Romans 14 Footnotes

14:4,13-14 When he forbade judging, Paul did not mean Christians must not call a sin a sin. (See the article “Who Are You to Judge Others?” p. 1181.) The context concerns Jewish practices such as dietary regulations, Sabbath keeping—“disputed matters” (v. 1)—that troubled many new (especially Jewish) Christians. Some believed they should remain kosher, while others thought differently. Paul insisted these are individual, non-moral matters for each believer to decide, for each person will give an account to God, not to other Christians (vv. 10-11). Since Jesus declared that nothing is unclean in itself (see Mt 15:11; Mk 7:19), what one chooses to eat or avoid is a matter of personal preference.

But we cannot take Paul’s conclusion to cover any and all actions. That is, we cannot say that believers may engage in anything they wish as long as they hold the opinion that it is acceptable. Sin is never permissible for a Christian. At the same time, mature Christians have a responsibility not to flaunt what they are free to do before God in ways that harm other Christians (14:15,20-21; 1Co 8).