When Christians Go to War with Each Other Over Matters of Opinion
Thinking about Romans 14:1-4.
Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:1-4)
After a call to resist the devil and sin as good soldiers of Jesus Christ (Romans 13:12-14), Paul issues a warning to Christians.
Don’t trundle over the weak saint on your way to glorious war. Don’t lose your gentle and understanding side as you grow in the area of courage. - McGuiggan, Romans, 385
Those who were “weak in the faith” probably refers to Christians who still “held to various components of the Law [of Moses]” (Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 495), such as the dietary restrictions, and the observance of “special days.” The ones who were “strong” properly understood there was nothing wrong with eating various types of meat.
The way they were treating one another over these “doubtful things” or “scruples” or “opinions” was becoming a problem.
Don’t Fight Your Brethren Over Opinions.
Paul commanded the Christians to “receive” those who were “weak” in the faith - or who were still spiritually immature in their understanding of things like the types of foods they could eat.
They were to receive them as a full-fledged brother or sister in Christ. They were not to receive them to then fight with them over their opinions.
Paul’s teaching here clearly demands the conclusion that a Christian can be wrong about some things, and yet entitled to full fellowship. The weak brethren in view here were plainly wrong about their vegetarianism [1 Timothy 4:3-5; Acts 10:9-16], but were to be retained in fellowship despite this. - Coffman, Commentary on Romans, 450-451
There are matters worth fighting for as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (Romans 13:12-14; Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Timothy 2:3-4).
But matters of opinion ain’t it.
Don’t Judge Your Brethren Over Opinions.
It appears that some who ate meat were despising those who did not, while those who did not eat meat were judging those who did.
What a natural thing it was for the Christian of strong faith to set a low value upon a brother with all those silly scruples! How easy it was for the scrupulous to judge others as “liberal” and condemn them for not accepting the more strict behavior! - Coffman, Commentary on Romans, 452
Paul made the strong point: “And just who are you to judge another’s servant?”
God is the Master, each Christian is His servant. Christians have no right to pass judgment upon each other in these matters of opinion or scruples - because we are not the Master, we are just the servants of the Master.
Part of the challenge to what is taught in God’s word here is recognizing what is an essential matter of the faith, and what’s merely a matter of opinion.
Matters essential to the faith and “sound doctrine” must be believed and taught (2 Timothy 4:1-5), and those who “contradict” must be opposed (Titus 1:9-11).
However, a different approach is needed in matters of scruple or opinion.
Much harm has been done to the Lord’s church in the past and will continue to be done in the future by Christians who do not recognize the difference between these two.
The problem is that to the scrupulous, their scruple is a matter of sound doctrine.
The problem is that those who wish to depart from sound doctrine almost always present their apostasy as nothing more than a scruple which therefore should not be judged per Romans 14.
I hope you delve into the biblical evidence and correct hermeneutics that show which is which, either in this series or in another post.