Week 33

Romans 14

Leader: for your review:
This passage is very similar to 1 Cor 8. Read over that passage and note that this passage speaks to how the strong in faith should react internally to a weaker person’s conscience whereas the passage in 1 Corinthians speaks more to how a person strong in faith should act externally around the weaker in faith.

Discussion question: What is the main point of this passage/chapter?

Discussion question: How does this passage relate to the Church today? Or in what ways are there stronger and weaker people in faith today?

Discussion question: In verses 3 and 4 (and 10 and 13), Paul tell us not to judge one another, but in 1 Corinthians 5:12 he seems to imply that we should judge those within the Church. Is this contradictory?

Leader: for your review:
Looking at this passage and the passage in 1 Cor 5, there is a difference in what Paul tells us to judge. In this passage, Paul is saying that we should not judge one another’s convictions contrasted with the passage in 1 Cor 5 where Paul tells us to judge one another’s sins. This is huge. It is not a sin to eat only vegetables nor is it a sin to eat both meat and vegetables. Paul tells us that we sin when we do something against our conscience or convictions .

Discussion question: What does it mean in v4 when Paul says that “the Lord is able to make Him stand”?

Leader: for your review:
Paul is saying that the person who is strong in faith should not judge the weaker in faith because it is not even himself that is strong, but God gives him the faith.

Discussion question: Verse 5 says that we need to be fully convinced in our minds that something is or isn’t sin. A better word here is we must be convicted. How do you define a conscience? How do you define convictions? Are they different?

Discussion question: Going along with the previous question; if at different times we have different convictions, does this mean at some point in the past we were sinning and not that we’re convicted we aren’t?

Leader: for your review:
This is such an important issue for Christians. There are clear commands in Scripture: don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t lie, etc. but then there are some areas which are not talked about specifically: watching TV or movies, playing cards, birth control, etc. Some call these gray areas but that is an improper term. A gray area would be one which is not clear in Scripture. These are areas that are non-existent in Scripture. So, how do we as God’s holy people react in these situations? This is where a conscience comes in. God gives us wisdom to discern the situation, His Spirit guides us when we read His Word and spend time in prayer with Him. During these times the Spirit convicts us in what we should do.

Discussion question: It is hard sometimes when we see another Christian doing something we are convinced is wrong. What does this passage tell us to do in those situations? How does this passage encourage us and teach us a better way than telling the other person that they are wrong and that we are right in areas not defined in Scripture?

Discussion question: In verse 21, Paul tells us not to do things, even if we are convinced they are ok, that would make a brother stumble. How can we know what makes another brother stumble though?

Discussion question: Verse 23 says a lot. What is the meaning of this verse?

Discussion question: What can we draw from this passage about our own lives and convictions and how we treat our brothers and sister in Christ?

Leader: for your review:
This passage comes down to the fact that we do all things for the Lord and that He is our judge and no one else. We should not assume to take on God’s role as judge but that we should seek peace and unity in all things that in themselves are not sin as commanded by Christ.

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