Milo

THE LOST ARK
1 Samuel 4–7

“A god has come into the camp” (1 Sam. 4:7).

We should never take the symbols of our faith for the reality. Yet to many, symbols are important.

Definition of Key Terms
The ark of the covenant. The ark was the holiest object in Israel’s religion. This box-like, gold-covered object contained memorials of the Exodus—notably the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments and a container of manna. Two cast angels were mounted on its lid, their wings touching over its center, where each year the high priest sprinkled sacrificial blood on the Day of Atonement. The ark, which symbolized the presence of God with His people, was to be kept in the inner room of the tabernacle. The act of Eli’s sons in removing it showed both their contempt for God’s command, and a superstitious awe of the ark as a symbol.

Archeologists have recovered many Philistine artifacts. These show a high level of material culture and artistic achievement. The Philistines far outclassed the Israelites in their skills, but were far inferior in their religion.

Overview
The Philistines killed Eli’s two wicked sons in battle and captured the ark of the covenant (4:1–22). Plagues frightened the Philistines into returning the ark (5:1–6:21). Some 20 years later, Samuel led Israel back to God (7:1–6). God then helped the Israelites hand the Philistines a crushing defeat at Mizpah, and guarded them throughout Samuel’s lifetime (vv. 7–17).

Understanding the Text
“A god has come into the camp” 1 Sam. 4:1–11. The Philistine reaction when the ark was brought into the Hebrew camp tells us much about their religion. They worshiped idols and supposed that Israel’s God was an idol too. What is more significant, however, is Israel’s reaction. God’s people shouted for joy, for they too believed that the Lord Himself was identified with this material object.
We can value symbols of the holy. But we must never confuse them with God or rely on them as if they were God Himself. As Jesus taught us, “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

“The glory has departed from Israel” 1 Sam. 4:12–22. In the battle, Eli’s sons were killed and the ark captured. The loss of the ark was a disaster, but not because it was a “god.” The ark was the one place where blood could be sprinkled on the Day of Atonement to cleanse Israel of sin. The true glory of God, displayed in His goodness and forgiving love, truly had departed from Israel. God’s people now had no avenue of approach to the Lord to find forgiveness.
We may take pride in the beauty of our churches or cathedrals. Yet the true glory of God is not to be found in them, but in His love and His grace.

“He afflicted the people . . . with an outbreak of tumors” 1 Sam. 5:1–6:21. When the ark of God was placed in the temple of Dagon, a Philistine god, the idol fell before the ark. Even a symbol of God is greater than the gods of pagans.
Many believe that the “tumors” God sent were actually hemorrhoids. How fitting. The Philistines were not even allowed to sit comfortably in the presence of God’s ark!
At last the Philistines decided that the God of Israel caused their discomfort and returned the ark. For 20 years it rested on the property of a man called Abinadab.

“Because they had looked into the ark of the LORD” 1 Sam. 6:19. When 70 Israelites curiously looked into the ark, God struck them down. Why? Eli’s two sons had shown contempt for God by ignoring rules for conducting worship. These men showed contempt for God by treating the ark, a holy thing, as if it were an ordinary object. While the symbol is not the reality, symbols of the holy are to be treated with respect.

“The Israelites . . . served the LORD only” 1 Sam. 7:1–6. When Samuel grew to adulthood he was able to lead Israel back to the Lord. Samuel was recognized as a spokesman of God (3:20). When he promised that God would deliver His people from Philistine oppression, he was believed.
Sometimes only suffering will move us to turn to God. If that’s what it takes, God will bless us with suffering.

“The LORD answered him” 1 Sam. 7:7–17. When the Philistines attacked a religious convocation at Mizpah, Israel fought back as Samuel prayed. The Bible says that the Lord answered him. Samuel had listened to God all his life. Now God listened to him. Obeying God’s Word lays a good foundation for prayer.
The text tells us that Samuel served as Israel’s “judge” (ruler) all the days of his life. During this time Israelite strength grew, and they were at last able to push the Philistines out of the highlands.

