This is a narration script for a video about chapters 14 and 15 of the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans. It is from a larger video series about the book of Romans in general. The video addresses how to navigate internal church conflicts.
How do we love people when we strongly disagree with them? This question has been a difficult one for Christians from the very beginning. A the start of the Christian Church, one of the biggest conflicts came about because of cultural differences. Most of the first Christians were Jewish, while people who converted later on were often Gentiles, non-Jewish people, who came into the faith with a totally different culture.
This had many effects on the churches. Some people who had begun to believe in Jesus had left behind other religions where they worshipped other gods. For these people, some of the cultural rituals and even certain foods reminded them of a past they wanted to leave behind. These kinds of people would choose to abstain from certain foods to demonstrate their loyalty to Jesus, their new God. (1 Corinthians 8, Romans 14:1-2) The problem came when these people tried to force this belief on other Christians who believed that the power of those other old gods was simply not real, and nothing to fear (1 Corinthians 10:25-30).
There were also people who felt it was very important to observe Jewish feast days and festivals, considering these an equally important part of following Jesus as any other commandments or teachings. (Romans 14:5-6). This became a problem when these people tried to force these holidays that were special for Israel onto people who did not share Israel’s history.
In Romans 14 & 15, Paul affirms the value of all these perspectives. The Bible and the Christian faith make statements about objective truth. But some of these truths do leave some room for interpretation. Paul distinguishes between clear, core Biblical values, and subjective cultural concerns. He says that Christians should accept people who struggle with this faith, and avoid “[...] quarrelling over disputable matters.” (Romans 14:1)
The Church must be led by the scriptures and by the Holy Spirit. Our consciences are also important, because the moral conscience is the part of our mind that helps us make wise decisions. It is a part of ourselves that the Holy Spirit wants to renew and restore. Therefore, doing something that goes against your own conscience, or influencing someone to violate their conscience, is a very dangerous thing to do. It would be wrong to force someone against their conscience, even if they were being overly sensitive about something they were actually allowed to do. What we need to do is learn how to respect the beliefs of others.
“If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval."
God’s inclusive Kingdom demands that we bear with each others’ differences. Tolerate each other’s differences, carry each other’s weaknesses, and don’t do things that bother others consciences. This is is how we live when it seems like we just can’t agree. This is how live the gospel.
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