Read Romans 14 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Greek Testament has no Hebrew paragraph divisions. This is my outline of of Romans so far:
1:1-7, Greeting and benediction;
1:8-15, Desire to visit Rome;
1:16-17, Theme of the letter: the Gospel reveals the righteousness of God;
1:18-5:21, Justification and the righteousness of God;
6:1-8:39, Sanctification and the righteousness of God;
9:1-11:36, God’s righteousness and Israel;
12:1-15:13, Practical application of God’s righteousness;
12:1-21, Filled with the Spirit for service, not conformed to the world but to God’s will;
13:1-14, Be subject to governing authorities, to love, and to the Lord Jesus Christ;
14:1-15:7, Proper conduct in differences of practice in gray areas;
15:14-16:27, Conclusion.
Romans 14:1-15:7 Chiastic Structure:
Paul is again revisiting an admonition from the beginning of his letter (Romans 2): Why do you judge your brother?
Paul was talking about two issues in the church in this chapter, having to do with eating or not eating, and esteeming days or not esteeming days. The modern church reads Romans 14 out of the context of the rest of Scripture, and assumes that Paul is now saying we are no longer to obey the command of Scripture in eating clean or unclean food, or resting from labor on the seventh day Sabbath. The modern church has used this chapter as Scriptural proof that every believer is now to decide for himself what is right and wrong without being judged.
Let me carefully repeat what has already been said so that there are no misunderstandings. Scripture is clear on defining clean and unclean food. Scripture is clear on resting on the seventh day Sabbath. These things are not “doubtful things” (Rom 14:1). Paul is talking about doubtful things. He is not discussing clean and unclean food or Sabbath rest.
If a fellow believer is doing something different from you in a true gray area, in a doubtful thing, you cannot conclude that he is practicing idolatry in his heart. You can’t know what is in his heart, so you cannot make the judgment call of idolatry.
If there are questions, this is a good resources:
Romans 14, Summary of doubtful things – Christine Miller
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