Two Are Better Than One

ROMANS 14:1-15:6 - 2008-11-29

C. 14:1-15:6 OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO WEAKER BRETHREN

1. 14:1-12 LET THE LORD JUDGE: LET US ACCEPT

a. 14:1 HOW TO RECEIVE BRETHREN WEAK IN THE FAITH

Ton de as-theNOUNta [770] te PIStei pros-lamBAnes-the [4355],

But the one weak in the faith receive,

meeis di-aKRIseis [1253]di-a-lo-gisMON [1261].

not for decision of reasonings.

b. 14:2 CONTRAST BETWEEN EATERS

hos men piSTEUei phaGEIN [5315] PANta:

One has indeed faith to eat all things:

ho de as-theNON LAcha-na [3001] esTHIei [2068].

but the weak eats herbs.

c. 14:3 THE STRONG AND WEAK: NOT TO REJECT EACH OTHER

ho esTHIon ton me esTHIon-ta me e-xou-theNEIto [1848];

Let not him that eats set at nought him that eats not;

ho de me esTHIon [2068] ton esTHIon-ta me kriNEto [2919]:

and let not him that eats not judge him that eats:

ho TheOS gar auTON pro-seLAbe-to [4355].

for :God has received him.

d. 14:4a DO NOT JUDGE THE SERVANTS OF ANOTHER MAN

su tis ei ho KRInon alLOtri-on oiKEten​ [3610]?

Who are you that judges another's servant?

to iDIo kuRIo STEkei [4739] e PIPtei [4098].

to his :own lord he stands or falls.

e. 14:4b CHRIST ENABLES WEAK BRETHREN TO STAND

staTHEse-tai, de;

Yes, he shall be made to stand;

du-naTEI gar ho KUri-os STEsai auTON.

for the Lord has power to make him stand.

f. 14:5a THE WEAK AND THE STRONG: JUDGE DAYS DIFFERENTLY

hos men gar KRInei heMEran par' heMEran:

For one esteems one day above another day:

hos de KRInei PAsan heMEran.

another esteems every day alike.

g. 14:5b THE RULE: EACH MUST DECIDE FOR HIMSELF

HEka-stos en toiDIonoI ple-ro-phoREIStho[4135].

Let each be fully assured in his :own mind.

h. 14:6 THE LORD: TO BE HONORED IN ALL OUR DECISIONS

ho phroNON[5426] ten heMEran, KuRIophroNEI:

Who regards the day, regards to the Lord:

kai ho esTHIon, KuRIo esTHIei,

and who eats, eats to the Lord,

eu-cha-risTEI [2168] gar to TheO; kai ho me esTHIon,

for he gives :God thanks; and who eats not,

KuRIo ouk esTHIei, kai eu-cha-risTEI to TheO.

to theLord he eats not, and gives :God thanks.

i. 14:7 OUR LIFE AND DEATH: NOT TO OURSELVES

ouDEIS gar heMON he-auTO ze, kai ouDEIS he-auTO a-poTHNESkei.

For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself.

j. 14:8 LIFE AND DEATH: ALL TO THE LORD

eAN te gar ZOmen [2198], to KuRIo ZOmen;

For whether we live, we live to the Lord;

eAN te a-poTHNESko-men [599], to KuRIo a-poTHNESko-men:

or whether we die, we die to the Lord:

eAN te oun ZOmen, eAN te a-poTHNESkomen, tou KuRIou esMEN.

whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

k. 14:9 CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION: APPLIES TO BOTH

eis TOUto gar ChrisTOS aPEtha-nen kai Eze-sen,

For to this end Christ died and lived again,

HIna kai neKRON [3498] kai ZONton [2198] ku-riEUse [2961].

that he might be Lord of both dead and living.

l. 14:10 THOSE TO BE JUDGED: SHOULD NOT JUDGE

Su de ti KRIneis ton a-delPHON sou?

But why do YOU judge your :brother?

ekai, su ti e-xou-theNEIS [1848]ton a-delPHON sou?

or again, why do YOU set at naught your :brother?

