Romans 14:2-3

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Romans 14:2

One man hath faith to eat all things: but he that is weak eateth herbs.Thus, it is plainly a vegetarian scruple that Paul was dealing with; and there is no evidence, as some fancy, that they had become so merely by the efforts to avoid eating meat sacrificed to idols; because, in many private situations, no such problem would have been involved. It goes without question that they were wrong in making such a dietary thing into a religious matter; but they had evidently done so. Paul taught that... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Romans 14:3

Let not him that eateth set at naught him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.What a natural thing it was for the Christian of strong faith to set a low value upon a brother with all those silly scruples! How easy it was for the scrupulous to judge others as "liberal" and condemn them for not accepting the more strict behavior! With some Christians thus tempted to set at naught some of their brethren, and others tempted to judge... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Romans 14:2

Romans 14:2. Eateth herbs— Some of the Jews used to eat no flesh at all, and others looked upon it as a very high pitch of virtue to abstain from it in Gentile countries, and to subsist entirely on vegetables, from an apprehension, that the flesh sold in the shambles might have been offered to idols, or at least have contracted some ceremonial pollution. Possibly some of these Jewish converts might have been of the sect of the Essenes, who were peculiarly strict on this head, insomuch that they... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Romans 14:3

Romans 14:3. Let not him that eateth, despise, &c.— By him that eateth, St. Paul seems to mean the Gentiles, who were less scrupulous in the use of indifferent things; and by him that eateth not, the Jews, who made great distinction of meats, and days, and placed in them a great and, as they thought, necessary part of the worship of the true God.To the Gentiles the Apostle gives this caution, that they should not contemn the Jews as weak, narrow-minded men, who laid so much stress on... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Romans 14:2

2. one believeth that he may eat all things—See Acts 10:16. another, who is weak, eateth herbs—restricting himself probably to a vegetable diet, for fear of eating what might have been offered to idols, and so would be unclean. (See 1 Corinthians 8:1-13). read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Romans 14:3

3. Let not him that eateth despise—look down superciliously upon "him that eateth not." and let not him that eateth not judge—sit in judgment censoriously upon "him that eateth." for God hath received him—as one of His dear children, who in this matter acts not from laxity, but religious principle. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Romans 14:1-12

1. The folly of judging one another 14:1-12The apostle dealt first with the importance of not judging one another. This was a particular temptation to those Christians who believed that they should refrain from some practices that they believed were displeasing to God but which other Christians felt were legitimate. When Paul wrote, the first group included Jewish Christians who, because of their background in Judaism, tended to perpetuate the practices commanded in the Mosaic Code. Some Jewish... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Romans 14:1-13

D. Conduct within Christian liberty 14:1-15:13In Romans 14:1 to Romans 15:13, Paul gave special attention to the problem of knowing how to live in Christian freedom. This section of Romans deals with Christian conduct when God does not specify exactly what we should do in every situation (cf. 1 Corinthians 8). In such cases some Christians will do one thing and others another, both within God’s will. How to handle these situations is the focus of this section.Paul moved on to discuss a problem... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Romans 14:2

Here is a specific case of disagreement. Paul did not say why the weaker brother chose not to eat meat. This brother’s reasons were immaterial to Paul. The point is that for some reason this Christian believed that he would please God more by not eating meat than by eating it. He was wrong. God has not forbidden Christians from eating any food (1 Timothy 4:3-4). Eating food is an amoral matter. It is neither morally good nor morally bad; what we eat does not in itself affect our relationship... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Romans 14:3

The person who eats should not view himself as superior, even though he is right, or look down on his extremely sensitive brother with a condescending attitude. The weaker brother should not judge the more liberal Christian as unacceptable to God either, because God has accepted him. read more

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