Romans 14 - General theme and weak brothers

[YXU]

The issue of weak brothers is a popular topic.

What does weak brothers and cause them to stumble mean?

And what does it not mean?

Any thoughts brothers on it and how to deal with each other by an openness and charity?

Our pastor mentioned today that making someone upset or mad is not to make them to stumble.

 

[fredtgreco]

YX,

I will be preaching on this passage (Rom. 14:1-12) this Lord's Day. It will likely be up on our website in a week or so.

 

[YXU]

Long to see your thoughts Rev. Greco.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

YX,

In short, we each develop certain scruples regarding our Christian walk. Some are more scrupulous than others and, as a matter of faith, decide to not do certain things that may tempt them to sin. The Jews, for instance, grew up with kosher laws and it was hard for them to eat pork in faith without thinking it is sin. It wasn't necesarily sinful for them to eat pork but they couldn't do so in good conscience so they continued to swear it off.

Now, many people don't necessarily share our scruples about indifferent things and we sometimes don't share theirs. But, if we know another brother has a scruple in another area, and he has that scruple to the glory of God, we ought not to be giving him a hard time about it. We also shouldn't ridicule him to the point of making him go along with our scruples because, after all, a "mature" Christian doesn't have such scruples. This would be sin for him and we would, in effect, be stumbling our brother into sin because we are so arrogant as to think that our scruples must be his.

Paul's basic point for the stronger brother is this: if you have liberty in a certain area then enjoy that liberty to the glory of God. Don't walk around with a big sign in your hand bragging about how mature you are that you have liberty in an area and that everybody else should be as mature as you. Our brothers are not judged by us and so we ought not judge their scruples - let other men have scruples to the glory of God without thinking less of them.

 

[Herald]

Yxu, I like what John Gill says in describing the weaker brother:

This address is made to the stronger and more knowing Christians among the Romans, how to behave towards those that were inferior in light and knowledge to them, with regard to things of a ritual and ceremonial kind: and by "him that is weak in the faith", is meant, either one that is weak in the exercise of the grace of faith, who has but a glimmering sight of Christ; who comes to him in a very feeble and trembling manner; who believes his ability to save him, but hesitates about his willingness; who casts himself with a peradventure on him; and who is attended with many misgivings of heart, faintings of spirit, and fluctuation of mind, about his interest in him: or one that is weak in the doctrine of faith; has but little light and knowledge in the truths of the Gospel; is a child in understanding; has more affection than judgment; very little able to distinguish truth from error; cannot digest the greater and more sublime doctrines of grace; stands in need of milk, and cannot bear strong meat; is very fluctuating and unsettled in his principles, and like children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine: or rather one that is weak in his knowledge of that branch of the doctrine of faith, which concerns Christian liberty; and that part of it particularly, which respects freedom from the ceremonial law: it designs one, and chiefly a Jew, who though a believer in Christ, and an embracer of the other truths of the Gospel, yet had but very little knowledge of Gospel liberty; but though that believers were to observe all the rituals of the Mosaic dispensation, not knowing that they were abolished by Christ.

The weaker brother is weak in his affections and/or his doctrine. It does not mean he is weak physically.

We should receive such a one into the fellowship of the church and take care not to offend in practices that we would normally exercise liberty. But it is not acceptable for a Christian to remain a weaker brother.

Ephesians 4:13 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Our goal is to mature, and those who are mature should encourage the weaker brother in this endeavor. In the meantime we should check our liberty if it will tempt them to stumble (sin).

 

[KMK]

Is Rom 14 analagous to a Christian coming from, say, Mormonism? Or is Rom 14 only applicable to those who are coming from Judaism to Christianity?