As we have seen so far in our examination of Romans chapter fourteen Paul has something to say to both the weak and the strong, although he has more to say to the strong. He speaks to each class of religious persons relative to the attitude and behavior that each shows towards the other. The above chart illustrates this narrative. We have also seen how certain things that Paul says in this chapter are crucial in arriving at a right interpretation and in discerning whether the weak brothers are Christians who hold to errors about religious dietary laws and observance of holy days and religious feasts and such like. My thesis has affirmed that the weak ones of Romans chapter fourteen are the same class of individuals as the weak ones of first Corinthians chapters eight through ten and that they are not Christians or truly born again children of God. They are rather devout religious folks who are generally polytheistic, although they would include Jews who have not yet believed in Jesus but who are willing to listen to the Christian message.
We have given extensive commentary on the first six verses of Romans chapter fourteen and on Paul's conclusion as given in the first verse of chapter fifteen. From verse seven to the end of the chapter will now command our attention, although as will be seen, there is less need for elaboration on these verses as there is on the first six verses.
We Are The Lord's
"For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living." (vss. 7-9)
Many Bible teachers have said something that I have also often stated to Bible students. It is not the big words in the bible that give a student the most difficulty in interpretation but the little words and this is true in regard to discerning who is intended by pronouns in a text. We have already observed this problem in this chapter, such as interpreting who is the "him" in the words "for God has received him." The same is true in the above verses. Sometimes in Romans chapter fourteen Paul will speak directly to the strong and sometimes directly to the weak and sometimes to each class of persons at once. Obviously some things Paul says to each group of religious folks will not be appropriate or applicable to the other group. So then, who is intended by the pronouns in the above verses, by the pronouns "us" and "we"? When Paul says "none of us" does he mean "none of us Christians, i.e. none of us strong ones," or "none of us human beings, whether weak or strong"?
Another thing to discern is who is "the Lord" in the text? As we saw in our analysis of verses 5-6 there was no definite article before "lord" and showed that this was important and saw how the lord of the weak was not the same lord of the strong, just like we saw how the "master" of the weak and strong was not the same, for that is deducible from Paul's question to the weak which said "who are you to judge another Lord's servants?" So, it is important to discern to whom Paul is addressing in the verses above.
It is clear to me that Paul is addressing the strong ones, which I have identified as being believers in Jesus and they who are under the new covenant. What he says to them is not applicable to the weak ones. In these verses we see how the definite article "the" precedes "Lord," unlike verses 5-6 that omitted the definite article. This indicates to us that the Lord of the strong ones is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Wrote Dr. Albert Barnes in his commentary:
"No man - No "one," the same Greek word οὐδείς oudeis which is used in the former part of the verse. The word is used only in reference to "Christians" here, and makes no affirmation about other people."
That is true, but are the religiously sick and impotent Christians? My thesis says not, although it is a minority view. Of course, that is no proof that it is wrong for the majority is often wrong.
What does Paul mean when he says "none of us lives to himself and no one dies to himself"? When Paul says "none of us" Christians he is asserting something that is true of everyone who is a true believer. What is it that is universally true about every believer? Is he saying that none of us are hermits? Does he mean that none live in isolation from the world? No, that is not what he means. It is impossible to live in total isolation. Wrote Paul:
"I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world." (I Cor. 5: 9-10 mkjv)
Paul says that as long as we live in this world that we must have dealings with unsaved people. Further, it is not the Lord's will that his people become monks, to withdraw from the world. Rather, Jesus said "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16: 15 nkjv)
Paul also means that the Christian has a law written on his heart which forbids living selfishly. He emphasized this more than once. He wrote:
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Phil. 2: 4 esv)
"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." (I Cor. 10: 24 esv)
Christians have the mind of a servant. Repentance denotes a change of mind and occurs when the person who once desired lordship over others becomes one who desires to serve others, especially in the sense of winning others to Christ. Said Jesus:"Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant." (Matt. 20: 26 nkjv)
For the strong ones (Christians) not to be desirous of, and not doing all they can for, the salvation of the religiously sick (i.e. the lost), is totally out of place. Recall that Paul said:
"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more...To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." (I Cor. 9: 19, 22 nkjv)
Throughout Romans chapters fourteen and fifteen and First Corinthians chapters eight through ten, Paul has much to say to the strong ones (true believers) about their attitude towards the weak and how to act towards them so that they too might become strong Christians. Notice his summation in Romans:
"We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” (Rom. 15: 1-3 esv)
We have already commented on these words to some extent. We pointed out how those who Paul called weak "brothers" he here calls neighbors.
I can see how some of the first Christians had an attitude similar to the Pharisees in looking down on those of other religions, thinking themselves superior to those who worship idols and other gods.
The phrase “holier than thou” generally refers to an attitude of spiritual superiority or self-righteousness. It conveys an air of condescending moral high ground, in which someone views himself as being more pious, more faithful, or more deserving of God’s favor than others. The English expression often traces its roots to Isaiah 65:5 in older translations, though the essence of the concept-presuming a lofty moral or spiritual position-runs throughout Scripture. The Isaiah passage speaks of those "Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’" This is disgusting to God. This attitude is seen in Jews who looked upon Gentiles as dogs and as unclean. Even the apostle Peter had this attitude when he refused to associate with Gentiles. The Lord had to show him how Christians are to have another attitude and behavior towards the religiously sick.
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