here is 2nd half of guziks commentary as well as link to both above commentaries that are free online:
a.
But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? Probably, the use of both
judge and
show contempt is meant to have application to both the “strict” and the “free” individuals. In either case, the attitude is wrong because
we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
i. The
strict Christian found it easy to
judge his brother, writing him off as an unspiritual meat-eater-compromiser. The
free Christian found it easy to
show contempt against his brother, regarding him as a uptight-legalistic-goody-good. Essentially, Paul’s answer is “Stop worrying about your brother. You have enough to answer for before Jesus.”
ii.
The judgment seat of Christ: “This is the
bema seat, equivalent to the judge’s seat in the Olympic Games. After each game, the winners came before the judge’s seat to receive crowns for first, second, and third places. Likewise, the Christian’s works will be tested by fire, and he’ll be rewarded for those which remain... The judgment seat of Christ is only concerned with a Christian’s rewards and position in the kingdom, not with his salvation.” (Smith)
b.
Every knee shall bow: The quotation from
Isaiah 45:23 emphasizes the fact that all will have to appear before God in humility, and
give account of himself before God. If this is the case, we should let God deal with our brother.
6. (
Rom 14:13) Summary: don’t make it an issue of judging, but don’t use your liberty to stumble another brother.
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in
our brother’s way.
a.
Let us not judge one another: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus helped us to understand what this means – it means judging others according to a standard that we would not want to have applied to ourself.
i. This does not take away the need and the responsibility for admonishment (
Romans 15:14) or rebuke (
2 Timothy 4:2). When we admonish or rebuke, we do it over
clear Scriptural principles, not over
doubtful things. We may offer
advice to others about doubtful things, but should never judge them.
b.
Not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way: We might stumble or cause our brother to fall in two ways. We can discourage or beat them down through our legalism against them, or we can do it by enticing them to sin through an unwise use of our liberty.
B. Don’t stumble each other over doubtful things.
1. (
Rom 14:14-15) Destroying a brother makes a privilege wrong.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that
there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him
it isunclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of
your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
a.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself: Paul knew that there was nothing intrinsically unclean about meat that was not kosher or sacrificed to an idol. Yet there was
nothing that could justify the destruction of a Christian brother over food.
i. Trapp on
I know and am convinced: “Many, on the contrary, are persuaded before they know; and such will not be persuaded to know.”
b.
You are no longer walking in love: The issue now is not my personal liberty; it is
walking in love towards one whom Jesus loves and died for.
c.
Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died: If Jesus was willing to give up His life for the sake of that brother, I can certainly give up my steak dinner.
2. (
Rom 14:16-18) Pursuing the higher call of the Kingdom of God.
Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things
is acceptable to God and approved by men.
a.
Do not let your good be spoken of as evil: Our liberty in Jesus and freedom from the law is
good, but not if we use it to destroy another brother in Christ. If we do that, then it could rightly be
spoken of as evil.
b.
The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking: If we place
food and drink before
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, then we are hopelessly out of touch with God’s priorities and His heart.
c.
Acceptable to God and approved by men: Serving God with a heart for His
righteousness and peace and joy is the kind of service that is
acceptable in His sight, and will be
approved by men.
3. (
Rom 14:19-21) Use your liberty to build each other up, not to tear each other down.
Therefore let us pursue the things
which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed
are pure, but
it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor
do anythingby which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
a.
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food: If eating or drinking something will stumble another brother, then we are not free to eat or drink in that circumstance. Even if we have the personal liberty, we do not have the liberty to stumble, offend, or weaken a brother.
b.
All things indeed are pure: Paul will concede the point that there is nothing impure in the food itself; but he likewise insists that there is nothing pure in causing a brother to stumble.
c.
Nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak: However, we shouldn’t think that Paul would permit this kind of heart to cater to someone’s legalism. Paul speaks about the stumbling of a sincere heart, not catering to the whims of someone’s legalism.
i. For example, when some Christians from a Jewish background were offended that Gentile believers were not circumcised, Paul didn’t cater to their legalistic demands.
4. (
Rom 14:22-23) The concluding principle of faith.
Do you have faith? Have
it to yourself before God. Happy
is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because
he does not
eat from faith; for whatever
isnot from faith is sin.
a.
Do you have faith? If you
have [strong]
faith, and feel liberty to partake of certain things, praise God! But have your strong faith
before God, not before a brother who will stumble.
b.
Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves: Not every Christian knows this happiness. There are things God may challenge us to give up, but we go on approving them in our life – thus we
condemn ourselves. It may not be that the thing itself is clearly good or bad, but it is enough that God speaks to us about the matter.
i. Each of us must ask: “God what is there in my life hindering a closer walk with You? I want to know the happiness that comes from not condemning myself by what I approve in my life.” This takes faith, because we often cling to hindering things because we
think they make us happy. Real happiness is found being closer and closer to Jesus, and by not being condemned by what we approve.
c.
Whatever is not from faith is sin: Paul concludes with another principle by which we can judge “gray areas” – if we can’t do it in faith, then it is sin.
i. This is a wonderful check on our tendency to justify ourselves in the things we permit. If we are troubled by something, it likely isn’t
of faithand likely
is sin for us.
both of the above commentaries found free online here:
no