DEVOTIONAL
Symbols and Reality
(1 Sam. 6–7)
The ark of God was His chosen symbol of His presence with Israel. It was not God. He did not inhabit it. But in a real way it stood for Him. As such, the symbol was to be treated with respect.
When the victorious Philistines carried the ark into the temple of their god, they saw it as a trophy. Placed there, the ark would symbolize the superiority of their deity to Israel’s God. Instead the prostrate, broken idol of Dagon proved that the Lord alone is truly God.
When a plague of “tumors” broke out in the Philistine cities, the Philistines knew the cause. Israel’s God was so holy that the Philistines could not even survive the presence of a symbol that represented Him.
When the ark was returned, God struck down 70 of His own people who curiously looked inside it, treating it as if it were a common object rather than something set apart and holy.
Each of these events helps us understand those who find significance today in Christian symbols. The stained glass, the churches, the organs, the crosses, the ritual, the Christmas creches, even the roadside shrines, are not to be identified with God, as though He were present in them. Yet each can serve as a symbol of the holy. Each can remind believers of who God is, and in reminding, can invite them to worship.
You or I may not rely on symbols in our worship. We may not feel they are needed, or we may even feel that they hinder true worship. But the ark of God, which was holy in the Old Testament era, reminds us that God does speak to some through symbols. And when He does, the symbol is sanctified by His use.

Personal Application
We need to be sure that our religious symbols actually do direct our thoughts to God Himself.

Quotable
“Clearly nothing that the organized church can do by its services, by religious books, by radio and television will effect the needful change. Only as the individual translates his Christianity into terms of the way he does his daily work and the loving spirit he shows daily in his contact with others, can Christianity leaven the very heavy lump of modern life.”—Leslie D. Weatherhead

SISTERS AND BROTHERS
Romans 16

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea” (Rom. 16:1).

Lists of names mean little to us. But each name represents a person who is important to God.

Overview
Paul closed with personal greetings to close friends in Rome (16:1–16), with an exhortation (vv. 17–20), and with greetings from fellow workers who were with him (vv. 21–23). And he capped it all with praise to God (vv. 24–27).

Understanding the Text
“Greet” Rom. 16:3–16. The Bible’s penchant for including long lists of names sometimes irritates readers. But there are always reasons. In the Old Testament, most listings of names are genealogical: they display the faithfulness of God to the people of Israel, with whom He maintained a covenant relationship over long and often stormy centuries. Those lists of names establish not only the identity of the people of God, but His faithfulness.
Here in Romans 16 is a list of names that has another purpose. It displays something of the network of warm and loving relationships which bound the early church together. Paul was not just a theologian, he was a friend. He did not just count up converts, he cared for people as individuals.
So let’s not be put off by the list of names here. Let it remind us that in the eyes of God and in the church of Jesus, each person is important enough to be known by name.

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea” Rom. 16:1. The way translators have handled this verse makes Christian feminists see red. That word “servant” in the Greek is diakonos. More than one commentator has noted that the use of this form, rather than diakoneo or diakonia, suggests something more than casual service. It’s likely that Phoebe held the leadership position of a deacon in her congregation, though at the time Romans was written it’s impossible to say what this position involved.
I can understand why some Christian women are eager for Phoebe to gain greater recognition. The ministry of women hasn’t been overly welcomed in the church. But probably the highest honor we can do Phoebe or any other believer is to note, as Paul does, that “she has been a great help to many people, including me.”
After all, this is what our faith is all about. Not the office we may hold. But the help we can be to each other as we seek together to follow Jesus Christ.

“Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus” Rom. 16:3–4. It should give those folks who think of Paul as a male chauvinist a moment’s pause at least. The first two folks that Paul mentioned in this greeting section of Romans 16 are women. And Priscilla was mentioned even before her husband, Aquila.
Both Priscilla and Aquila are acknowledged as Paul’s “fellow workers,” even as Phoebe was acknowledged as a church deacon. While Phoebe’s ministry of help seems focused in her local house church, the word sunergos, “fellow worker,” suggests this couple shared Paul’s commission to serve as missionary evangelists.
There really is a place for women. At home. And abroad. In local churches. And in missions.

“Outstanding among the apostles” Rom. 16:7. The word “apostle” is used in a restrictive sense when applied to any of the Twelve and to Paul. These men were the divinely commissioned leaders of the church, and spoke with a unique authority. But many others earned the title “apostle,” among them Andronicus and Junias. After all, the word “apostle” literally means one who is sent on a mission.
Paul’s word about these relatives who were “outstanding among the apostles” reminds us that early Christians felt the missionary call to share their faith with others in the Roman world. Don’t ever suppose that Paul and his little team of missionaries was responsible for the explosive spread of the Gospel in the first century. They didn’t do it alone! Nor today can the Christian’s commission to spread the Gospel be fulfilled by a few “full-time” missionaries.
Let’s be sure that we are numbered “among the apostles.” Let’s even try to be outstanding.

