One of the challenges in churches today is for people to feel welcome. Over the past year that has been especially challenging as virtually every church stopped meeting in person for some length of time due to COVID. Many churches are still not meeting, and if people were not comfortable attending churches prior to COVID, the virus has made many people even more uncomfortable to attend for physical reasons, let alone the emotional and spiritual ones.
All of that may be true, but it is true for believers and non-believers alike. But prior to COVID, people may have had different reasons to be comfortable or not, but people were uncomfortable for any number of reasons then, and the same will be true in the future as well.
Consider some of the reasons that non-believers may not be comfortable. They may not understand what happens in a church. They don’t understand the songs that are sung, why we would pray (that is talk to an invisible presence), or any number of items. But one of the biggest reasons they may not be comfortable attending is because they are not certain they will be welcome. Will they be judged for what they do or don’t do? Will they be judged for what they believe or don’t believe? (Etc.)
Well, the same is true for believers. It is possible that everyone listening to my voice may have similar beliefs overall. But we all have nuances, and some of those nuanced beliefs and understandings may get us riled up at times. For instance, I have a list of items I want you to consider. Which ones are more important to you as it pertains to what is allowed in the church?
- The type of music (worship wars)
- Tattoos
- Drinking alcohol
- Loving others
- End times events
- Men’s hair length
- Playing cards
- Dancing
- Making disciples
- Celebrating Halloween
- Wearing masks
- Certain types of entertainment
Granted, we all have opinions on a lot of matters. But from that list, the Bible is only clear that we are to love others, make disciples, and that the end will come (but how and when is open for discussion).
The reality is that we can find support for both sides of these different items and many others. Now, I know that some will disagree with that last sentence. But when we consider Romans 14, I think you will see that I am closer than you might think.
Today, we will discover that Paul realizes that people will have different understandings of Scripture, and that such differences are ok, if they do not violate Scripture. But what is not ok is for us to judge others for holding a position that is counter to ours on something that is not clear, and on something that ultimately does not matter. Again, it is clear we are to make disciples, it is clear that we are to love one another, but too many Christians will, for instance, fight tooth and nail on when Jesus will return, when Jesus Himself said He didn’t know when He would return.
And when we fight within the church over such matters, then we are at risk of people not being welcome. And that is not relevant only to those who are outside of the church; I am talking about those who are already members or, at least those who attend regularly.
Unfortunately, what I have described is true. Most notoriously, the worship wars caused problems in many churches. But churches have split over the color of carpet, the addition of an organ (and I have a specific church in mind on that topic – even if it was more than 100 years ago), and many other matters. But the modern church is not alone. Paul addressed similar issues in his day and his letter to Rome specifically dealt with a couple of these types of matters.
In Romans 14.1-15.13, Paul discusses the need to welcome others primarily because God has welcomed us. Today we will look at Romans 14.1-12, then after a break for Hub Sunday next week, we will finish Romans 14 next week before moving into Romans 15 in August.
In the verses for today, Paul deals with two primary issues that caused contention within the church at Rome. One was a difference in understanding what people should eat and the other was about which day of worship was proper. Now, we may find these ideas rather petty, even silly, but I remind you that I challenged us earlier to consider a few issues which cause conflict in the church today.
Before we look at the specifics, let me take us back just a few sentences to Romans 13.8, where Paul challenges the reader to remember that love is paramount. This theme of love really starts in Romans 12.9, when Paul says that we are to love sincerely or, in other words, to love without hypocrisy.
Now, in Chapter 14, he shares two areas of immediate concerns as it relates to love. The first is about eating, and particularly eating meat. Many possibilities exist on the exact details of the situation, and I will highlight some of those issues in tomorrow’s video. For now, it is likely that the issue had to do with eating meat which may have been sacrificed to idols or perhaps eating pork. Both of those issues were against the practice of Jews, and let us remember that a portion of this church consisted of Christians who were previously Jewish, and thus, followed Jewish customs.
As such, they would not eat the meat sacrificed to idols and could not eat pork. Thus, they chose to only eat vegetables (v. 2) and bread. On the other hand, another group in the church ate meat, and presumably ate whatever they wanted. Now, it is important to note a couple of aspects to this argument.
First, was it wrong for people to eat something that had been sacrificed to an idol? Well, if idols are wrong, then could it be true that having anything to do with idolatry is wrong? We know that idols are wrong because of many statements in the OT, including the 2nd Commandment (Exodus 20.4). Likewise, if the issue was pork, well, Leviticus 11.7 makes it clear that the pig should not be eaten. So, the Jew, or former Jew who is now a Christ-follower, but is accustomed to keeping the Law, may not want to eat pork, but Jesus also declared all food clean in Mark 7. (I will say more about the need to keep the Law in Tuesday’s video.)
