Romans 14: Judgment Within the Christian Family
"Opinions", or "disputable matters" in the Church
Our Bible study in the local Church has been on Paul’s letter to the Romans for several months. This week, we considered chapter 14, which is about passing judgment on other Christians for not living up to one’s own extra-Biblical standards [one translation renders this as “disputable matters”, another as “opinions”]. The divisions in the Church that result can be very deep, and even fatal to local Churches.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
A denomination used to condemn use of alcohol, dancing, and casual dress in Church. Another, contradicting Psalm 33:2, for example, demanded that musical instruments must not be allowed in worship [I’ve heard that they stopped making this demand]. There is a vocal faction which openly condemns the use of any but the King James Version of the Bible. Some believe that worship should involve dancing in the aisles with upraised arms shouting “Amen!”, and look down on others whose habits of worship are quietly meditative.
There are deeper divisions still.
27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
and Paul writes,
5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
But I have been confidently damned to hell unless I start worshiping on Saturday instead of Sunday. [It was on Twitter, though.]
Confidently contradicting 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 , there was a denomination that insisted that one had not truly received the Holy Spirit unless one manifested all of the gifts listed in Chapter 12 [I don’t know if they still do this].
We also must not forget that a particularly powerful denomination used to regularly burn people alive for translating and reading God’s Word in their own language, instead of Latin [which, by the way, is not an original Biblical language].
We in the Church have many different levels of Spiritual maturity and understanding, and must deal with each other with humility and patience.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.
If a member of the family has had a problem with addiction to alcohol, for example, it is not an act of love to exercise your right to consume alcohol in front of them.
In summary, then:
16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.