PANtes gar pa-ra-steSOme-tha [3936]to BEma-ti [968]tou TheOU.

for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of :God.

m. 14:11 SCRIPURES PROVE: CHRIST TO BE JUDGE OF ALL

GEgrap-tai gar,

For it is written,

ZoeGO, LEgei KUri-os, HOti eMOI KAMpsei [2578]pan GOnu [1119],

I live, says theLord, that to me every knee shall bow,

kai PAsa GLOSsa [1100]e-xo-mo-loGEse-tai [1843]to TheO.

And every tongue shall confess to :God.

n. 14:12 CONCLUSION: WE ARE ULTIMATELYRESPONSIBLE TO GOD ALONE

Ara oun HEkas-tos heMON peRI he-auTOU LOgon DOsei to TheO.

So then each of us shall give account of himself to :God.

2. 14:13-23 HIGHER LAW OF THE KINGDOM: EAT AND DRINK IN LOVE

a. 14:13 OUR JUDGMENT: TO PREVENT THE STUMBLING OF A BROTHER

MeKEti oun alLElous KRIno-men:

Let us therefore judge one another no more:

alLA TOUto KRIna-te MALlon, to metiTHEnai

but judge this rather, that no stumblingblock

PROSkom-ma [4348]to a-delPHO, e SKANda-lon [4625].

be put in the brother's way, or an occasion of falling.

b. 14:14 ALL MEAT IS ACCEPTABLE, UNLESS CONSCIENCE FORBIDS

OIda, kai PEpeis-mai [3982]en KuRIo 'I-eSOU,

I know, and am persuaded in theLord Jesus,

HOti ouDEN koiNON [2839]di he-auTOU: ei meto

that nothing is common of itself: save that to him

lo-gi-zoMEno[3049]ti koiNON EInai, eKEInokoiNON.

who accounts anything common, to him it is common.

c. 14:15a AN EXAMPLE: LIBETY CAN BREAK THE LAW OF LOVE

ei gar diA BROma [1033]ho a-delPHOS sou luPEItai [3076],

For if because of meat your :brother is grieved,

ouKEti kaTA aGApen pe-ri-paTEIS.

you walk not longer in love.

d. 14:15b COMMAND: LET NOT LIBERTY DESTROY CHRIST'S WORK!

meto BROmaTI sou eKEInon aPOLlu-e [622]huPER hou ChrisTOS aPEtha-nen.

Destroy not with your :meat him for whom Christ died.

e. `14:16-17 KINGDOM OF GOD: SUPERCEDES OUR LIBERTY IN MEATS

meblas-pheMEIStho[987]oun huMON to a-gaTHON:

Let not then your :good be evil spoken of:

ou gar es-tin heba-siLEIa [932]tou TheOU BROsis [1035]kai POsis [4213],

17 for the kingdom of :God is not eating and drinking,

alLA di-kai-oSUne[1343]kai eiREne[1515]kai chaRA [5479]en PNEUma-ti HaGIo.

but righteousness and peace and joy in theHoly Spirit.

f. 14:18 GOD AND MAN: PRAISES HIM WHO WALKS IN LOVE

ho gar en TOUtodouLEUon [1398]to ChrisTOeuAres-tos [2101]to TheO,

For who herein serves Christ is well-pleasing to :God,

kai DOki-mos [1384]tois anTHROpois.

and approved of :men.

g. 14:19 OUR GOD: PEACE AND EDIFICATION

Ara oun ta tes eiREnes diOko-men [1377],

So then let us follow after thingsof :peace,

kai ta tes oi-ko-doMES [3619]tes eis alLElous.

and the thingsfor building up one another.

h. 14:20a GOD'S WORK: CAN BE THWARTED BY INSISTENCE ON LIBERTY

meEne-ken BROma-tos [1033]kaTAlu-e to ERgon tou TheOU.

Overthrow not for meat's sake the work of :God.

i. 14:20b WEAK CONSCIENCE: CAN MAKE THE CLEAN OFFENSIVE

PANta men ka-thaRA [2513];

All thingsindeed are clean;

alLA kaKON to anTHROpoto diA prosKOMma-tos [4348]esTHIon-ti [2068].

but evil for the man who eats with offence.

j. 14:21 WELFARE OF A WEAK BROTHER: ABOVE ALL OUR LIBERTY

kaLON to me phaGEIN KREa, meDE pein OInon [3631],

It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine,

meDE en hoho a-delPHOS sou prosKOPtei [4350].

nor to do anythingwhereby your :brother stumbles.

k. 14:22a. A FAITH OF LIBERTY: TO BE PRIVATELY HELD

su PIStin hen Echeis kaTA se-auTON Eche eNOpi-on tou TheOU.

