>From the beginning of chapter 14 to the end of verse 7 in chapter 15
another point is taken up, to which the different positions of the Jew and
Gentile gave rise. It was difficult for a Jew to rid himself of the sense
of difference between days and between meats. A Gentile, having abandoned
his whole religious system as idolatrous, held to nothing. Human nature is
liable in this respect to sin on both sides-a want of conscience, an
unbridled will, and a ceremonial conscience. Christianity recognises
neither of these things. It delivers from the question of days and meats by
making us heavenly with Christ. But it teaches us to bear with
conscientious weakness, and to be conscientious ourselves. Conscience
cannot-has not a right to-prescribe a new thing to us as a duty, but it
may, through ignorance, hold to a traditional thing as obligatory. In
reality we have entire liberty, but we ought to bear with weakness of faith
in another, and not put a stumbling-block in his way. The apostle gives
three directions in this respect: First, to receive the weak, but not for
the discussion of questions that have to be settled; second, not to judge
our brother, since he is Christ's servant, not ours; and every one must
give account of himself to God; third, to bear the infirmities of the weak,
and not to please ourselves; to walk in the spirit of love, and, if we are
in a higher state, to shew it by receiving one another, as Christ has
received us, to the glory of God, which eclipses man and his petty
superiorities, and which kindles charity and makes it ardent, earnest in
seeking the good of others-taking us so out of self, and beyond little
things, that we are able to adapt ourselves to others, where the will of
God and His glory are not in question.
Many important principles are brought forward in these exhortations. Every
one shall give account of himself to God. Everyone, in these cases, should
be fully persuaded in his own mind, and should not judge another. If any
one has faith that delivers him from traditional observances, and he sees
them to be absolutely nothing-as indeed they are-let him have his faith for
God, and not cause his brother to stumble.
No one lives to himself, and no one dies to himself; we are the Lord's. The
weak then regard the day for the Lord's sake; the others do not regard it
because of the Lord. This is the reason therefore for not judging. He whom
I judge is the Lord's. Therefore also I should seek to please my brother
for his edification-he is the Lord's; and I should receive him, as I have
been received, to share in the glory of God which has been conferred on
him. We serve Christ in these things by thinking of the good of our
brother. As to the energy of a man's faith, let him have it between himself
and God. Love is the ruler for the use of his liberty, if it is liberty,
and not the bondage of disregarding. For the converse of this principle,
when these observances are used to destroy liberty in Christ, see Galatians
4, where the apostle shews that, if the observance is taught as a
principle, it is really turning back to Paganism.
