 |  |
He calls light darkness, and darkness light. When, however, man believes the Word of
God, the entrance of that Word gives light to the simple. The mind is renewed, and this
renewed mind functions as God intended. Faith is discovered to be most reasonable, the
purpose of the ages most rational, and the plan of salvation demonstrates that God is not
only "righteous" but "right". While, therefore, the Apostle warns the Church at Rome
against "doubtful disputations", it is quite untrue to suggest that reason and faith can ever
conflict.
As we have mentioned the series entitled, "With all thy getting, get understanding",
we would draw the reader's attention to the fact that these articles were not prepared so
that the reader should be able to sit in judgment upon the Word of God, but rather that he
should be able to judge the writings of men. In any case, we trust that all readers of
The Berean Expositor will "search and see" before accepting anything that is written in
its pages.
#78.
Romans 14: 1 - 15: 7.
"Meats" and "Days".
The "strong" and the "weak".
pp. 188 - 192
One of the most conclusive evidences that a change of dispensation took place at
Acts 28:, is the complete change in the character of the "cases of conscience" that
come up for consideration in the epistles of the Mystery. The problems of Rom. 14: are
pre-eminently Jewish, and are practically unknown in the Church to-day. The eating of
meats and the observance of days are regarded as things to be repudiated in Col. 2:, but
already a new point of view is evident.
There are two words translated "to eat", that occur with great frequency in the N.T.--
esthio and phago. While both these words are found many times in the Gospels and the
earlier Epistles of Paul, there is not a single occurrence of either of them in the prison
epistles. The N.T. occurrences are too many to give in full, as esthio occurs 64 times, and
phago 97 times. Phago does not differ from esthio in any essential, and is actually used
to form some of its tenses. It is as fanciful to attempt to draw any distinction between
them, as it would be to make some essential difference between "go" and "went".
Esthio.
"Why eateth your Master with sinners?" (Matt. 9: 11).
"Another, who is weak, eateth herbs" (Rom. 14: 2).
"Whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake" (I Cor. 10: 27).