Romans

14:1-12

Exhortations 12:1-15:13

vi] Be accepting of the "weak" brother

In 14:1-15:13, Paul broaches the touchy issue of how Jewish and Gentile believers are to relate within the Christian fellowship. First, "the strong" must take care not to lead "the weak" astray, 14:1-12.

The section 14:1-15:21 provides one of the clues as to Paul's purpose in writing this letter to the Romans. In the letter he seeks to address a problem affecting many believers, particularly Jewish believers. The problem is nomism, law-righteousness, pietism .... the notion that a person's Christian life is progressed by obedience to the law. Now, in this section of his letter, Paul refers directly to "the strong", those who know that their standing before God is secure in Christ and that because they are right before God on the ground of faith, they possess the fullness of God's blessings apart from works of the law. Paul's focus is on "the strong" and in addressing them, he encourages them to be considerate toward "the weak" (the pietists, the nomists, if not members of "the circumcision party" / judaizers, then certainly their disciples). "The strong" are not to be harsh and judgmental, nor allow their Christian liberty to lead the weaker brother astray, 14:1-12.

In passing, we should note that it has often been suggested that "the weak" believers were concerned with the hygiene and cultic laws of the Old Testament, and that this "fetish" interfered with their Christian freedom. Yet, such a view undermines the theological depth of Paul's letter. It is more likely that Paul is critical of the way "the weak" use the law as a whole, not just cultic laws. Believers are not just free from the hygiene and cultic regulations of the Old Testament, but of the law itself as a means of appropriating divine favor, namely, the promised Abrahamic blessings.

Paul's devaluing of the law does not imply that a believer is free to sin. The believer is free from that which makes sin more sinful, namely, the law as God's instrument to expose sin. Paul's focus is on the wrong use of the law, its use as an instrument to progress sanctification and thus promote divine favor - covenant blessings. Nomism does not promote holiness, all it promotes is sin. Right standing in Christ, of itself, promotes right living. Paul certainly does not suggest that the law is an evil thing. The law is a good thing corrupted by our evil. Nor does Paul suggest that the law serves no function for a believer. For a believer, it no longer serves to accentuate sin and drive us to God for mercy, but it does serve as a guide to the Christian life. As to what law Paul is referring to, it is the whole of the moral law: the Old Testament Torah, and certainly for a believer "the law" includes the teachings of Jesus and the apostolic regulations.

In Romans, Paul will often characterize nomism in terms of "touch not, taste not" as this best illustrates the way it expresses itself. He also makes much of circumcision, a sign which visibly illustrates a willing submission to the law of Moses. Such descriptives should not be taken too literally as if the problem Paul is dealing with is limited to the externals of the Torah.

We should also note that Paul's critique of law-obedience, of law-bound believers, is not in terms of legalism, ie., obedience to the law in order to earn salvation, but rather nomism, ie., obeidence to the law in order to maintain standing before God. This issue, of course, is one of ongoing debate. See The New Perspective on Paul.

proslambanesqe (proslambanw) pres. imp. "accept" - receive, take to oneself, take to oneself someone before another. "Extend a kind welcome to", NAB.

ton asqenounta (asqenew) part. "him [whose faith is] weak" - the one being weak [in faith]. Participle as a substantive. Believers who are weakwith respect to faith (dative), rather than the NIV, "whose faith is weak"; "weak in the faith", Barclay. Their understanding of the gospel is defective, they have not fully understood the significance of a salvation that is by grace through faith, apart from works of the law. They are "trust and obey" Christians. Again, the reader will understand that freedom from law-obedience does not mean freedom to sin.

diakriseiV (iV ewV) "[without] passing judgment" - distinguishing, differentiation / dispute, quarrel. Probably "quarreling over disputable matters", TNIV, is better than the NIV "passing judgment", "pass judgment", Moffatt. Yet, the exhortation is more likely for the "strong" and so moves toward a meaning like "criticizing" - "criticizing their views", Williams, "a critical analysis of his inward reasonings", Wuest; .... We are probably closer to the mark if we take the word to mean "a critical insensitivity toward the religious sensibilities of others".

dialogismwn (oV) "on disputable matters" - thought, opinion / doubt, dispute. Again, numerous meanings are possible, but the matters are probably not disputable, "doubtful points", NEB. "Misgivings", REB, is not bad, even "doubts", Weymouth.

pisteuei (pisteuw) pres. "faith" - [one man] believes [to eat all things]. Possibly used here in a general sense, "one believer thinks it's appropriate to eat all foods", but given v1, the belief is likely to be a faith-act, ie. action based on an understanding of Biblical truth; "one believer holds that it is right, under the Lord, to eat all foods."

oJ asqenwn (asqew) part. "whose faith is weak" - the one being weak. Participle as a substantive. Correctly, "the weak", as defined above.

lacana (ov) "only vegetables" - vegetables [to eat]. The infinitive "to eat" serves as object of the noun "vegetables" = "vegetable eating." Possibly referring to a vegetarian, so NIV "only" (not in the text), but also possibly an allusion to someone who eats kosher foods, as dictated by Old Testament food regulations.

mh exouqeneitw (exouqenew) pres. imp. "must not look down on" - not let treat with contempt, despise. Lit. "to make absolutely nothing of", "not despise", Moo.

krinetw (krinw) pres. imp. "condemn" - judge. Probably something stronger than just deciding on whether their behavior is right or wrong, so NIV, "condemn", or the softer "criticize", Moffatt.

proselabeto (proslambanw) aor. mid. "has accepted" - received. Possibly "welcomed", Moffatt.

