Romans: Theology for Everybody (12-16)ናሙና

When a child is adopted into a family, they not only need to learn to relate to their parents but also their new siblings. The same is true in God’s family called the Church. To be a Christian is to have a wide variety of brothers and sisters, not only in your church, but in other churches, who often disagree on various matters. The question of what to do about these disagreements, and how to relationally navigate possible division, is one of the most practical skills a Christian can learn.

For starters, there are primary issues that are closed-handed, and secondary issues that are open-handed. Paul says this very thing, noting that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures is of “first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

Think of primary, closed-handed issues like the national borders that divide different countries. Once you cross over these beliefs, you are into another religion. Examples would include believing that the Bible is God’s Word and our highest authority; there is one God in three persons, referred to as the Trinity for shorthand; and that Jesus is fully God and fully human, lived without sin, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead to forgive sin and conquer death, and is coming again to sentence those who do not turn from sin and trust in Him to Hell and deliver those who do to Heaven.

Think of secondary, open-handed issues like state borders where you can be on either side of the line and still a citizen of the same nation. Examples would include which Bible translation you prefer, what style of worship music your church uses, how old you think the earth is, what you believe about supernatural spiritual gifts (e.g. speaking in tongues, healing, or prophecy), whether or not you drink alcohol, whether you baptize by sprinkling or immersion, how you choose to educate your children, what day of the week you gather with your church, and what denomination or tradition of Christian church you attend.

What Paul is talking about in Romans 14:1-12 are secondary open-handed issues between Christians. His examples include dietary choices, what day someone worships in church, and other “opinions” that are prone to cause unnecessary and unhelpful “quarrels” and “judgment” that cause brothers and sisters in Christ to even “despise” one another unnecessarily. What helps God’s people live together in unity is being devoted to the primary, closed-handed issues, and equally devoted to grace, love, and mercy on the secondary open-handed issues and discussing these with respect and liberty.

The main reason Paul says we should not be judging one another on secondary issues is because Jesus is the Judge of us all, and if He is not going to judge someone for something, then we certainly should not judge them either. This kind of thing happens all the time when our Christian preferences become our Christian prejudices. Perhaps God used something powerful in your life (e.g. a worship song, a camp experience, book, sermon, Bible study, prayer meeting etc.) and you want everyone to have the same blessing you did but your good intent turns to legalism when you demand that everyone do things your way and judge and criticize those who do not.

For Christians within a church, and between churches, our unity is around Jesus Christ. He is the vine, and we are the branches. None of our churches or ministries is the vine. So long as Jesus, and not us or our group, is our priority then we will have unity, which must be preserved by agreeing on what goes in the open and closed hand as our secondary and primary convictions.

Questions: 

When you have a decision to make about a Christian liberty, Paul has already outlined some helpful principles to guide your decision-making, so take a few moments and look up these Scriptures that lead up to this section of Romans 14:1-12:

1. Does this bring glory to God? (Rom. 11:36)

2. Is this driven by a renewed mind & transformed worldview? (Rom. 12:1-3)

3. Is this a demonstration of Christian love? (Rom. 12:9-21)

4. Does this break the law? (Rom. 13:1-8)

5. Does this further love for God and other people? (Rom. 13:8-14)