“Ampliatus. . . . Urbanus . . . Stachys” Rom. 16:8–9. What was the church in Rome like? One hint comes from the names Paul mentioned in Romans 16. These names, for instance, along with many of the others, were most common among slaves, freedmen, and freed-women in Roman society. It’s quite clear that the church in Rome was not an upper crust phenomenon. The Christians there were mostly ordinary folk, and probably drawn from the lower strata of Roman society.
But notice how Paul spoke of “low class” Roman believers. Ampliatus was one “whom I love in the Lord.” Urbanus was “our fellow worker in Christ.” Stachys was “my dear friend.” We can feel the love overflow as Paul wrote, surrounding each person with affection.
Class isn’t to matter in Christ’s church. It surely didn’t matter to Paul. He loved these men and women for their own sakes, and because they were deeply loved by Jesus Christ. In this too let’s follow Paul’s example. Let’s love people for themselves, not their positions. And let’s let them know how much.

“Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord” Rom. 16:12. In another two generations Clement of Rome would report rulings severely restricting women’s roles in church leadership. His words, in 1 Clement 20:7, are sometimes quoted to support modern restrictions on female participation in leadership in our own local churches. Whatever authority one may wish to concede to Clement, it must be significant that the Apostle Paul in this listing credits four women with significant service in their own congregations (Mary, Tryphena and Tryphosa, and Persis). In fact, he says this of four women and no men at least on this list.
In making this observation, I am not mounting a campaign for women’s ordination, or claiming female superiority in local church leadership. I’m simply pointing out what the text says. And suggesting that perhaps—just perhaps—Clement of Rome overreacted to the freedom first- generation Christian women found through the Gospel to use their gifts in Christ’s church.
Perhaps—just perhaps—some men today have overreacted too.

“Watch out for those who cause divisions” Rom. 16:17–19. If we are truly devoted to one another, there will be unity in Christ’s church. That bond that Paul himself displayed with those now in Rome that he had come to know and love holds us together in intimate fellowship.
But beware if devotion flags, and the church becomes an impersonal gathering of strangers. Then the door is thrown open wide for “those who cause divisions.” Their smooth talk and flattery is designed to deceive. They want to build their own little kingdom, with their own handful of followers. They are not serving Jesus, but their own pride, or need for adulation.
Paul had a simple prescription to deal with such people. Half of it is stated in verse 17: “Keep away from them.” The other half is implied in his letter as a whole, and in the first 16 verses of this chapter: “Grow close to your brothers and sisters in the Lord. If you come to know the people in your local church family well, and if you love them deeply, then no smooth-talking stranger will be able to shatter the unity that Christ gives.”

“Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works” Rom. 16:23. I once worked for a Christian organization whose chapels one year featured Christian “success stories.” The wealthy and respected of our community trooped one by one to the chapel pulpit, and each told how faith in Christ contributed to his rise. How I wished we’d find some poor, uneducated failure, who could tell us how faith in Jesus sustained him in his rush toward ruin.
It didn’t happen of course. We get so excited over the converted movie star, the reformed criminal, the Miss World. Apparently the NIV translators share that failing, for Erastus the oikonomos may well have been a financial officer in the Corinthian government, but there’s no way today to tell how high a rank he held. Was he really the “director of public works”? Well, maybe. But not likely.
Anyway, it really doesn’t matter, does it? As James so wisely says, “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position [in Christ]. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position [as a mere sinner saved by grace]” (James 1:9–10).
What really counts about Erastus wasn’t his position in the Corinthian hierarchy. All that really counts is, he was one of Jesus’ own.
And so are you.

