“The Strong and the Weak”

Sunday, September 05, 2021

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. (Romans 14.1-3)

These verses introduce one of the most difficult passages in the entire Bible.  Christians are supposed to get along with each other even when they disagree, but anyone can see we have often failed to do so.  This passage does not give license to contradict God’s instructions, of course.  We should not be more open-minded and less judgmental toward those who insist God approves of their adultery, or theft, or gossip.  Instead, these instructions pertain to standards that aren’t so clear-cut.  These are often called “matters of opinion,” but when we search for this term in the text, we come up empty-handed.  In fact the word, opinion, only appears here at all in a few versions.  The others render the last word of verse 1 as “scruples,” “disputed matters,” “thoughts,” “doubtful disputations,” “what they think is right or wrong,” or yet something else.  Opinions differ even on the meaning of this word, and therefore on the meaning of the passage.  How can we disagree gracefully, when we can’t even agree that’s what the Bible is telling us to do?

It’s at least clear that we ought to have some degree of unity and acceptance, from the instruction in the passage to “welcome” those who are “weak in faith.”  But now we have to figure out what that label means, and the answer isn’t straightforward.  It’s often assumed that “strong” means right, and “weak” means wrong.  But does God expect us to welcome those who are actually wrong?  Wrong in their actions, their beliefs, or both?  If a person professes to be a Christian, but believes that Christ never came in the flesh, should that person be welcomed?  According to 2 John, no!  After identifying such a person as “the deceiver and the antichrist” (v7), John tells us, “do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works” (vv10-11).  He simply has an incorrect opinion, but it’s important enough to warrant avoiding him—in part because the bad idea will lead to bad actions.  Likewise, in Romans 14 the “weak” one isn’t just a Christian who holds an incorrect opinion.

Perhaps we can get some help from the example Paul already gave us of a “weak” brother: the one who “eats only vegetables.”  It’s not wrong to eat a vegetarian diet; but Paul’s instructions make it clear God doesn’t require us to do so.  The weak individual is very restrictive.  Is that the answer—whoever is permissive is strong, and whoever is restrictive is weak?  We need only look at the example of adultery, already mentioned, in order to see that this doesn’t work!  In that case, it’s not at all a question of “strong” or “weak” to the Christian who commits adultery believing God approves.  He’s horribly mistaken, living in sin, and denying Christ by ignoring his commandments.

But we were getting close: in fact, the weak individual is one whose opinions lead him to be more restrictive than God.  This is the answer to the question we were asking, but upon reflection we’ll realize that it didn’t help us very much.  Why?  What’s the problem now?  The weak Christian who eats only vegetables doesn’t do so out of mere personal preference, but because he really believes God expects him to shun meat!  It’s easy for us to brush off disagreements as “matters of opinion,” because we assume that our own opinions are the right ones, and expect everyone else to see it that way, too.  But if they did, we wouldn’t have disputes in the first place.  One side believes it’s a matter of opinion.  The other believes it’s a matter of salvation.  Now what?

There’s not an easy answer.  It has often been lamented: why didn’t Paul just tell us all the answers—lay out God’s expectations in all things, plain as day?  Then we wouldn’t need this chapter!  But another disagreement is always around the corner, and there’s not enough paper or ink in the world to address each one individually.  We won't just disagree from time to time about what we could do, but about what we should do.  The purpose of Romans 14 is to prepare us for this.

We’ve been tossing around the words, strong and weak, for quite a while now, but Paul hasn’t actually used one of them at all in the passage we’ve been considering.  Perhaps that should tell us something!  In fact, Paul leans on our assumption at the beginning of the next chapter, finally saying, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak” (Ro 15.1).  He’s been writing to both the strong and weak this whole time, but aside from the specific examples he’s used to make his point, he allows us to assume throughout that we are the strong, and they are the weak.  We prefer to see ourselves this way, especially when we’re mistakenly reading “strong” as “right,” or “correct.”  Fine, says Paul; then do what the strong person should: welcome the weak, do not despise him, and bear with his failings.  Give up some of your rights for the sake of a brother who’s not sure they are rights at all.  If you’re the strong one, then carry more of the burden, and do it with a good attitude.  After all, that’s how Christ treated us.  He “did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me’” (Ro 15.3).  Let’s imitate him, and “pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (Ro 14.19).

Jeremy Nettles

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