Romans 14:1-3

A Study of The Book of Romans

Lesson 98 Chapter 14:1 – 15:13

“The Believers relationship one toward another.” - Part 1 13:1 – 3

By Pastor Randy Johnson

1. Introduction




1. A believer’s relationship toward other believers is something every Christian ought to consider often. We are all the Children of God, we are all the elect of God, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, however with this being said the most important of all; we are all loved of God and we all share the love of God in our hearts.


2. We are all fallible, we are all wrong on something scripturally and in other things, no believer is perfect, and therefore we must be tolerant with other believers even when we understand them to be wrong. We are all what we are by the grace of God.


3. We should not detest other Christians for their ways in life as long as God does not condemn it in the scriptures, we all have habits in life that are distasteful to other Christians.


4. God speaks much about love between Christians because love is what keeps the Christians in the proper attitude one toward another.


2. Verse 1 “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.”

1. “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye…” this would be one who is doctrinally weak, or maybe weak is spiritual strength, The scriptures requires us to receive them.

a. Isaiah 35:3-4 “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. (4.) Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.”

b. Matthew 10:40 - 42 “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. (41.) He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. (42.) And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

2. “…but not to doubtful disputations.”

a. This means - Without passing judgment on disputable matters. – So what are disputable matters? Disputable matters are matters that you personally dislike but the scriptures are not clear on.

b. Example one; can male and females swim together? Well some believe they cannot and some believe they can, who’s right?

c. Example two; can a Christian use tobacco? Well one says no the other will say yes, who is right? Well it does hurt the body but so does over eating, under exercising, and etc.

d. Example three; politics; one is a Republican and the other a Democrat who is right?

e. These are disputable matters and we should not detest them nor the other Christians that do things we personally do not like. While we are all Christians we are not all the exact same in every single thing.

3. Verse 2 - 3 “For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. (3.) Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.”




1. This church was (I believe) mostly Gentile but had some Jewish members also; if the Jewish brethren still held to their meat laws then this could cause a division among the church.

a. If one does not understand the difference between law and grace then they are weak and we cannot just reject them because of their scriptural ignorance.

b. What did God tell Peter? Acts 10:9-15 “On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: (10.) And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, (11.) And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: (12.) Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. (13.) And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. (14.) But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. (15.) And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.”

c. If a person wants to be a vegetarian then that is fine by me but please do not attempt to force me to be one. It’s fine with God if we have a big t-bone steak. “…another, who is weak, eateth herb.” verse 2

d. Genesis 9:3 “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.”

e. Remember we are all one in Christ. Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

2. Verse 3 “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth:”

a. Martin Luther once said; “It is foolish to judge those who will be judged by Christ. But also be careful in order that you who judge may not be judged yourself by God.”

b. This was truly to the Jewish members for their condemnation of the Gentiles for eating meat while they ate herbs but God says that condemnation is wrong. Unless it is clearly scripturally wrong then be tolerable. Even on some scriptural things because we do need to remember not to be to judgmental of the weaker in faith. 1 Corinthians 10:29 - 30 “Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? (30.) For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

c. Just because someone does something that is not agreeable with you, that does not make it wrong to God. How about we all just sit and judge each others habits and lives would that be what God would have us to do?

3. “…for God hath received him.” He is a child of God, God will deal with him. We are all saved by Gods grace, and we all must ask forgiveness every day.