Romans 14: 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. 5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
ROMANS 14?
Romans 14 in context it is about eating and not eating on days that men esteem over other days.
Romans 14 has nothing to do with God''s 4th commandment. In fact it was Paul's custom like Jesus to keep the Sabbath (see
Luke 4:16 and
Acts of the Apostles 17:2). God's 4th commandment was never in contention.
Very simply to answer claims that Romans 14 is talking about God's 4th commandments is that there is nothing mentioned in the whole chapter of
Romans 14 that refers to God's 4th commandment or the seventh day of the week anywhere for that matter even in all the book of Romans. If Paul was trying to argue that God's 4th commandment is now abolished you would think he would be spending a lot of time here on a subject (not just two supposed verses that do not even mention the Sabbath) that was one of God's 10 commandments. When all of Israel had been keeping that Sabbath for 4000 years since it was given by God.
Very simply a careful reading of
Romans 14 shows that there is only two verses talking about days that men esteem over other days in regards to eating and not eating and judging others in this regard in application to judgements of opinion in context to food and days that men esteem over other days (
Romans 14:1-6).
Keep in mind here reading the chapter you will not see anywhere that the subject matter is talking about eating and not eating on days that God esteems over other days. It does not mention anywhere in the chapter it is talking about God's 10 commandments and neither is there any reference in this chapter that is talking about God's 4th commandment Sabbath. To come up with an interpretation that
Romans 14 is talking about the Sabbath is to read into the scriptures what the scriptures do not say or teach anywhere.
What the scriptures do say and teach simply as we read what is written (not what is not written) we see that
Romans 14:1-5 is talking about days that men esteem over other days in regards to eating and not eating certain types of food and judging others in this regard in application to personal opinions in context to food and days that men esteem over other days. It is not talking about days that God esteems over other days and the scriptures tell us that the things that "men esteem" are an abomination to God in
Luke 16:15.
So there is no application to any day that God esteems over other days. The day that God esteems over other days according to the scriptures is the "seventh day" Sabbath where we see that God set apart the "seventh day" from all the other days of the week as a memorial of creation and "blessed the seventh day" making it a holy day of rest for all mankind (see
Genesis 2:1-3;
Mark 2:27) and commands His people to keep it as a memorial of creation and a celebration of God as the creator of heaven and earth in
Exodus 20:8-11.
The scriptures show that Gods' Sabbath is the day that God esteems over other days. Jesus also stating he is the Lord (creator) of the Sabbath *
Mark 2:28;
Matthew 12;8 and it is His holy day taking ownership of the Sabbath as a day that God esteems over other days as God claims the Sabbath as His holy day in *
Isaiah 56:4;
Isaiah 58:13;
Ezekiel 20:12-24;
Ezekiel 22:8; Ezekiel 22:38;
Exodus 31:13;
Leviticus 19:3)
In fact an interpretation that
Romans 14 is talking about the Sabbath pretty much goes against the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles in the entire new testament scriptures as Jesus and the Apostles and Paul and the disciples all kept the Sabbath and continued keeping the Sabbath well after the death and resurrection of Jesus (
Matthew 12:1-8; 10-12; 24:20;
Mark 3:1-5;
Luke 6:1-10; 13:14-16; 14:1-5;
John 7:22-23; 9:14;
Mark 1:21;
Mark 6:2;
Luke 4:16; 31;
Luke 14:1; 23:56;
John 2:6;
Matthew 16:24;
1 Corinthians 11:1;
Ephesians 5:1-21; Peter 2:20-22; Acts 13:14; 13:27; 13:44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4).
Romans 14 is mistakenly used by some as “proof” that there is no Sabbath law today. The seventh-day Sabbath was established at creation and included in the 10 Commandments and faithfully remembered by Jesus and the apostles and the New Testament Church. Yet many believe the doubtful things Paul talked about somehow included the Sabbath and made it obsolete for Christians today even when nothing in this regards is written anywhere in the whole chapter of
Romans 14.
Romans 14:1 which is the context show that the subject matter here is to do with "doubtful disputations" or “doubtful things”, yet Paul would never refer to the Old Testament as “doubtful.” The Greek word for “doubtful” means “reasoning's” or “opinions” (
Romans 14:1-2). In other words, Paul was addressing matters of personal opinion in this chapter, in regards to food and days that men esteem over other days and judging others in this regard, not matters of law.
What does the passage actually say?
Romans 14:5-6 “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.”
In order to understand any part of the Bible, it is necessary to take what is said in context. The entirety of verse 6 reads: “He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.”