DEVOTIONAL
I Love a Mystery
(Rom. 16:25–27)
It was one of my favorite radio programs. I can hear the announcer now, his voice quavering with feigned excitement: “And now” (he’d begin, in hushed tones), “I” (pause), “Love” (a little louder) “A MYSTERY!”
I’d hurry into our little living room, flop down on my stomach in front of the radio, intent and ready to hear the next fascinating chapter in the current adventure.
Paul loved a mystery too. No, not the imaginary adventure of my radio days. The biblical mystery of Jesus Christ.
In Scripture “mystery” is a technical theological term. It identifies some previously hidden or only hinted at facet of God’s eternal plan, which has only recently been revealed. Christ, Paul realized with wonder, is the greatest of all the mysteries of God. How could God forgive the sins of past saints? How could God not simply declare human beings righteous in His sight, but actually make them righteous? How could God, committed as He was to the Jews, open wide His arms to the Gentiles too? How could Jew and Gentile ever find common ground, enabling the race to be drawn back together into one? How could God’s love for all the human race be so stunningly displayed that hardened sinners would suddenly halt, reconsider, and kneel, broken, before God?
These and all of history’s unanswered questions are, for Paul, answered in Jesus Christ. He is the mystery hidden for long ages past. He is the One glimpsed in prophetic writings. He is the One who has come and stands fully revealed today that all nations might believe and obey Him. He is the One who has at last enabled us to sense not only the love but also the wisdom of God. He is the One through whom God receives glory, forever and ever.
Christians can differ honestly about many doctrines. They can dispute about practices. But on one thing we all agree. We all love the One whose coming explained the mystery of God’s plan, and revealed once and for all the full extent of His mysterious, wonderful love.

Personal Application
To see clearly, look at everything through Jesus Christ.

Quotable
“A God on the cross! That is all my theology.”—Jean LaCordaire

ONE HEART AND MOUTH
Romans 15

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 15:5–6).

How good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1)

Overview
Christ modeled an attitude which leads to unity and glorifies God (15:1–6). Christ’s acceptance of us sets the pattern for all believers’ relationships with each other, and opens the door to joy and peace (vv. 7–13). As for Paul, he found fulfillment in serving God (vv. 14–22), and hoped soon to visit Rome (vv. 23–29). He urged the Romans to pray with and for him (vv. 30–33).

Understanding the Text
“Bear with . . . and not to please ourselves” Rom. 15:1–7. These verses belong with chapter 14. Paul had shown that in “disputable matters” each Christian must accept responsibility for his own convictions, and give others the same freedom to be responsible to Christ as Lord. Matters not clearly defined as sin in Scripture are disputable, but not debatable.
Now Paul reminds us of the attitude we must have if the unity of the body of Christ is to be preserved.
It’s never enough to just leave others alone. “Do what you think is best,” we may say. But what we may mean is, “Don’t bother me. I don’t really care what you do.”
That’s not what it means to let Christ be Lord in another believer’s life. Paul says we “bear with” the “failings of the weak.” For Jesus’ sake, and for the sake of our fellow believer, we “please [our] neighbor for his good, to build him up.” We live to serve, even as Jesus lived, and died, to serve us.

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God” Rom. 15:7. Here’s that word again. “Accept.”
In Romans 14 we saw that it means to welcome: to open our arms and hearts to each other. To value the individual so much that he or she experiences warmth and belonging.
Here Paul shows us the standard by which acceptance is to be measured. We are to welcome others as Christ has welcomed us.
Did Jesus open His heart to us because we were such beautiful people? Because we had so much to offer to the group? Because we were well dressed, or wealthy? No, Jesus opened His heart and welcomed us when we were sinners, hostile toward God, clothed in the filthy rags of our own pretentions of righteousness, without a cent of heavenly currency. Jesus accepted us freely, with no preconditions, and despite our flaws.
That’s how you and I are to relate to others. As Jesus has related to us.
And just as Jesus’ redeeming love has begun to transform our lives, so in the fellowship of a loving, accepting congregation, the sinful and the weak will also be transformed.

“A servant . . . on behalf of God’s truth” Rom. 15:8–12. What is the truth that Jesus served so well? That God loves both Jew and Gentile. That He has been faithful in keeping His covenant promises to Israel, and at the same time has opened the door of salvation to the rest of humankind.
The result of Jesus’ servanthood? He gathers up and brings all mankind’s praise to God. No less than five different Greek words for praise are used in three brief Old Testament quotes, reminding us how significant praise is in God’s sight.
It reminds us of something else as well. Others may not appreciate what you do for them. That’s actually good! The goal of Christian servanthood isn’t to be praised. It is to gather up the praise of others and direct it toward God. When others are praising us, we intercept what really belongs to our Lord.

