Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: ROMANS #18 - 14:1-15:6)
C. 14:1-15:6 OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO WEAKER BRETHREN
1. 14:1-12 LET THE LORD JUDGE: LET US ACCEPT
a. 14:1 But the oneweak in the faith receive, not for decision of reasonings.
Ton de as-theNOUNta [770] te PIStei pros-lamBAnes-the [4355], meeis di-aKRIseis [1253]di-a-lo-gisMON [1261].
b. 14:2 One has indeed faith to eat all things: but the weak eats herbs.
hos men piSTEUei phaGEIN [5315] PANta: ho de as-theNON LAcha-na [3001] esTHIei [2068].
c. 14:3 THE STRONG AND WEAK: NOT TO REJECT EACH OTHER
ho esTHIon ton me esTHIon-ta me e-xou-theNEIto [1848];
Let not him that eats set at nought him that eats not;
ho de me esTHIon [2068] ton esTHIon-ta me kriNEto [2919]: ho TheOS gar auTON pro-seLAbe-to [4355].
and let not him that eats not judge him that eats: for :God has received him.
d. 14:4a Who are you that judges another's servant? to his:own lord he stands or falls.
su tis ei ho KRInon alLOtri-on oiKEten [3610]? to iDIo kuRIo STEkei [4739] e PIPtei [4098].
e. 14:4b Yes, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord has power to make him stand.
staTHEse-tai, de; du-naTEI gar ho KUri-os STEsai auTON.
f. 14:5a For one esteems one day above anotherday: another esteems every day alike.
hos men gar KRInei heMEran par' heMEran: hos de KRInei PAsan heMEran.
g. 14:5b Let each be fully assured in his:own mind.
HEka-stos en toiDIonoI ple-ro-phoREIStho[4135].
h. 14:6 THE LORD: TO BE HONORED IN ALL OUR DECISIONS
ho phroNON[5426] ten heMEran, KuRIophroNEI: kai ho esTHIon, KuRIoesTHIei,
Who regards the day, regards to the Lord: and who eats, eats to the Lord,
eu-cha-risTEI [2168] gar to TheO; kai ho me esTHIon, KuRIo ouk esTHIei, kai eu-cha-risTEI to TheO.
for he gives :God thanks; and who eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives :God thanks.
i. 14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself.
ouDEIS gar heMON he-auTO ze, kai ouDEIS he-auTO a-poTHNESkei.
j. 14:8 LIFE AND DEATH: ALL TO THE LORD
eAN te gar ZOmen [2198], to KuRIo ZOmen;
For whether we live, we live to the Lord;
eAN te a-poTHNESko-men [599], to KuRIo a-poTHNESko-men:
or whether we die, we die to the Lord:
eAN te oun ZOmen, eAN te a-poTHNESkomen, tou KuRIou esMEN.
whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
k. 14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both dead and living.
eis TOUto gar ChrisTOS aPEtha-nen kai Eze-sen, HIna kai neKRON [3498] kai ZONton ku-riEUse [2961].
l. 14:10 THOSE TO BE JUDGED: SHOULD NOT JUDGE
Su de ti KRIneis ton a-delPHON sou? e kai, su ti e-xou-theNEIS [1848] ton a-delPHON sou?
But why do YOU judge your :brother? or again, why do YOU set at naught your :brother?
PANtes gar pa-ra-steSOme-tha [3936]to BEma-ti [968]tou TheOU.
for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of :God.
m. 14:11 SCRIPURES PROVE: CHRIST TO BE JUDGE OF ALL
GEgrap-tai gar, Zo eGO, LEgei KUri-os, HOti eMOI KAMpsei [2578] pan GOnu [1119],
For it is written, I live, says theLord, that to me every knee shall bow,
kai PAsa GLOSsa [1100]e-xo-mo-loGEse-tai [1843]to TheO.
And every tongue shall confess to :God.
n. 14:12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to :God.
Ara oun HEkas-tos heMON peRI he-auTOU LOgon DOsei to TheO.
2. 14:13-23 HIGHER LAW OF THE KINGDOM: EAT AND DRINK IN LOVE
a. 14:13 OUR JUDGMENT: TO PREVENT THE STUMBLING OF A BROTHER
MeKEti oun alLElous KRIno-men: alLA TOUto KRIna-te MALlon, to metiTHEnai
Let us therefore judge one another no more: but judge this rather, that no stumblingblock
PROSkom-ma [4348]to a-delPHO, e SKANda-lon [4625].
be put in the brother's way, or an occasion of falling.
b. 14:14 ALL MEAT IS ACCEPTABLE, UNLESS CONSCIENCE FORBIDS
OIda, kai PEpeis-mai [3982]en KuRIo IeSOU, HOti ouDEN koiNON [2839]di he-auTOU:
I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is common of itself:
ei me tolo-gi-zoMEno [3049]ti koiNON EInai, eKEInokoiNON.
save that to him who accounts anything common, to him it is common.
c. 14:15a For if because of meat your :brother is grieved, you walk not longer in love.
ei gar diA BROma [1033]ho a-delPHOS sou luPEItai [3076], ouKEti kaTA aGApen pe-ri-paTEIS.
d. 14:15b Destroy not with your :meat him for whom Christ died.
meto BROmaTI sou eKEInon aPOLlu-e [622]huPER hou ChrisTOS aPEtha-nen.
e. `14:16-17 KINGDOM OF GOD: SUPERCEDES OUR LIBERTY IN MEATS
meblas-pheMEIStho[987]oun huMON to a-gaTHON:
Let not then your :good be evil spoken of:
ou GAR es-tin heba-siLEIa [932]tou TheOU BROsis [1035]kai POsis [4213],
17 for the kingdom of :God is not eating and drinking,
alLA di-kai-oSUne[1343]kai eiREne[1515]kai chaRA [5479]en PNEUma-ti HaGIo.
but righteousness and peace and joy in theHoly Spirit.
f. 14:18 For who herein serves Christ is well-pleasing to :God, and approved of :men.
ho gar en TOUtodouLEUon toChrisTO euAres-tos [2101]to TheO, kai DOki-mos [1384]tois anTHROpois.
g. 14:19 So then let us follow after thingsof :peace, and the thingsfor building up one another.