How were the people “observing” a day? There are a few views here. Some believe that it is a reference that was a problem at the time to meat being sold in the market place sacrificed to idols and believers not wanting to eat these meats because they thought they would be offending God. There is evidence of this also happening as a problem for the Corinthian believers in
1 Corinthians 8:1-13 which uses similar language to that used in
Romans 14. Here is a link to an interesting article that may be of interest showing the background to this problem for believers in Paul's day if your interested with further scripture support (
Here linked).
Another view is that
Romans 14:5-6 is in reference to eating and not eating (fasting) on days that men esteem over other days. This has reference back to the gospels where the Jews would have preference over days for fasting on (eating and not eating) *see
Luke 18:10-14. The application here is to days that men esteem over other days for eating and not eating.
SOME POINTS TO CONSIDER IN ROMANS 14:1-23
[1] the days spoken of are associated with eating/drinking, not eating/not drinking.
[2] the matter is over those 'weak' and 'strong' in faith concerning eating/drinking and days to do and not do those things on
[3] the context deals with "One man esteemeth", and not what God esteems (
Isaiah 56:1-8, 58:13;
Psalms 89:34) as permanent and so, and God's word is clear about what men esteem:
Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. The Jews continually argued over which were better days to do this thing or that thing, like fasting, feasting, etc: [
Matthew 9:14;
Mark 2:18;
Luke 5:33, 18:12 KJB]
[4] the words for sabbath is not present in all of
Romans 14, neither in all of Romans
[5] the words of the seventh day is not present in all of
Romans 14, neither in all of Romans
[6] the words for the Lord's day is not present in all of
Romans 14, neither in all of Romans
[7]
Romans 14 is in the context of
Romans 13, which directly cites the latter (2nd) table of the Ten Commandments, for love to neighbour, which is also found in
Leviticus 19:17-18, in the context of sin and the Ten Commandments.
[8]
Romans 15 is the other end, and when combined with
1 Corinthians 8-10, the context is clear that the sabbath of the LORD thy God (
Exodus 20:8-11) is not in view in the least, and is sustained by the rest of Paul in Romans by his statements on the eternal spiritual, holy, just and good Law (
Exodus 20:1-17) of God, which identifies what sin is (
Romans 7:7;
1 John 3:4)
[9] the entire context of
Romans 14 is to do nothing (even if allowed normally, yet not under special circumstances) to cause others to sin:
Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
[10] Paul never contradicts himself, and Paul's writings are scripture (
2 Peter 3:16), and scripture cannot be broken,
John 10:35) and does not teach transgression of God's Law (
Exodus 20:1-17) at any point:
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Romans 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Romans7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I HAD NOT KNOWN SIN, BUT BY THE LAW: FOR I HAD NOT KNOWN LUST, EXCEPT THE LAW HAD SAID, THOU SHALT NOT COVET.
[11] the words for "law", "commandments" are never used in
Romans 14
[12] Paul in numerous places lists and upholds every single one of the Ten Commandments in the NT, including the 4th Commandment (
Genesis 2:1-3;
Exodus 20:8-11) in
Hebrews 3-4, etc.
[13]
Romans 14 is about excluding those things which were "doubful disputations", and not a single one of the Ten Commandments (
Exodus 20:1-17) were ever doubtful or to be disputed in any place in all of scripture (KJB), for the Commandment of God are "sure" (
Psalms 111:7).
[14] the words for "covenant/testament" are never used in
Romans 14
[15] the words for 'first [day] of the week' are never used in
Romans 14, neither in all of Romans
[16] none of the 'Sunday' (first [day] of the week) churches use
Romans 14 to teach that I may ignore the day they gather on, even though that day is not sanctified by God in any way what so ever in scripture (KJB), and is never called "the Lord's day" in scripture, neither is it "the seventh day the sabbath of the LORD thy God".
[17] nobody uses
Romans 14 to teach I can simply stop eating/drinking on every day
[18] anyone who quotes
Romans 14, has in mind 'restrictions', rather than allowances
.................
CONCLUSION: There is nothing about God's 4th commandment anywhere in
Romans 14. The scriptures are talking about food connected to days (eating and not eating (fasting) on days
men esteem over other days. Not what days God esteems and judging others. The things that men esteem are an abomination in God's eyes.
LUKE 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God
There is no mention in all of
ROMANS 14 of God's 4th commandment or any of God's 10 commandments. Many try and read this into the scriptures but it is just not there in all the chapter.
............
So in summary according to the scriptures, Jesus is not the Sabbath as the Sabbath points backwards not forward to things to come and was made before all law and all sin pointing backwards to the finished work of creation. Colossians 2:16-17 is in reference to Paul quoting old testament scriptures in regards to the old covenant shadow laws of meat and drink offerings, the new moons and the ceremonial sabbaths (not God's 4th commandment) in the feast days being shadows of things to come. While Romans 14 is talking about eating and drinking of days that men esteem over other days and has nothing to do with God's 4th commandment.
Hope this helps.