“The God of hope” Rom. 15:13. This is the second of two very special descriptions of God in this chapter. Verse 5 portrays God as the “God who gives” (see DEVOTIONAL). Verse 13 pictures Him as “the God of hope.”
“Hope” is a unique word in Scripture, where it indicates “confident expectation.” The person with hope has complete assurance about the future. And the overflow of the hope we have as we trust in God fills us with joy and peace.
So give yourself up to serve. And let God fill you with that hope which overflows with joy and peace.

“Competent to instruct one another” Rom. 15:14–20. There’s nothing that stunts spiritual growth quite so much as paternalism. That idea that big Daddy has to be there, or poor little you will be sure to make some horrible mistake or do something unutterably dumb.
Paternalism is a terrible temptation to anyone in ministry. If big Pastor isn’t there, that small group Bible study will probably wander off into false doctrine. If big Preacher doesn’t preach, nothing of value will happen in the service. If big Reverend doesn’t do the counseling, how will those terribly messed up folks ever find the way out of their dilemma?
Well, big Apostle Paul didn’t share that attitude at all! He’d said earlier, very plainly, that believers are united to Jesus and given the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6–8). He’d said that every believer has a gift that equips him or her to minister (Rom. 12). He’d shown that growth can take place when believers accept one another warmly, serve one another, and let Christ exercise His lordship in each life (Rom. 14–15). So Paul backed off, not only from paternalism, but from even the hint of paternalism!
Paul wanted to visit Rome to enjoy “your company for a while” (v. 24). He wasn’t driven to visit Rome from the neurotic fear that the church there would go down the tubes without him. In fact, Paul was “convinced” that the church in Rome was “competent to instruct one another.” The Romans had the Word, the Holy Spirit, and each other. Paul would bring a blessing. In the last analysis any church grows because of its relationship with God, not with God’s servants.
How desperately both pulpit and pew need to hear this word from Paul. The pulpit needs to rid itself of paternalistic attitudes and actions, and nurture ministry by the laity. The pew needs to stop mistaking God’s servant for God, and trust the Lord rather than the leader.

“A contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem” Rom. 15:26–28. Judea was heavily dependent on income from the temple and from pilgrims who came to visit it. In time, as the little Christian community became more and more isolated from the rest of Judaism, Christians suffered more during times of depression or famine.
One of Paul’s ministries was that of famine relief: raising funds from believers throughout the Gentile world to bring relief to the poor believers in Jerusalem.
To Paul, who developed a theology of giving in 2 Corinthians 8–9, seeing to the material needs of those Jewish believers from which the church sprang was an obligation and a joy. Spiritual and material needs were not kept in separate compartments, as we sometimes do. Any known need of a believer was an opportunity to serve.
How wonderful when we are able to see fulfilling our obligation to help one another as a joy and a priority. Paul was eager to go to Spain to open that land for the Gospel. But he saw no conflict in setting aside that mission for a time, to carry funds and food to those in need.

DEVOTIONAL
Giving Till It Hurts
(Rom. 15:1–6)
I sometimes hear a “Talknet” host on our local 620 AM station, whose major premise is that people ought to live more selfish lives. “You are important,” he tells those who call in. “Think of yourself for once. Put you and your own needs first, because if you don’t, no one else will.”
It’s a popular philosophy, and I’m sure there are folks who need to hear it. Folks who think of themselves as worthless, and so have lived doormat lives, walked on by petty tyrants from Mom and Dad to their own kids.
But for mature Christians, confident of their value and worth in Christ, the “let’s live selfish lives” message is totally wrong. Paul even went so far as to say, “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”
To our talk show host, Paul’s advice is utter nonsense. Even many Christians find it a little hard to swallow. We may very well think, “Why should I always have to be the one to give up what I want for the sake of someone else?” Many a time we think, “I’m tired of putting myself out for others, who don’t even appreciate what I do for them.”
If you ever feel that way, that you’ve been giving till it hurts, remember this little phrase from Romans 15:5: “The God who gives.”
What you and I give up in following Christ’s example of selflessness is nothing compared to what God gives us in return. He gives us endurance. Encouragement. And a “spirit of unity among yourselves.”
When we give of ourselves to others, God gives us all the privilege of glorifying Him together with “one heart and mouth.”
So next time you feel a little put upon, or unappreciated for the sacrifices you make for others, remember. God knows. And He gives you far more precious gifts in return than anything you have given up for Him.