Ara oun ta tes eiREnes diOko-men [1377], kai ta tes oi-ko-doMES [3619]tes eis alLElous.
h. 14:20a Overthrow not for meat's sake the work of :God.
meEne-ken BROma-tos [1033]kaTAlu-e to ERgon tou TheOU.
i. 14:20b All thingsindeed are clean; but evil for the man who eats with offence.
PANta men ka-thaRA [2513]; alLA kaKON toanTHROpoto diA prosKOMma-tos [4348]esTHIon-ti [2068].
j. 14:21 WELFARE OF A WEAK BROTHER: ABOVE ALL OUR LIBERTY
kaLON to me phaGEIN KREa, meDE pein OInon [3631],
It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine,
meDE en hoho a-delPHOS sou prosKOPtei [4350].
nor to do anythingwhereby your :brother stumbles.
k. 14:22a. What :faith YOU have have to yourself before :God.
su PIstin hen Echeis kaTA se-auTON Eche eNOpi-on tou TheOU.
l. 14:22b Blessed he that judges not himself in what he approves.
maKAri-os ho meKRInon he-auTON en hodo-kiMAzei [1381].
m. 14:23 SIN: TO EAT WHEN CONSCIENCE CONDEMNS
ho de di-a-kriNOme-nos [1252]eAN PHAge[5315]ka-taKEkri-tai [2632],
But who doubts is condemned if he eat,
HOti ouk ek PIste-os; pan de ho ouk ek PIste-os ha-marTIa esTIN.
because he eats not of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.
3. 15:1-6 JESUS' EXAMPLE: PLEASING THE WEAK ABOVE SELF
a. 15:1 THE RULE: SET WELFARE OF THE WEAK ABOVE SELF-PLEASURE
O-PHEIla-men [3784]de heMEIS hoi du-naTOI ta as-theNEma-ta [771]ton a-duNAton basTAzein [941],
Now we the strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,
kai mehe-auTOIS aRESkein [700].
and not to please ourselves.
b. 15:2 Let each of us please his:neighbor for what is good, unto building up.
HEkas-tos heMON topleSIon [4139]a-reSKEtoeis to a-gaTHON, pros oi-ko-doMEN [3619].
c. 15:3 CHRIST'S EXAMPLE: PLEASED FATHER RATHER THAN SELF
kai gar ho ChrisTOS ouch he-auTOEre-sen [700]; alLA, kaTHOS GEgrap-tai,
For the Christ also pleased not himself; but, as itis written,
Hoi o-nei-disMOI [3679]ton o-nei-diZONton se ePEpe-san ep' eME.
The reproaches of those reproaching you fell upon me.
d. 15:4 SCRIPTURES: TEACH HOPE IN FOLLOWING GOOD EXAMPLES
HOsa gar pro-eGRAphe[4270]PANta eis ten he-meTEran
For whatever things were written afore were all written
di-das-kaLIan [1319]eGRAphe, HIna diA tes hu-po-moNES [5281]
for our :learning, that through :patience
kai diA tes pa-raKLEse-os [3874]ton graPHON ten elPIda [1680]Echo-men.
and through :comfort of the scriptures we might have:hope.
e. 15:5-6 GOD: HELPS US TO BE TRUE BRETHREN ONE TO ANOTHER
ho de TheOS tes hu-po-moNES kai tes pa-raKLEse-os
Now the God of :patience and of :comfort
DO-ehuMIN to auTO phroNEIN [5426]en alLElois kaTA ChrisTON IeSOUN:
grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus:
HIna ho-mo-thu-maDON [3661]en heNI STOma-ti [4750]
6that with one accord you may with one mouth
doXAzete [1392]ton TheON kai paTEra tou KuRIou heMON IeSOU ChrisTOU.
glorify the God and Father of our :Lord Jesus Christ.
NOTE: (2008-11-29) Romans 14:4a,“Who are you that judges another's servant? to his :own lord he stands or falls.” In 1947 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan a fellow Christian student had this verse quickened to him by God. It made an indelible impression upon me as he shared it with a few of us. He was a member of a male quartet with the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) of the University of Saskatchewan. The quartet traveled the Province that year in meetings in churches of a number of key cities, and asked me along as their speaker. It was flood time, and when they were forced to roll up their pants and in bare feet push our car, I had the privilege of steering it as the smallest of the 5.
The verse quickened to him is perhaps a key verse to this passage. The male quartet looked forward to the day when I produced Panin's Interlinear Greek New Testament. Well, here it is in process - a few years later - but important for these last days.
Romans 14:23 also made an impression on me many years ago: “But who doubts is condemned if he eat, because he eats not of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.”It was this last clause that arrested me. Does God truly want our actions to spring from faith? Absolutely. I regularly ask Him for grace to walk in this truth. - J.A.W.