Bible Verse Lookup
Rom 14:1-6
Chapter 14
Freedom and Charity
Welcome those who are weak in faith and do not criticize their scruples.
Some believe they can eat any food, while others who are less liberated eat only vegetables.
If you eat, do not look down on those who abstain; if you abstain, do not judge those who eat, for God has accepted them.
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? Whether he succeeds or fails, his own master is the one responsible. And he will not fail, because his master can keep him standing.
Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike; let us act according to our own opinion.
The one who distinguishes among days does so for the Lord; and the one who eats, eats for the Lord, and in eating, gives thanks to the Lord. And the one who does not eat does it for the Lord and gives him thanks as well.
Commentaries
Freedom and Charity.
Paul now addresses a problem that caused tensions in communities made up of Christians, Jews, and Gentiles, such as in Rome. It concerned the observance of Jewish laws, such as fasting and dietary restrictions, or pagan beliefs about days as good or bad omens. Some Christians, the “weak,” could not quite let go of these practices, whether out of scruples, superstitious fears, or lack of education. Others, the “strong,” felt free from all that and looked down on the “weak.” Paul had already spoken about this in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10:14-33 and provided a basic solution, which is: faith in Christ frees believers from such fears and customs. So, what was the problem? Prejudices, mutual disqualifications, and condemnations, especially from the “strong,” threatened the unity and peace of the community. Paul treats this very seriously and makes a strong stand in favor of the “weak.” It’s not that all opinions are equally valid for him or that the “weak” are always right. It’s that people and their consciences before God are similarly valuable. That’s why he calls for mutual respect and tolerance, which does not mean indifference. In short, he urges the community in Rome to practice “dialogue presided over by charity,” so that “the strong” realize that Christian freedom must always serve love, and those who falter can see that they need to change their behavior.