What :faith YOU have have to yourself before :God.

l. 14:22b A BLESSING: HARMONY IN FAITH AND PRACTICE

maKAri-os ho meKRInon he-auTON en hodo-kiMAzei [1381].

Blessed he that judges not himself in what he approves.

m. 14:23 SIN: TO EAT WHEN CONSCIENCE CONDEMNS

ho de di-a-kriNOme-nos [1252]eAN PHAge[5315]ka-taKEkri-tai [2632],

But who doubts is condemned if he eat,

HOti ouk ek PISte-os;

because he eatsnot of faith;

pan de ho ouk ek PISte-os ha-marTIa esTIN.

and whatever is not of faith is sin.

3. 15:1-6 JESUS' EXAMPLE: PLEASING THE WEAK ABOVE SELF

a. 15:1 THE RULE: SET WELFARE OF THE WEAK ABOVE SELF-PLEASURE

O-PHEIla-men [3784]de heMEIS hoi du-naTOI ta as-theNEma-ta [771]ton a-duNAton basTAzein [941],

Now we the strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,

kai mehe-auTOIS aRESkein [700].

and not to please ourselves.

b. 15:2 THE RULE: SEEK FOR THE EDIFICATION OF THE NEIGHBOR

HEkas-tos heMON topleSIon [4139]a-reSKEtoeis to a-gaTHON,

Let each of us please his:neighbor for what is good,

pros oi-ko-doMEN [3619].

unto building up.

c. 15:3 CHRIST'S EXAMPLE: PLEASED FATHER RATHER THAN SELF

kai gar ho ChrisTOS ouch he-auTOEre-sen [700]; alLA, kaTHOS GEgrap-tai,

For the Christ also pleased not himself; but, as itis written,

Hoi o-nei-disMOI [3679]ton o-nei-diZONton se ePEpe-san ep' eME.

The reproaches of those reproaching you fell upon me.

d. 15:4 SCRIPTURES: TEACH HOPE IN FOLLOWING GOOD EXAMPLES

HOsa gar pro-eGRAphe[4270]PANta eis ten he-meTEran

For whatever things were written afore were all written

di-das-kaLIan [1319]eGRAphe, HIna diA tes hu-po-moNES [5281]

for our :learning, that through :patience

kai diA tes pa-raKLEse-os [3874]ton graPHON ten elPIda [1680]Echo-men.

and through :comfort of the scriptures we might have:hope.

e. 15:5-6 GOD: HELPS US TO BE TRUE BRETHREN ONE TO ANOTHER

ho de TheOS tes hu-po-moNES kai tes pa-raKLEse-os

Now the God of :patience and of :comfort

DO-ehuMIN to auTO phroNEIN [5426]en alLElois

grant you to be of the same mind one with another

kaTA ChrisTON 'I-eSOUN:

according to Christ Jesus:

HIna ho-mo-thu-maDON [3661]en heNI STOma-ti [4750]

6that with one accord you may with one mouth

doXAzete [1392]ton TheON kai paTEra tou KuRIou heMON 'I-eSOUChrisTOU.

glorify the God and Father of our :Lord Jesus Christ.

NOTE: Romans 14:4a,“Who are you that judges another's servant? to his :own lord he stands or falls.” In 1947 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan a fellow Christian student had this verse quickened to him by God. It made an indelible impression upon me as he shared it with a few of us. He was a member of a male quartet with the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) of the University of Saskatchewan. The quartet traveled the Province that year in meetings in churches of a number of key cities, and asked me along as their speaker. It was flood time, and when they were forced to roll up their pants and in bare feet push our car, I had the privilege of steering it as the smallest of the 5.

The verse quickened to him is perhaps a key verse to this passage. The male quartet looked forward to the day when I produced Panin's Interlinear Greek New Testament. Well, here it is in process - a few years later - but important for these last days.

Romans 14:23 also made an impression on me many years ago: “But who doubts is condemned if he eat, because he eats not of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.”It was this last clause that arrested me. Does God truly want our actions to spring from faith? Absolutely. I regularly ask Him for grace to walk in this truth. - Jim Watt