Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand. Romans 14:4
It was not always easy to get meat in the city of Rome in New Testament days. Although markets existed where meat could be bought, almost all of the meat was from animals that had been slaughtered as offerings to the false gods that were worshipped by the Romans. Christians faced a dilemma: eat meat that had been offered to idols or become vegetarians. For some of the Christians, it mattered not that the animals had been sacrificed to idols, meat was meat and the idol was just a dead idol, and there was no harm in eating what was available. Others saw the opposite, and refused to contaminate themselves with anything that was offered to an idol. If that was the only meat available, they would go without. Because of these two opposite positions, these two groups of Christians viewed each other with disdain. The meat eaters regarded the others as weak in the faith; the meat refusers regarded the meat eaters as weak against idolatry. Paul reminds both groups that this was not an issue that should divide them.
Paul does not condemn either group. While he agrees with the meat eaters that their food is God’s provision, he also agrees with the meat refusers that they should not violate their consciences by doing that which they believe to be wrong. To both groups, he urges that they not condemn each other. In today’s text, he points out that whatever Christians do, we must answer to God first of all, because we are His servants. Paul likens their criticism of each other to criticizing someone else’s servant. Too many times, disputes among Christians are caused by failing to understand that each Christian who has a conviction – or who does not have a conviction – about a matter does so in the presence of God. Just because one Christian’s conviction is different from another’s is not proof that one must be wrong and the other right. Paul points out that the rightness or wrongness must be judged by the God Who we serve, and not by each other. Although Paul agrees with the meat eaters regarding their conviction that it was OK to eat the meat, he disagrees with their disdain for the vegetarians. And so we must be careful not to disdain those who would hold convictions other than our own. Unless it is an important doctrinal issue, it is not up to us to judge.
Let me give a personal example of what this text is referring to. In my own case, I was raised in a home where my parents held strong convictions against going to movie theatres. They had clear and powerful reasons for those convictions, pointing out that those theatres were places where immorality, profanity, and violence were rampant, and were not only praised but were encouraged. My mother called the theatre the devil’s church. I continue to hold those same convictions, for the same reasons. But I see more and more Christians who visit those places. I disagree with their decision to do so, but I have no right to condemn them for it.
If we see Christians taking part in things that we have a personal conviction against, we should pray for them, not condemn them. -Jim MacIntosh