\#Ro 14:18\\, wherefore the things which make for peace and
edification should be followed after, things much preferable to meats
and drinks, \\#Ro 14:19\\, for the sake of which the peace of a
brother, which is the work of God, should not be destroyed, \\#Ro 14:20\\,
for though all things are pure in themselves, and lawful to be eaten,
yet it is an evil to eat them to the offence of another, and for
another to eat them against his conscience, which he may be drawn into
by the example of others; wherefore it is best to abstain from eating
flesh or drinking wine, and everything else that is stumbling and
offensive to a weak brother, \\#Ro 14:21\\, and whereas the strong
brother might object and say, I have faith in this matter, I believe it
is lawful for me to eat anything, and why should I not? the apostle
answers, by granting that he had faith, but then he observes, he ought
to keep it to himself, and not disturb his weak brother, by putting it
into practice openly; but should keep it to himself, it being his
happiness not to condemn himself by using his liberty with offence,
\\#Ro 14:22\\, and then some advice is given to the weak brother, not
to eat with a doubting conscience, \\#Ro 14:23\\, because in so doing,
he would be self-condemned, and because it would not be of faith, and
therefore sinful.