Matters of Conscience
November 25, 2001
Dear Friends,
It’s that time of the year again when thoughts turn to…..Romans 14. Did you think I was going to say something else?
In the fourteenth chapter of the letter to the Romans as well as the eighth chapter of First Corinthians, Paul advises the believers on the controversial topic of matters of conscience. In Paul’s day, it was the seemingly innocuous question of whether or not a believer could eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. In the divided ecclesia of Jew and Gentile in the first century, this question was anything but benign. At its heart was the continuing question of the place of the Law of Moses in the life of the new ecclesia.
These passages not only counsel the brethren of yesteryear, but also serves as a template for matters of conscience for all times. Although few, if any, worry over the eating of meats today, brethren have a multitude of differences based upon background, culture and where they are in their respective spiritual development. It is easy for us to see the application in something as far away as meats, but much more difficult in the face of modern issues. How quickly these non-fundamental issues can tear an ecclesia to shreds. All it takes is one vocal and motivated “weak” brother to force an issue on the ecclesia coupled with one or more insensitive, prideful “strong” brothers that let the issue get out of hand. How many ecclesias have been torn asunder by controversies which had no business becoming controversies in the first place?
Paul tells us that there are two flavors of believers: those “weak” in faith who could not eat the meat and those “strong” in faith who could eat the meat. The implication is not that the “weak” brother is weak on everything, just this one issue. Remember Peter in Antioch in Galatians 2 if you think overall strong brethren do not have their weaknesses! Paul also lets us know God’s perspective on the whole affair. God sees all meat as appropriate. Since an idol is nothing, it cannot change the value of the food one way or another.
However, probably the most remarkable comment Paul makes is at the end of Romans 14 when he says that anything we do that is not in keeping with our faith is sin. In other words, anything, whether sinful or not in God’s sight, becomes sinful if we do it while thinking it wrong. Since the eating of meats, which are all clean, can be a matter of sin, Paul also instructs us to be considerate of our brethren. If they are weak in faith, don’t through your strength, encourage them to do something that is sinful.
All of this chapter is incredibly practical when trying to function in an ecclesia. People are at various stages in their personal development of faith. Some see evil everywhere. Their motto is “touch not; taste not; handle not.” These brethren need to be handled with special care. As much as the “strong” may despise their weaker brother’s weakness, Christ died for the weak brother as well. In this case, the strong were no better than the weak because they too had missed the whole point of loving self-sacrifice for their brethren.
We’ll have a few more things to say about this next week, Lord willing.
Have a great week!
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