In this chapter, and part of the following, the apostle urges the duty of mutual forbearance and charity, in respect to non-essential points of difference. Among the Roman Christians these had respect to certain outward distinctions of food, days, and the like. These would be best overcome, not by s... [ Continue Reading ]
EAT ALL THINGS; any wholesome food. WHO IS WEAK; ignorant of what is proper on this subject. EATETH HERBS; lives on vegetables and abstains from flesh, lest he should be defiled by the use of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIM THAT EATETH; all kinds of wholesome food indiscriminately, having attained, in this respect, to a true idea of the liberty of the gospel. DESPISE; the sin to which men of liberal views are especially tempted. HIM WHICH EATETH NOT; eateth not flesh, because he has scruples of conscience in resp... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS OWN MASTER; Jesus Christ. HE STANDETH OR FALLETH; he will be approved or condemned, not according to the correctness of his views about the ceremonial law, or outward forms and ceremonies, but according to his character as a friend or enemy of Christ. HE; the true Christian, though feeble, and... [ Continue Reading ]
ESTEEMETH ONE DAY ABOVE ANOTHER; because the ceremonial law, which he erroneously thinks is still binding, makes a distinction between different days of the week. One observes the Jewish feasts and fasts, the other does not. The apostle here has no reference to the difference of days spoken of in th... [ Continue Reading ]
HE GIVETH GOD THANKS; the Christian who regards days and meats according to Jewish ceremonies, and the Christian who does not, both act from religious motives, and for the purpose of honoring God. This they show by thanking him for his mercies. They should therefore be received and treated by each o... [ Continue Reading ]
NONE OF US LIVETH TO HIMSELF; the great object of every Christian, in life and death, is not himself, but Jesus Christ. His language is, Not my will, but thine be done.... [ Continue Reading ]
WE ARE THE LORD'S; we seek his glory, are governed by his will, and belong to his redeemed people.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THIS END; that he might be Lord of his redeemed people dead and living, on earth and in heaven, he died, rose, and ascended to glory, where he now lives; head over all things to his church, and will in due time come to judge the world in righteousness. It follows that our aim should be his glory,... [ Continue Reading ]
OF CHRIST; our rightful and proper judge.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT IS WRITTEN; Isaiah 45:21-25. What is said by Isaiah of Jehovah, the apostle here applies to Christ, and thus shows that he is Jehovah, God the judge of all.... [ Continue Reading ]
As Christ is to be the final judge of men, and we are to give account each of himself to him, and be accepted or condemned according to his decision, we should live as under his inspection, and make it our great object so to act that he will say to us, Well done, good and faithful servants; enter ye... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT THEREFORE JUDGE; not assume the place of Christ in judging his servants, but leave that to him to whom it belongs, and who will judge according to truth. JUDGE THIS RATHER; decide this rather in your minds. The apostle intentionally uses the word judge in a double sense; as much as to say, Inst... [ Continue Reading ]
PERSUADED BY THE LORD JESUS; convinced by knowledge received from him. NOTHING UNCLEAN OF ITSELF; the distinction between clean and unclean meats, and different days of ceremonial observance, is now done away, and it is as lawful to eat one kind of healthy food as another. TO HIM IT IS UNCLEAN; if... [ Continue Reading ]
BE GRIEVED WITH THY MEAT; if your eating meat grieves and injures a brother. WALKEST THOU NOT CHARITABLY; provided you continue to eat it. Love to him requires you to abstain from it. DESTROY NOT HIM; by doing that which tends to ruin him or make him miserable. Christ endured the agonies of the cr... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR GOOD; your knowledge of your Christian liberty and freedom from the ceremonial law, which is a real good. BE EVIL SPOKEN OF; be an occasion of reproach and blame, by your using your liberty in such a manner as to injure others, or dishonor Christ. A course of conduct may be right in some respe... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KINGDOM OF GOD; his reign in the soul, and true obedience to him, do not consist in the observance or non-observance of distinctions between meats and drinks, and other like outward things; whence it follows that on the side of both the weak and the strong there should be forbearance and kindnes... [ Continue Reading ]
SERVETH CHRIST; though it is written, "Worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve," Matthew 4:10, yet he that serveth Christ is acceptable to God. The reason is, Christ is God. Chap Romans 9:5; JOHN 1:1; HEBREWS 1:6-8.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MEAT DESTROY NOT; do not, for the sake of your own indulgence, injure the religious character of your brother, or do any thing which shall tend to destroy him. ALL THINGS INDEED ARE PURE; all kinds of wholesome food are in themselves innocent, but if your partaking of them causes your brother t... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS GOOD; duty requires us to abstain from indulgences which lead others to sin, injure their character, hinder their usefulness, prevent their enjoyment, or endanger their souls. It is often a duty to avoid the doing of things which, though not in themselves wrong, will become the occasion of evi... [ Continue Reading ]
HAST THOU FAITH? do you believe that the ceremonial law is abolished, and that it is right for you to eat all kinds of food? be grateful to God for this light, but do not use it in such a manner as to injure others. HAPPY IS HE; who does not allow himself in things which his conscience condemns, or... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT DOUBTETH; the lawfulness of any thing, and yet does it when there is no doubt about the lawfulness of abstaining from it, IS DAMNED; condemned as guilty of sin. WHATSOEVER IS NOT OF FAITH; whatever a man cannot do with a clear conscience, believing it to be right. The apostle is speaking of... [ Continue Reading ]