Chapter # 14 Paragraph # 2 Study # 2
April 18, 2021
Humble, Texas
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Thesis: Paul declares that in the considerations of the details of life, for the believer, the "focus of God" for all actions by believers is to be upon "Others/others" at all times and in every situation.
Introduction: In our introductory study last week of this second paragraph of
Romans 14, we saw that, in respect to making decisions about what actions to take as we go about our living, we are to "judge this": rather than "judging others" in respect to
their decision-making, we are to "judge ourselves" in respect to
our decision-making as it affects
them.
This is a huge issue for several reasons. One is the fact that "Love" is never "object-free" (all behavior in a relational, cause and effect, universe generates impacts upon others). Another is the fact that everything about God's revelation regarding the ultimate future points to an "Undivided House" (no one in it will ever make a "selfish" decision about any thing). And, yet another, is the reality of the need of perpetually ignorant creatures for divine guidance -- revelation, illumination, and conviction of truth.
Thus, it is imperative for those who are to be heirs of the Eternal Kingdom of God that each one begin now to learn the fundamental principles of "Love" (for The Other/others) and "Faith" (in divine revelation and illumination).
It seems to me that these are the underlying reasons for Paul to write to a "currently divided House" about things as simple as "what to eat" and "how to pursue the worship of God". The "currently divided House" of the first century existed because of the newly proclaimed purpose of God to build a "Church" made up of persons from every kindred, nation, tongue, and tribe which is destined to dwell in the New Jerusalem, in gloriously immortal bodies, with Kingdom responsibilities. These persons were to come from both a strong cultural tradition of "practices" regarding how to go about living, and a dominating theological construct that sits at the roots of "life" for each person. In the first century this reality existed with the strong distinctions between Israel and the Gentile Nations as to culture, and the potent contrast between "The God" and "the gods" as to theology.
Thus, last week we saw that the first issue in Paul's instructions was the issue of "decision-making" as it affects others.
In this present study we are going to consider how this is to work out with real issues of "hindrances" and "offensive behaviors" in view.
- I. It Begins With What Provides A Basis For "Decision-Making".
- A. Paul's opening word regarding "hindrances" and "offensive behaviors" is a claim to knowledge.
- 1. The word translated "I know" is a verb that is regularly found in a form that indicates the "perfect" tense, but is mostly used as a "present" tense.
- a. One reason for this is that the kind of "knowing" Paul has in mind is both "general" and "relatively comprehensive".
- 1) It is "general" in the sense that it is not "precise", nor "profound", in the mind of the one who "knows".
- 2) It is "relatively comprehensive" in the sense that it covers a great deal of its subject (things "known" that direct the decisions of life).
- b. The word is used in a "perfect tense form" to indicate a "present tense reality" because all such "knowing" started in one's distant past and began to build into the present time so that many, if not most, of our actions are at least semi-automatic; no real thinking is required.
- 2. In this text in its immediate context the issue is making decisions that impact others that are conducive to harmony and not opposition.
- 3. Thus, Paul is claiming to have a general grasp of how to act toward others so that he does not generate barriers between them and him.
- B. Since he is dealing with "Decision-Making", the issue is specific knowledge regarding how to go about pleasing both God and men ... in that particular order.
- II. It Continues With What Provides A Basis For The Required Knowledge.
- A. Paul's second verb is, like the first, in the form of a "perfect" tense that emphasizes the current results of the original action.
- 1. This verb is the root word for "all things believed" in that it declares how those things became "believable".
- 2. The essence of this verb is the idea of the use of a sufficiently powerful experience that results in a person being "convinced" of "truthfulness" as the result of the "persuasion".
- a. In reality, sometimes this "sufficiently powerful experience" is relatively mild, but it leaves an indelible impression upon the one who has been subjected to it so that he/she now "believes" a "truth".
- b. On other occasions this "sufficiently powerful experience" is extremely potent so that it over-rides other, previously "believed" concepts and replaces the impacts of those prior "beliefs" with a different set of "beliefs".
- B. There is a difference between Paul's first verb and this second one: the first is "active" voice, and this second one is "passive" voice.
- 1. The significance of this observation is that "knowledge" is "active" on the part of the person, but "persuasion" is passive, showing actions taken by another so that the "persuaded" person is in that condition by the actions of someone other than him/her self.
- 2. In the case of this second verb, the "Actor", whose actions "persuaded" Paul, is identified.
- a. This "Actor" is Jesus: Paul stands persuaded by "Jesus", Who came to seek and save His people.
- b. But this "Jesus" is characterized by the descriptive term "Lord".
- 1) This is significant because this characterization has already been applied in 14:9 to Jesus in respect to why He "died and lived again": to be Lord both of the dead and the living.
- 2) Thus, for Paul, Jesus was his "Persuader" because He intended to become to Paul "his Lord" while he was yet living.
- c. This is highly significant in that both "faith" and "accuracy" were put in place by Jesus as Lord because, as the Householder, He had a "purpose" for Paul that was not to be denied.
- III. It Continues With A Specific Content In Regard To Both The Persuasion And The Consequent Knowing.
- A. This "content" is that "nothing" is "common" of itself.
- 1. The context restricts the "nothing" to matters of "food items".
- 2. The word translated "unclean" actually means "common" as in "of no particularly impressive character".
- 3. It came to be associated with "unclean", in regard to foods, by God's own commands written into Israel's dietary code.
- 4. But, it was Jesus Himself Who countermanded those original restrictions according to Mark 7:19 when He made the rather obvious observation that "food" has no direct impact upon the "heart" so that it cannot really affect the attitudes of the "heart".
- 5. Thus, "of itself" no food has any "moral impact" upon those who eat it.
- B. This "content" goes one step further: it makes everything "unclean" to the person whose "persuasion" and, thus, "knowledge" declares it to be so.
- 1. This means, first, that the underlying "persuasion" and resultant "knowing" of those who have "faith" that certain foods are morally repugnant are not "persuaded" by the Lord Jesus and their "knowing" is ignorance.
- a. Paul's claim is that no food is "of itself" repugnant.
- b. When God incorporated it into His "Law" it was no longer a matter of "of itself".
- 2. This also means that God holds people responsible to their own "consciences" because of the principle of "faith" being rooted in "clarity of conscience" (1 Timothy 1:5-6) and "conscience" being man's guide in moral behavior (Romans 2:15).
- a. Paul exalts this reality by his focus in this paragraph upon how a "brother" can be "destroyed" if he can be "persuaded" to violate his conscience.
- b. Paul's entire thesis is rooted in this fact: man cannot live in peace with God while living in a way that he thinks displeases God.