su "you" - Emphatic position, emphasizing the "you" in "who do YOU think you are ....?".

tw/ idiw/ dat. adj. "to his own" - to one's own [Lord]. The servant (believer) is responsible to their own master (Christ) and therefore, it is not the place of another to condemn them. The dative is advantage / disadvantage = standing / falling.

staqhsetai (iJsthmi) fut. pas. "he will stand" - he will be upheld. The Lord will see to that. Possibly "succeeds", Goodspeed, but surely the intention is of standing in the last day, in the day of judgment.

krinei (krinw) pres. "considers" - judges. Obviously, now not used in the sense of "condemn", but rather "consider", "regard".

hJmeran (a) "day" - A particular day is intended, most likely the Sabbath, but also any holy day. A pietist is usually very particular in their observance of the Sabbath, and/or "the Lords Day", Sunday.

para + acc. "more sacred than" - beside, passing by. Here "in reference to", Sandy and Headlam, so "regards one day in reference to another day, as having more importance", but not necessarily "more sacred."

plhroforeisqw (plhroforew) pres. pas. imp. "should be fully convinced" - let him be certain, assured. "Convinced fully", BAGD

en tw/ idiw/ "in his own [mind]" - Paul is articulating the danger of behaving in line with another person's convictions rather than our own. "Each of us needs to understand the motivation behind our own actions."

oJ fronwn (fronew) pres. part. "he who regards" - the one setting the mind on, thinking of, regarding. Participle as a substantive. "Intent on a particular day rather than others", BAGD.

kuriw/ (oV) dat. "to the Lord" - in the Lord. Although without an article, Jesus is probably intended. Most likely an example of a dative of advantage, "in honor of the Lord", BDF, given that most datives are advantage/disadvantage. Possibly locative, "in the realm of", or reference, "in regard to." Given the word order and particularly the opening address in v1, Paul is intent on reminding "the strong" that the piety (performance of law, both camel law [moral law] and insect law [minutia = health regulations, etc.]) of the "weak" (law-bound believers) is not unholy in itself. Piety performed to access grace (ie. maintain and/or advance standing before God) is damning, but piety performed in honor of the Lord is holy. Those freed from the shackles of the law are often tempted to condemn outward piety and to impose their libertine ways on those of tender conscience. Such impositions can be very destructive.

gar "for" - Possibly implying cause, so NIV, "because", TEV, but more likely just introducing a new statement, so, "eats ..... and gives thanks to God." Repeated in the second sentence, v6b

eJautw/ dat. pro. "[lives] to himself" - to / for himself [lives]. Either a dative of advantage, "for his own advantage", "the life and death of each of us has its influence on others", JB, or a dative of respect/reference, "with reference to himself alone", "none of us lives as his own master and none of us dies as his own master", NAB. Given v8, a dative of respect is best.

ean + subj. "if" - Introducing a conditional clause, third class, where the condition will possibly become a reality, "if as may be the case ..."

tw/ kuriw/ (oV) dat. "to the Lord" - Probably again a dative of advantage, "for the (honor of the?) Lord." An instrumental sense is possible, belonging to the Lord and thus enabled to live.

apoqnhskwmen (apoqnhskw) subj. "we die" - As in v7, the question is in what sense do we die? Physical death is preferred by most commentators, especially given v9, but a metaphorical (rather than spiritual) death, in the sense of a putting aside of worldly privileges out of respect for the Lord, should be considered. In the context, such a "death" would involve keeping certain days holy, eating certain foods, etc.

ezhsen (zaw) aor. "returned to life" - lived. The aorist is probably inceptive/ingressive where the beginning of the action is emphasized, so "came to life again", NEB, "sprang to life", rather than "lived".

iJna + subj. "so that" - Introducing a purpose clause.

kurieush/ (kurieuw) aor. subj. "he might be the Lord" - he might be lord. "He" is either Christ or God, but Christ is to be preferred. Possibly again an ingressive aorist, "he might become ...."

nekrwn kai zwntwn "the dead and the living" - dead ones and living ones. The two participles are obviously substantival even though without an article. Note the order, we would expect living and dead. Probably following the order of the first part of the verse. Note also the possibility of a metaphorical sense as noted above. In any case, given the extent of Christ's lordship, he is Lord over the libertine and the legalist.

su "you" - Emphatic, "you then", TEV.

exouqeneiV (exouqenew) pres. "look down on" - despise.

gar "for" - Indicating the reason why we should not judge/despise a brother, either: because we will inevitably face judgment, or they will inevitably face judgment.

parasthsomeqa (paristhmi) fut. "we will [all] stand before" - stand beside. "Stand before" when God is the intended object.

tw/ bhmati (a) "judgment seat" - a platform, the seat of a judge. The sense is "all of us will stand before God to be judged by him", TEV.

The introductory assertion from Isaiah 49:18 identifies "the Lord" (= Jesus) with God, and Isaiah 45:23 indicates that the worship of the nations is directed toward Christ.

kamyei (kamptw) fut. "will bow" - bend. An expression of adoration.

exomologhsetai (exomologew) fut. "will confess" - consent fully, acknowledge. "Acclaim", Kasemann; "give praise to God", Moffatt.

ara oun "so then" - therefore. Introducing a logical conclusion.

logon (oV) "an account" - a reason. The word is sometimes used of keeping an account, a ledger. Paul has encouraged us not to be critical of a brother or sister, of their piety or their liberty, now he implies we should be critical of ourselves since each of us will stand before the Judge to give an account.

tw/ qew/ "to God" - Not found in some manuscripts, but certainly implied.

Romans Introduction.

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