Personal Application
It would be a privilege to follow Jesus’ example, even if there were no rewards.

Quotable
“My mind was faced with choosing between my pleasure and God’s, and since my mind saw the glaring inequality between the two, even in the slightest matter, I would be forced to choose what then seemed more pleasing to God.”—Anthony Mary Claret

CHRIST’S LORDSHIP
Romans 14

“For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Rom. 14:9).

We are to hold our convictions between ourselves and the Lord.

Background
Convictions. Some things are clearly labeled “sin” in Scripture. We Christians agree with God, and not only give up those things, but also seek to purge them from our fellowships (cf. 1 Cor. 5).
Yet there is a whole range of practices which don’t bear that biblical label. And, at various times various groups of Christians have considered practices not called “sin” to be inappropriate for those who honor Jesus Christ. The congregation I joined as a new Christian in 1956 had convictions against smoking, drinking alcohol, going to movies, dancing, and other things I probably wasn’t aware of. Since everyone in our congregation shared these convictions, no conflicts arose.
But folks in the first-century congregation in Rome did have conflicts over convictions. Some thought it wasn’t appropriate for believers to eat meat. Some thought Sunday ought to be kept as a special day, much as the Jews kept the Sabbath. And others simply did not agree.
Soon the harmony and unity of the church was in jeopardy, as believers judged, criticized, and looked down on one another.
If you’ve ever wondered how to handle those differences that drive wedges between Christians, Romans 14 will be an especially exciting chapter for you.

Overview
Warmly welcome others without judging their convictions (14:1–8), thus affirming Christ’s lordship in each life (vv. 9–12). Yet be sensitive to others’ convictions (vv. 13–18), and do what promotes peace and growth (vv. 19–21). Personal convictions should be kept to oneself, as a matter between the individual and his Lord (vv. 22–23).

Understanding the Text
“Accept him whose faith is weak” Rom. 14:1. In this chapter Paul spoke of the “strong” and the “weak.” What did he mean by these terms? Simply put, the strong are those who have a mature Christian perspective on what Paul called “disputable things.” The weak are those who do not yet have a mature or an accurate grasp of such issues.
The striking thing is that Paul didn’t side with the strong against the weak, or with the weak against the strong! Instead he modeled exactly what he called for in Romans 14: acceptance. Without looking down on either, or criticizing either, he shows that each believer is a valued member of the local body of Christ. Each is welcome. Each is loved. Each belongs.
What an important wonderful thing for every believer to know. Wherever you or I may be on the journey of faith, we are one with those before us, and behind. In the fellowship of Jesus, we are one.

“Passing judgment on disputable matters” Rom. 14:1. A “disputable matter” is any practice which God has not labeled “sin” that some Christians feel is all right, and others feel is wrong. We may use a biblical principle as basis for feeling that a particular practice isn’t appropriate for Christians. But unless God has clearly stated a practice is sin, our opinion is “disputable.”
That word, “disputable,” reminds us to stay humble. We may be right in our opinions about disputable matters. But we may also be wrong. So while we follow our consciences and do what we believe is right, we also free others to reach their own conclusions. You and I must surely do what we believe will be most pleasing to the Lord. But in “disputable matters” we have no right to try to impose our beliefs on others.

“One man’s faith allows him to eat anything” Rom. 14:2–3. You can easily generate your own list of “disputable matters.” Here’s how. First, start with Paul’s two cases: eating meat vs. vegetarianism, and strict vs. lax observance of “holy days.” Add to your list everything you can think of that are like these two.
Then note how disputes over such issues affect relationships. Some folks start judging others. They are critical and condemning. Others ridicule. They treat people with differing convictions with contempt. Now add to your list any issues that seem to have such effects on Christians you know.
When you have your list complete, post it. And remember. These are the things that you’re to pay no attention to at all as you build Christian friendships. God has accepted those who differ with us on all issues like these. Since God has welcomed them, we surely must welcome them too (see DEVOTIONAL).

“Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” Rom. 14:5–8. If you look over that list of convictions you just made out, you’ll undoubtedly have an opinion about most items there. How can you tell what position you should take on each matter, not publicly, but for yourself?
You should study each issue to convince yourself: (1) That you can or cannot do this “to the Lord.” (2) That you can or cannot do it giving thanks to God.
When you’re “fully convinced in your own mind,” do what you believe is right without fear of what others might think.

“That He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living” Rom. 14:9–12. What does Christ’s lordship in disputable matters mean? First, that you and I are responsible to Jesus to do only that which we honestly believe will please the Lord. And second, that our Christian brothers and sisters are not responsible to us!
If Jesus is Lord, then judging is His job. And I am free forever from the burden of determining what is right and wrong for others.
How good that freedom feels. I don’t have to condemn others. I don’t have to try to argue them over to my point of view. All I have to do is love others, accept them, and share the joy of our common faith in Jesus Christ.
It’s a terrible burden for a church, a pastor, or for you and me to play God. How freeing it is to let Jesus be Lord, and focus all my attention on serving Him.

“Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way” Rom. 14:13–21. Have you ever noticed how some people flaunt their freedom? They make it a point to do things that shock others, or even offend them, just to show they can.
Paul was used to overreaction from the young Christians he’d nurtured over the decades. So he guarded against overreaction now. We’re free to live according to our convictions. We’re not free to use our convictions to club a brother to death!
This is an overriding concern felt by every mature believer. We really are to care about others and their welfare. Since flaunting my freedom might provoke someone to judge, or encourage a young believer to act against his conscience, I must exercise my freedom with restraint.
Sometimes this principle is misapplied, and we let those with the least maturity in disputable matters impose their views on the whole church. That’s not what Paul asked. Paul was talking relationships, not church rules. He was telling you and me that when we suspect something we are free to do might harm a less mature brother or sister, then for Jesus’ sake we should freely choose not to do it!
What a joyous freedom this is. It’s the freedom we really want. Not a freedom to do what we like, or what we know is lawful for us. But a freedom to do what is loving. To do what expresses the warmth, the wonder, the joy of putting the welfare of others before even our own “rights.”

“Whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God” Rom. 14:22–23. The best way to handle “disputable matters” is simply not to talk about them. To discuss and argue, to try to convince others we’re correct, does nothing to promote harmony in the body of Christ. And it does nothing to build up a brother or sister in his or her faith.
All that disputing is likely to do is to create doubts and uncertainty.
That’s why Paul reminds us that whatever “does not come from faith is sin.” Whatever we do, we must do it in the conviction that we are pleasing Jesus Christ.
So be convinced in your own mind before you act. When you are convinced, feel free to do what you believe is pleasing to the Lord. But at the same time, be sensitive to the convictions of others, and how your actions affect them. Value your brother’s well-being even more highly than your rights. And never, never make personal convictions the subject of debate.

DEVOTIONAL
There’s a Welcome Here
(Rom. 14:1–4)
Paul immediately launched into the very heart of the issue. “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.”
That’s really what it’s all about. Not who’s wrong and who’s right. Just acceptance.
The Greek word translated “accept,” proslambano, is one of the most powerful relational terms in the New Testament. It means to actively welcome. It’s a glad smile, arms reached out to hug, a hand on an arm drawing a newcomer into a circle of close and loving friends.
Psychologists tell us how important acceptance is. If a child fails to feel acceptance from his parents, he’s likely to grow up ridden with doubt and a sense of unworthiness. If an adult fails to feel acceptance from others, she will always be uncertain, fearful, isolated, and alone.
Paul reminds us that the church of Jesus Christ is God’s family. Here every child of God is to experience welcome, and so feel the great value God places on him or her. The church of Jesus is home: it’s where we can relax and be ourselves, knowing that here we belong. And here we are loved.
Acceptance is one of the most important gifts you can give another person. And one of the most valuable gifts you will ever receive. No wonder Paul began his discussion of disputable matters with the command, “Accept him.”
However we may differ from others about issues the Bible does not label as “sin,” and however passionately our convictions are held, our brother or sister in Christ has been accepted by God. And we are to welcome him or her too.

Personal Application
Give the gift that costs nothing, but means everything.

Quotable
“On Sunday they come from the town and stand in the doorway and so keep out the cold. One is not cold among his brothers and sisters. What if there is less fire on the hearth, if there is more in the heart!”—Henry David Thoreau