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Romans 14:1-4
The Apostle Paul addresses situations in the Church at Rome of which disputes arose over petty things. The Jews had strict eating rules to follow as pertaining to the commandments given by God to Moses concerning acceptable meats that were or were not allowed to be eaten. The Gentiles did not live by these same regulations. As Jews and Gentiles both made up the Church at Rome, it appears that quarreling broke out over their eating habits. Paul is addressing a similar situation to that of which Jesus taught in Matthew 15. Jesus taught in Matthew 15:16-20 (HCSB), “‘Are even you still lacking in understanding?’ He asked. ‘Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.’”
This is a promise that salvation in Christ Jesus is not a result of what we eat or the clothes we wear, but a gift from God because He loves us so much and desires to reconcile us back to Him – in Christ.
In the body of the Church, God has provided a place for Christians to gather together in support of one another so that we would grow together in our relationships with Him. To have quarreling amongst one another in the Church is the work of the devil as he strives to break up the Church and bring doubt into our hearts. We all have somewhat different thoughts and ideas of who God is and of our relationship with Jesus, but God tells us in His word that no one will understand everything in the Bible as complete understanding is only for the perfect One Himself, and if we were to understand all of God’s ways, we would have no further need of Him; we would know it all. But we don’t, and we won’t – because we are inferior to God and His ways. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV), “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 11:33-36 as he gives praise to God and quotes Isaiah 40:13, Jeremiah 23:18, and Job 41:11, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of he LORD? Or who has become His counselor?’ ‘Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?’ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”
Dear LORD,
We may or may not quarrel about what we eat with our fellow Christians in the Church today, but we do continue to have quarreling about petty things that discontinues our relationships within the Church and is against Your will for us in building each other up in our faith in Christ Jesus. Please bring these things to our attention so that we may remedy them and truly be to the praise of Your glory – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.