How Weak and Strong Are Made One: Notes

Discussion Guide

ONE gospel
Romans 14:1 – 15:13
How Weak and Strong Are Made One

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Rom 14:19).

OPEN
After declaring his commitment to the gospel, explaining that Christ’s death was for Jews and Gentiles
alike, and affirming that true righteousness comes from following the path marked by the Spirit, Paul
addresses the problem of unity in Christ. Indeed, it would be critical for the spread of the gospel for the
church in the empire’s chief city to model the unity of Jew and Gentile in mutual love. Then as now, a
force great enough to produce unity in a world of brokenness and division would have to be from God.

NEXT
Paul’s concern about “weak” and “strong” faith here is not about degrees of faith in Jesus as Savior and
Lord. It has to do with one’s degree of conviction about personal conduct. Must Christians eat “only
vegetables”? (14:1). Should Christ’s servants participate in festivals to which others attach spiritual
significance – whether pagan or Jewish? (14:5a). Should Christians “drink wine”? (14:21). Are you
shocked to find that the earliest Christians had disputes and fault lines in their churches over such issues?

Those at Rome who were “weak” had consciences that were offended and became upset that some in
their number would eat meat from the marketplace that had been used as a sacrifice to a pagan deity.
Thus, they insisted that all believers should be vegetarians. Cf. 1 Cor 8:7. Do you agree with them? Do
you understand how they would have argued for this doctrinal view about avoiding the trappings of
idolatry? What would have been the possible air of superiority adopted by the “strong”?

What was the doctrinal issue about “sacred days”? If Gentiles have been grafted into Israel and made
partakers of the covenant promise, why should they not be expected to keep the Sabbath? Especially
since its sacredness is rooted in the Bible story of creation? (Ex 20:11,31:16-17).

Since Torah prohibits only drunkenness and not the use of wine, the reservation of the weak about wine
likely traces to either the exuberant use of it in pagan offerings or the unclean methods by which
Gentiles processed wine (cf. Dan 1:8,12,16) – possibly both. Was it wrong for Jewish believers to abstain
from wine? How did they “cross the line” by demanding that Gentile believers do the same?

Did Paul declare one side of this controversy “right” and the other “wrong” in their views? What was his
apostolic judgment on these matters? Cf. 14:5b,22-23.

How are the three issues dealt with in such detail in these two chapters different from the long list of
forbidden behaviors at 1:26-32? Might someone argue they are the same? How might you reply?

With all “disputable matters” (14:1) or topics where Scripture gives no specific prohibition or command,
there is a guiding principle that is to inform Christian practice. Look into that principle in both its
negative and positive forms. Cf. 14:15,19; 15:7,13.

CLOSING
It is not unusual for Paul to write prayers into the body of his letters. His second prayers in Romans is
found at 15:5-6. Is this a prayer for uniformity of thought? Or is it a prayer for unity of purpose among
Christians? Close by praying for the same thing among believers of our own time and place.