Romans 14: Weak and the Strong

“As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.”

Paul closes his letter to the Romans by emphatically stating in chapter 13 that believers should fulfill the law by expressing love for others. Expressing love to others and living righteously are especially important since we are approaching Christ’s return. Believers should accept one another in love even when they disagree over issues of conscience, even as they follow their own consciences.

In 14, Paul warns his readers that they should be careful not to allow their behavior to disturb other believers who hold different convictions. For example, they should be especially careful not to encourage other believers to do something they do not believe is right. It is wrong, Paul claims, to eat, drink, or do anything that disturbs one’s conscience.

Jewish and Gentile believers, the weak and the strong, should live in unity and try to build up on another. They should learn to glorify God with one heart and one voice. Jesus Himself came into the world as a servant to the Jews, fulfilling the promises to the Jews, and yet including Gentiles in God’s plan so that they might glorify God like the OT foretold.

Reflection:

With Rome being the center of the world in every way- law, culture, learning, etc… a letter to these folks- needless to say- had to be impressive. Paul brilliantly set down the whole scope of Christian doctrine, which, at that time, was still being passed along orally from town to town. Paul wanted to convince the Roman readers that Christ held the answers to all of life’s important questions., leading to the famous battle cry of the Reformation- “by faith alone.”