Strong and weak in faith

“But take heed to the weak in faith, but not for the judgment of inference.”
Rom 14:1

Taking care of the weak sounds very noble. People like to see themselves on the side of the strong. But who is strong or weak here? Who are the strong, who are the weak? The apostle has not explained this so far. An addition, however, makes one sit up and take notice: “but not for the evaluation of conclusions”. One can perhaps recognize the strong and the weak, but to judge them would not be a goal. He explains what this is all about in the next verses.

“One thinks he may eat everything, but the weak eats only vegetables.He who eats everything, do not spurn him who does not eat everything; and he who does not eat something, do not judge him who eats it.”
Rom 14:2-3

Paul mentions an example from everyday life to further explain the first sentence. Strong and weak are now placed in a context where “simple foods” are involved. Am I allowed to do something or am I not allowed to do something? Can I eat, or do I have to leave something to the left? Or, to put it another way, am I doing God a favor by not eating this or that? Does this make me obedient and “better”? Am I supposed to leave pork out of a religious obligation? Or do I better live vegan if I want to be a good Christian? Didn’t God command Israel not to eat certain animals? Or am I honoring God because I get to eat from everything? Does this perhaps best show the freedom I have received in Christ?

Paul calls “weak” the one who abstains from certain foods in order thereby to fulfill some kind of religious duty. However, we should not judge hastily. For immediately after this it is said that one should not scorn the other who does not eat, nor judge the one who does eat. So Paul’s attitude toward one another is what matters. Whether you eat something or not, whether you are strong or weak – all this has no real relevance. Paul is not concerned with the example, but he wants to state: We should not make inferences about the behavior of others, nor judge the other. We have more important things to do.

More examples follow.

More examples

“The one esteems one day above another day, but the other esteems every day alike; let each be fully assured in his own mind.He that keepeth anything for the day keepeth it for the Lord; and he that eateth anything eateth for the Lord, for he giveth thanks unto God thereby.He that eateth not any thing eateth it not for the Lord, for he giveth thanks unto God thereby.”
Rom 14:5-6

Within the worldwide Church of Christ, there are countless opinions and interpretations. One sees it this way, the other sees it differently. One person keeps a day of the week, perhaps the Sabbath or Sunday, while another does not. Paul records that everyone does this “for the Lord.” So whoever does something, and does it out of his own conviction for the Lord, should be fully sure for himself. The religious expression of my and your life should be your own responsibility. But we should not draw conclusions about others from our understanding or even condemn them. It is not fitting for us to judge other people’s lives.

We are not alone in the world, nor do we own the truth. The brother or sister in faith does something for the Lord, as do I myself. Everyone should be fully sure and grateful for himself. This means, of course, that one does not force one’s own knowledge on the other, nor does one hold the other in low esteem because he does this or that differently. In terms of knowledge, then, it is “every man for himself” so that we can live by grace and “all for all” in togetherness.

We are of the Lord

“For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.For though we live, we live to the Lord; though we die, we die to the Lord. Consequently, whether we also live or whether we also die, we are the Lord’s.For to this end Christ died and lives, that He might be Lord of the dead as well as of the living.”
Rom 14:7-9

Wherever we stand – whether we live or die – our lives are linked to Christ. This is the core for Paul. Christ is central, we belong to Him and He is therefore our Lord. We should state this soberly and modestly: If we believe this ourselves, it is also true for our brothers and sisters in faith and fellow Christians. They, too, understand their lives as linked to Christ. In this we are all equal. We are simply one thing in every situation: we are the Lord’s. He died for this purpose and lives again so that He can actually be responsible for all.

For Paul, a leveling of all external differences is hereby achieved. However different our knowledge may be, our vocation is the same. We all belong to the Lord. Keeping that in mind helps us focus on what’s important.

The Judge Stage of God

“But you, what are you judging your brother? Or even you, why do you spurn your brother? Yet shall we all be presented before the judgment seat (gr. bema) of God; for it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, Before Me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall render homage unto God.”
Rom 14:10-11 (see also Isa 45:23)

In view of God’s work in the future, there is no reason today to judge a brother or spurn him. We will all be judged by God once, so that everyone will receive his prize from Him. The judges’ stage is a judgment of our race, our life. In it, everyone is on his own, and the assessment of this race will follow in the future. God judges. We should not judge or vilify the other runners. Everything will be judged correctly by Him one day. We are not invited to judge others (Rom 14:1).

“Accordingly, each of us will give an account for himself to God. Consequently, let us no longer judge one another, but rather be careful not to give offense or snare to the brother.”
Rom 14:12-13

So we should not judge. Everyone will give account for himself. But what should we do for our fellow believers?

Two things Paul writes for the community:

• we should not give any impetus
• we should not give a pitfall

Read on to this passage a few verses:

“Accordingly, we now pursue the things of peace and those of edification among ourselves. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food! Although everything is pure, it is bad for the person who eats with impetus. Noble is not to eat flesh, nor drink wine, nor do anything else that your brother stumbles or is weak in.”
Rom 14:19-21

Nothing is impure in itself

“I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is mean in itself except to him who judges something to be mean; to him it is mean (unclean, reprehensible).”
Rom 14:14

Whether something is religiously “unclean” (wine, pork, etc.) may be directly stated in the Bible, but two things should be interjected here: To whom are the instructions meant in context, and is there any development from this point in history? Paul the Jew clarifies: Nothing is unclean or reprehensible in itself, but only if someone classifies it as such. It does not matter if you quote rules for Israel, because nothing is unclean today. This statement is quite clear.

