Romans 14:13-14 - Clean and Unclean

Romans 14:13-14 - ¹³ Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. ¹⁴ I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.

Message: Clean and Unclean; understand our fellow Christian

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

It seems that there are 2 main ideas in chapter 14. I need to be careful to be sensitive to those that have different interpretations or convictions on matters not explicitly mentioned in the scripture. And I need to not judge others or belittle them for their opinions. The reason I act this way is found in the "Therefore" that begins this passage. God is sovereign over all. The Lord receives every Christian, whether they are weak or strong. From John MacArthur, "The weak are not to judge the strong because they think they are abusing their freedom, nor are the strong to condemn the weak for their lack of faith and small‑ mindedness."

The clean and unclean issue is said to be about eating meat as some believers thought it wrong to eat meat altogether because they could not be sure that it was free from any association with pagan sacrifices. But strong Christians ate meat because they understood that meat in itself is not unclean. Paul believes that kosher laws were but temporary measures instituted to point Israel to the Messiah (Mark 7:14-22). 

One thing of note here is that it is important to understand what the weaker Christian or person does believe so as to understand their perspective. It is important to help people understand these truths, while at the same time not making people feel like their differences make them a lessor of a Christian.  

Any longer
It is interesting that Paul knows that this judging is going on, but he calls these people to not do it any longer. "Let us no longer have the habit of criticizing one another." I don't know all people's circumstances or motives, so I should not abruptly criticize them. 

Stumbling block
When I criticize a brother I make them feel less of a person and in so doing I put a stumbling block into their life or a hindrance. 

Unclean
In Christ Jesus there is nothing in this world that is ceremonially unclean. This is not to say there is nothing in life that is unclean, like pornography, drunkenness, obesity, filthy joke, blasphemy -- but he is saying that everything is the world can be consecrated to God in Christ Jesus. He makes all things new. Paul, having been a Pharisee, had no doubt been extremely careful about what he ate or did not eat. But, the Lord declared to Peter in Acts 10:15, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." So, the strong Christian has liberty to enjoy those things the Lord does not command as sinful. Again, this doesn't mean that we can or should eat anything, but that food does not make us unclean.  

Thinks it is unclean
However, in contrast, if a person has a conviction that someone is wrong to them, then that person should by all means stay clear of it. There may not be anything wrong with going into a bar, but for people that struggle with alcohol or getting drunk, then they may feel like going to the bar puts them in a very bad situation. So, while nothing is unclean, if someone believes that something is unclean, then they should abstain from it and hold onto their conviction.


Promise: Convictions are important to oneself, but that doesn't mean we thrust our convictions at others nor do we state the convictions of others is wrong.