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 shoul... [ Continue Reading ]
HIM THAT IS WEAK IN THE FAITH,.... This address is made to the stronger and more knowing Christians among the Romans, how to behave towards those that were inferior in light and knowledge to them, with regard to things of a ritual and ceremonial kind: and by "him that is weak in the faith", is meant... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ONE BELIEVETH THAT HE MAY EAT ALL THINGS,.... He is fully persuaded in his mind, that there is nothing in itself common, or unclean; that the difference between clean and unclean meats, commanded to be observed by the law of Moses, is taken away; and that he may now lawfully eat any sort of food... [ Continue Reading ]
LET NOT HIM THAT EATETH, DESPISE HIM THAT EATETH NOT,.... Such who had a greater degree of Gospel light and knowledge, and made use of their Christian liberty in eating any sort of food, were not to despise as they were apt to do, such as abstained therefrom on account of the ceremonial law, as weak... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO ART THOU THAT JUDGEST ANOTHER MAN'S SERVANT,.... This is another reason, dissuading from censoriousness and rash judgment, taken from civil things; one man has nothing to do with another man's servant; he has no power over him, nor any right to call him to an account for his actions; nor has he... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE MAN ESTEEMETH ONE DAY ABOVE ANOTHER,.... This is another instance of the difference of sentiments in this church, about the observation of rituals; and is not to be understood of days appointed by the Christian churches for fasting, or abstinence from certain meats, either once a year, as the "Q... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT REGARDETH THE DAY, REGARDETH IT TO THE LORD,.... The apostle strengthens the above advice with this reason, because what is done both by one and the other, is done unto the Lord. The weak brother that esteems one day above another, and regards the passover, pentecost, and feast of tabernacle... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR NONE OF US LIVETH TO HIMSELF,.... That is, none of us believers; others may, but these do not, at least they ought not, nor do they when under the influence of the grace of God: they do not live, neither to righteous, nor to sinful self; they do not live upon their duties and services; nor do th... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHETHER WE LIVE, WE LIVE UNTO THE LORD,.... As natural, so spiritual life is derived from the Lord, and believers live by faith upon him, and according to his will revealed in the word; find to his honour and glory; at least they desire so to do: AND WHETHER WE DIE, WE DIE UNTO THE LORD; resign... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR TO THIS END CHRIST BOTH DIED, AND ROSE, AND REVIVED,.... This last word "revived" is omitted by the Vulgate Latin, but very naturally placed by the Syriac, between Christ's dying and rising. The Alexandrian copy reads, "died and lived": and the Ethiopic version, "died and revived": the end of al... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHY DOST THOU JUDGE THY BROTHER?.... These words are spoken to the man weak in faith, that scrupled eating of certain meats, and chose rather eat none, and live on herbs, and who esteemed one day above another; and was very apt to censure and condemn such as made use of their Christian liberty i... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT IS WRITTEN,.... In Isaiah 45:23; though Justin Martyr o cites a like passage with what follows, as out of Ezekiel 37, but no such words appear there, either in the Hebrew text, or Septuagint version: AS I LIVE, SAITH THE LORD; the form of an oath used often by the Lord; who because he could... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEN EVERYONE OF US,.... this is the conclusion, drawn from the foregoing account of things, that there will be a general judgment, that Christ will be Judge, and all must appear at his bar; from whence it necessarily follows, that every man, and so every Christian, strong or weak, whatever may b... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US NOT THEREFORE JUDGE ONE ANOTHER MORE,.... With respect to the observance or non-observance of the laws relating to meats and drinks, and days, and times; the apostle means, that they should not judge rashly, nor anything before the time; they should not censure and judge each other's characte... [ Continue Reading ]
I KNOW AND AM PERSUADED BY THE LORD JESUS,.... As for the apostle's own sense and judgment about the distinction of meats, it was this, THAT THERE IS NOTHING UNCLEAN OF ITSELF; that every creature, as originally made by God, is good; that what is eatable, or fit for food, may be eaten, whatever the... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF THY BROTHER BE GRIEVED WITH THY MEAT,.... The apostle proceeds to give reasons why, though he was so fully persuaded that nothing was unclean of itself, and so he, and any other of the same persuasion, might lawfully eat anything; yet they should forbear, and not make use of this liberty; bec... [ Continue Reading ]
LET NOT THEN YOUR GOOD BE EVIL SPOKEN OF. The Vulgate Latin reads it, "our good", and so the Syriac version; the sense is the same, and to be understood either of the Gospel in general, which is good in its author, matter, effects, and consequences; is good tidings of good things, and which might be... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT MEAT AND DRINK,.... Neither the kingdom of glory, nor the ultimate glory and happiness of the saints in the other world, is attained to by any such things; for neither eating and drinking, nor not eating and drinking, can recommend to the divine favour, or give a meetne... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE THAT IN THESE THINGS SERVETH CHRIST,.... That is, in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; he whose faith is an obedient one, and embraces these things, and from the heart obeys them; who seeks righteousness alone by Christ, and peace and pardon through his blood; who rejoices in C... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US THEREFORE FOLLOW AFTER THE THINGS, Since the kingdom of God is in part peace, and the man that serves Christ in this, as in other things, is accepted with God, and grateful to men, the apostle very pertinently exhorts to seek after such things, WHICH MAKE FOR PEACE: not with God, for, for a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MEAT DESTROY NOT THE WORK OF GOD,.... The Syriac reads it, "the works of God"; referring either to righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, of which the kingdom of God consists; or to the weak brother, who both as a creature, and as a new creature, is the workmanship of God; and to the g... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS GOOD NEITHER TO EAT FLESH,.... Any sort of flesh, even that which is not forbidden in the law, rather than offend a weak brother; and the apostle determines for himself, that he would not, where there was any danger of doing this, 1 Corinthians 8:13. NOR TO DRINK WINE; not only the wine of li... [ Continue Reading ]
HAST THOU FAITH? HAVE IT TO THYSELF BEFORE GOD,.... Which is to be understood, not of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the doctrines of the Gospel; for a man that has such faith given him, ought not to keep it in his own breast, but to declare it to others; he ought to make a public visible pr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT DOUBTETH,.... Or makes a difference between meats and meats, or is in suspense whether any difference should be observed or not, IS DAMNED; not with everlasting damnation, which is not the consequent of, nor connected with such an action, as eating of a thing indifferent, with a scrupul... [ Continue Reading ]