For Paul, keeping rules is not a sign of obedience, but rather an expression of religious complacency (see Col 2:20-23). Accordingly, we should not look to ourselves, nor to our neighbor, but to God. Paul wants healthy life direction and true spirituality as he proclaims in the gospel of grace.

Now the passage Rom 14:14-23 explains this attitude. Read and discuss!

He who is not free himself

“Have the faith you have for yourself in the face of God! Blessed is he who does not need to judge himself in what he considers approved. But he who has misgivings when he eats is condemned because he does not act from faith; but everything that is not from faith is sin.”
Rom 14:22-23

He who doubts whether he may or may not do something is not free. He condemns himself because he does not trust in God. The important thing is not whether you do one or the other, but only that you thank Him. Expression of faith, trust is the direction we can take. Everything that does not happen in this way is missing the mark (that is, “sin”). Everyone should be fully sure of himself, without judging the other – or even himself.

Weak, according to this chapter in Romans, are those who put expectations on themselves or others, make rules, and do not keep Christ who is above all. Religious zeal expresses itself in rules, the attempt to establish a “God state”, no matter whether this would be Christian, Jewish, Islamic or radically political. The mechanisms behind this are the same everywhere. The weak are the unstable, the unfree, the insecure. They are to be led out into the freedom of Christ by strengthening the heart in God’s grace, and cultivating sound reason. Sobriety is a good starting point for healthy faith (see also 2Tim 1:7).

Strong, according to Paul, are the sober believers who recognize the basis of fellowship in the common calling and not in religious duties. The connection between believers is given by God, who meets us with grace in Christ. Strong, these are the people who do not judge, condemn and conclude about others. Their hearts became wide and they understand how to practically live out God’s love instead of imposing demands on others. Strong people do not reason about other people’s behavior, but command everyone into God’s care.

Is everything “allowed” now?

One could now make the short-circuit that everything is allowed? That is not what Paul is saying here. We will always encounter people who are addicted to magical thinking, who value rituals more highly than simple trust in God, who appear pious and spiritual, but who also try to impose their way of life on other people. There are quite a few people who have a religious urge for recognition. If this happens in a community, for example, tangible problems arise. Several times I have experienced how pious people try to gain the upper hand. They seduce others into adopting exactly their own interpretation of the faith. If this happens, it requires clear words and an unmistakable focus on God’s grace alone. Sobriety must then be preached and, where necessary, clarifying and corrective action taken.

What can you think of? Here’s what I’ve seen time and time again:

• Pious seductions, for example, by trying to influence the style of dress, enforcing rules of behavior, and putting oneself on the spot in the process (think, for example, of manipulation, narcissism, and group dynamics as possible very human manifestations).
• This or that person thinks that it is God’s will to start a prayer circle without fail, in which leaders of the church must then be present. This is nothing more than a pious revolt and an attempted coup.
• Charismatic brothers and sisters often see the salvation of the church in the spreading of certain “spiritual gifts”. I have never seen anything good come out of it, but rather more chaos, Sturm und Drang and a false “clergy”. Especially when it comes to enforcing prophecy and divination (another power grab). Speaking in tongues is not seldom considered as a special proof of spirituality. This is a pious seduction.
• If someone becomes somewhat clear in their understanding, it can easily become special doctrines and hobby horses in the discussion. They don’t help anyone. Paul describes very clearly that if we are true in love, we are simply leading all things to Christ (Eph. 4:14-16). Those who do not, but rather insist on special findings, had better keep quiet.
• Countless people are influenced by “spiritual” feelings, masters and opinions, as well as magical thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone in the community saw it the way she does? One thinks for instance of: Healing stones, homeopathy, spagyric, Bach flowers, energy fields and countless other things. All humbug and demonstrably not effective. Nevertheless, people love it. They are tools that are believed. It is about a substitute belief and at best a placebo effect. Weak in faith seek out such things. He who founds the heart in grace does not need it, but courageously seeks actual help. However, those who want to continue to maintain these things should feel free to do so, even if it doesn’t do any good. Everyone lives his or her personal faith before God. It only becomes problematic when others are seduced with it as if it were “the pure truth”.
• Any form of self-righteousness, orthodoxy, know-it-all attitude will get you nowhere. Mostly these people have no understanding of the Bible and do not know what they are saying, nor what they want to bring about. In my experience, they are mostly projections of their own insecurities.

Mentioning such things is not harsh, but sober. In a community, it is the job of a community leader to mention these things in a clarifying way when needed, without inference or condemnation. The only goal would be to build up in the community. This should include practical questions: What can you stick to? What leads on? Everyone should respect the faith space of the other person, but know clearly for himself in which direction the real journey leads. The strong are allowed to carry the weak and occasionally have to put up with them. But they may also look to Christ, from whom all our calling comes.

Accepting each other in faith is the goal. It is not important or appropriate to pit “strong” against “weak.”