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The struggle to establish Christianity in the first century was a difficult challenge! Likely the easiest of the difficult challenges was God's part. In no way is the last statement intended to indicate that Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection were not demanding and costly. However, that was a definite known. It resulted from thousands of years of planning on God's part!
Human beings are horribly unpredictable! We often refuse to surrender to what is truly best for us! We especially refuse to surrender to what is best for us if it fails to meet our expectations. We commonly have specific expectations regarding God's actions. When we hear from God matters that do not meet our expectations, we are tempted to confront or deny rather than listen and learn.
In the first century [and long before] the Jewish nation was very small (consider Deuteronomy 7:6-8). They viewed themselves in a way we American Christians should understand: "If we place our faith in God, God is thrilled! We are all God wants!" Early Jewish Christians simply could not understand how God could be interested in people who were not Jews! If you never considered that attitude, pay careful attention to Acts 11:1-3; 15:1-5; and 21:17-26. Jewish Christians [and devout Jews in general] did not deny or reject the reality of God's grace. However, they could not imagine accessing divine grace by a means that did not go through their nation and obedience to the law. Not even God would produce an avenue to divine grace that did not primarily involve the Jewish people! [Consider Romans 6:1.] Jewish Christians declared Jesus Christ was wonderful, but he was no substitute for Jewish proselytism!
The body of Paul's letter to the Romans falls naturally and obviously into two parts: chapters 1-11 and chapters 12-15. Chapters 1:16-11:36 dealt basically with how God saves people. Chapters 12:1-15:33 discussed how Christians in Rome's environment [at the time Paul wrote] would act if they lived in Jesus Christ.
People who were devout Jews and people who were not Jewish lived quite differently. Consider examples. Devout Jews believed in one God (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 6:4). Gentiles [any people who were not Jewish] commonly believed in many gods represented by idols. Devout Jews worked six days a week, but did no work on the Sabbath [Saturday] (Exodus 20:8-11). To gentiles, each day demanded work if people were to survive. Devout Jewish people followed a strict dietary code for religious reasons. There were numerous things a devout Jew would not eat! [Read Leviticus 11.] Gentiles were not as discriminating in their diets. Jews ate no pork; gentiles did. Jews ate no camel meat; gentiles would. To make the food subject even more complex, Paul said all food was sanctified to the Christian if he gave thanks to God (1 Timothy 4:1-5). Thus Jewish Christians were busy teaching gentile Christians how to do things the Jewish way ["our way is right because it is the proper way (or only) way].
The background of the letter is understood to be as follows. The Emperor Claudius banned all Jews from Rome (Acts 18:1,2) because of riots they caused in Rome concerning "Chrestus" [thought by many to be Jesus Christ]. When Jewish Christians left Rome, the church [Christian community in Rome] did things in agreement with Jewish ways and traditions. When Claudius died, the ban automatically ended, and Jewish Christians returned expecting to find Jewish ways and traditions honored in the Christian community. However, matters changed in their absence. The Christian community survived well under gentile Christian leadership. The end result: a significant confrontation among Christians about the way the Christian community did things--the Jewish way or the gentile way?
In Paul's instructions are the admonitions of Romans 14. Note several things. First, the purpose of conversion to Christ WAS NOT to pass judgment on the weak. Instead Christians had a responsibility to accept the weak. Interestingly, the weak in this statement are Jewish Christians (which likely made them unhappy--no one wants to be considered weak), not gentile Christians. At this moment in the history of the Christian community in Rome, the gentiles rather than the Jews dominated that community.
Second, practices often were contradictory. One Christian was a vegetarian. He [or she] could not know if the meat sold in meat market came from an idol's temple and its sacrificial worship. So he [or she] thought it was best to be safe and eat no meat! Another Christian ate anything the meat market sold. However Paul's directions are clear! The Christian who ate all meat was not to hold in contempt the Christian who was a vegetarian [likely a gentile Christian was not to hold a Jewish Christian in contempt]. Nor was the vegetarian Christian to judge the Christian who ate all kinds of meat [likely a Jewish Christian judging a gentile Christian]. Both were God's servants! Neither was the other's property! God owned both! God could and did accept both!
Since they as Christians practiced opposite expressions of their faith in the Lord, how could God own both? MOTIVES! Read carefully 14:5, 6. Both the one who ate all meat without asking its source and the one who abstained from eating meat sacrificed to idols acted for the same reason--to express their faith in God!
Third, consider Paul's second example in their current circumstances--their recognition of special days as religious days. Some recognized religious days and some did not. The principle was this: make certain you are convinced of what you do, and be sure your conviction it is an act of a conscience that honors God.
Fourth, in matters of "religious views" of diet and observing holy days (Sabbaths, Passover, Pentecost, etc.???), remember each Christian honored God in what he or she did. Even though the acts were opposite, those doing the acts or abstaining from the acts were, to that Christian, appropriately honoring the Lord.
Fifth, consider Paul's instructions. (1) Remember to accept, not judge, Christians. (2) Remember every Christian belongs to and serves God, not you. (3) Therefore, remember you are God's servant, not God's evaluator of other Christians. (4) God has the power to make both stand, and will. (5) The same motive motivates both of you.
The supreme principle: as a Christian, you exist to show faith in God; you do not exist to please yourself. Christians do not exist to evaluate God's practices--we exist to honor God whether physically alive or dead. Christ died to be Lord of your life! You died in baptism to be in Christ and belong to God! Let Jesus be Lord! Let God be God! You do not allow that to occur in your life IF you judge Christians or hold Christians in contempt. Christians will explain themselves to God! Realize that fact as you responsibly demonstrate your faith.
For Thought and Discussion:
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 13
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