Romans 14: To Eat or Not to Eat
IN THE LATE 1800s robed choirs were considered worldly by some Christians. More recently going to movies, watching television and drinking wine or beer have been viewed as sinful.
The Bible contains many clear commands. But it is also silent or ambiguous about many moral issues. These "gray" areas have always been a source of dispute and conflict among Christians, even though the specific areas of dispute change from time to time. What principles should guide us when our actions are criticized by others or when we feel critical toward them? Romans 14 helps us answer these questions.
Warming Up to God
What types of behavior do Christians disagree about today?
Read Romans 14:1-23. »
Discovering the Word
- What are some areas of dispute between the "weak" and the "strong" in verses 1-6?
- What attitudes do the weak and the strong tend to have toward each other (vv. 1-4)? Why?
- What types of Christians are you most likely to judge or look down on? Why?
- Why is it wrong to pass judgment on other Christians (vv. 1-13)?
- When we are not around those whose faith is weak, what principles should govern our Christian liberty (vv. 5-23)?
- When we are around those whose faith is weak, what principles should guide our actions, and why (vv. 13-21)?
Applying the Word
- What practices offend you?
- Which of your own practices might distress or destroy another brother or sister in Christ?
Responding in Prayer
Ask God for wisdom to know how to respond in areas in which you are causing offense.
For Further Study
The Mark of the Christian by Francis Schaeffer