The problem is that those who ate meat expressed contempt for those who would not and those who did not eat meat passed judgment on those who did. Both sides were at fault – the sides being the “strong” and the “weak” (Paul’s words). In this instance, Paul used the words strong and weak to relate to faith, but not faith in Jesus. Rather, the idea is that some are secure enough in their faith to eat what they want (that is, they are strong), and others are more restrictive in what they do because they are weak.
The same idea is true in verses 5-6 as is relates to worship. The weak person said that one day had been set aside and thus people should observe that day. However, the strong group said they were free to worship on any day. Paul’s ultimate response to this situation is that what is important is for each person “to be fully convinced in his own mind (v. 5).
Either way, people can dedicate their food to God. Either way, people are worshipping the Lord. While certain issues may seem important (and, indeed, some are important), much of which dominates the discussion is opinion (notice the word in v. 1), and our opinions often keep us from the more important tasks of loving God, loving others, and making disciples. Everything we do, as Paul reminds us in verse 8, is to be done for Jesus (cf. Colossians 3.17, 23).
Incidentally, as strict as Paul may seem on various matters, Romans 15.1 gives his position. He is in the strong camp. Thus, Paul realized that Christians have certain freedoms, but the key is not to cause those freedoms to lead to divisions or to cause someone else to stumble (more on that part in two weeks).
So, Paul’s main point is that because we belong to God, and God has welcomed both groups, we are to welcome one another. It goes back to what Paul said in Romans 12.3 about not thinking more highly of yourself (and for that matter your opinion) than you ought. We are to be united together over what really matters (principle matters of faith like the virgin birth, the sinless life of Jesus, the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, etc.) rather than on secondary and tertiary issues that divide us (like the mode of baptism, women deacons, styles of music, etc.) People will have opinions and those opinions may be based upon the Bible, but as I shared earlier, even though the non-meat eater had the support of Scripture, as did the one who ate meat.
So, again, we must understand that because both groups are welcomed by God, both groups should welcome each other. And we must also realize that both groups are accountable to God, not too each other (v. 10, compare v. 4). Now, that does not mean that if we see someone sinning we let them continue, but it is not our place to judge them for it. That is, we have no place to condemn them – God will do that, unless they repent. But we are to point out sin (watch Wednesday’s video). And, where a question may persist, we can engage in discussion. We can still be welcoming. We can still be united. And we can discuss matters of difference in a manner of respect and with a focus on love.
As one 17th Century theologian said, “In essentials, let there be unity; in nonessentials, let there be liberty; in all things, let there be charity.” Rupertus Meldenius, Lutheran theologian (1582-1651)
CONCLUSION
Having considered Paul’s charge to welcome others, let us now consider our list from earlier and see which issues we may need to consider for our own challenge of welcoming others. Again, we need not endorse what others may do, and I AM NOT suggesting we allow for sin, but I do want us to think about the issues we may give a higher place of authority and thus cause us to be unwelcoming.
- The type of music (worship wars)
- Tattoos
- Drinking alcohol
- Loving others
- End times events
- Men’s hair length
- Playing cards
- Dancing
- Making disciples
- Celebrating Halloween
- Wearing masks
- Certain types of entertainment
I have no right to ask you not to have an opinion on such matters. I have no right because Paul didn’t challenge people on their specific beliefs on these secondary matters as long as their faith was in Jesus. (He did challenge people when they put these matters above Jesus!) What I am asking us (self-included) to do, because it is what Paul asked the people in Rome to do, is to welcome those who may see differently on such matters, particularly those who are within the church. And we do so that our testimony may be pure, which leads to our What’s Next?.
What’s Next?:
Our what’s next is less of a task and more of another consideration. If we are unwelcoming within the church over matters of secondary importance, how unwelcoming must people feel who are not of the church. As has often been said of churches, most churches are better known for what they are against, than what, and more specifically WHO, they are for?
If we are to be a church that expresses hope and love to others, then people need to know that we are FOR CHRIST. That is first. That is foremost. Other matters may seem important, and a few may even be important, but we must keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing in this instance is not a thing, He is a Person, and His name is Jesus.
So, let us be for Jesus. And let us let other people know that we are for Jesus. Because He is really all that matters.