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The Estimate of Faith (Rom. 14: 2-5).
G1 | 14: 2-5. MEATS, ETC., AND THE ESTIMATE OF FAITH.
a1 | a | One eats all things.
b | Another eats herbs.
a | One must not despise.
b | The other must not judge.
b1 | FOR GOD HATH RECEIVED HIM.
a2 | a | Who art thou that judgest.
b | Another man's servants?
a | To his own Master he stands or falls.
b | He shall be held up.
b2 | FOR GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE HIM STAND.
a3 | a | One man esteemeth.
b | One day above another.
a | Another man esteemeth.
b | Every day alike.
b3 | LET EACH BE FULLY PERSUADED IN HIS OWN MIND.
The parties in view in this conflict are not "the right" and "the wrong", or "the
orthodox" and "the heretic"; they are "the strong" and "the weak". A believing Jew,
even though justified by faith, found it very difficult to throw off the effects of his
upbringing and early prejudices. Hence, if he were obliged to live in a Gentile city, he
might find it impossible to feel free from pollution in eating ordinary food, and so would
"eat only herbs". Seneca tells us that in his youth he adopted the practice of
vegetarianism, but that his father induced him to give it up, lest he should be suspected of
foreign superstition (probably Judaism). In the Clementine Homilies the eating of meat is
attributed to impure demons and bloodthirsty giants, and Peter is represented as saying
that he made use of bread and olives, and sparingly of certain vegetables.
The Apostle's handling of these very real difficulties is referred to by Farrar in the
following terms:
"He treats the difficulty in the same masterly manner--broad yet sympathetic,
inflexible in convictions yet considerate towards prejudices--which he had already
displayed in dealing with a similar question in his epistle to the Corinthians" (Farrar).
"Inflexible" yet "considerate". What grace is needed for the perfect blend of these
two qualities. Without them, the "strong" will become arrogant, and the "weak"
self-righteous.
What is said in Rom. 14: concerning "meats" is also said concerning "days". In this
connection, the following paragraph from the writings of Dean Alford is interesting,
particularly in view of the fact that, as Dean of Canterbury, he would naturally be obliged
to uphold the observance of Sunday as the Lord's Day.
"One man (the weak) esteems (selects for honour) one day above another day;
another (the strong) esteems every day. Let each be fully satisfied in his own mind. It