Building Up, Not Tearing Down

June 5th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Romans 14:19-23 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. 21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Verse 19 sums up the matter with an exhortation to the strong to “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” This ongoing quest for peace with other Christians works to strengthen the Church that is daily being built by God (cf. 1 Pet. 2:4-8) on the foundation of Christ and the apostles (Eph. 2:19-22), that is, their words. And their words (i.e., the Scriptures) teach love—neither division nor giving offense within the churches.

Since the Church is literally being built by God (v. 19), weak believers are being added daily through the preached word of God—both then and now. So it is not for man to “tear down” (Gr. kataluō) what God is building up (v. 20). This Greek term is the antonym of “building up” (Gr. oikodomē) in v. 19. How tragic that Christ’s Church would be subject to ridicule and slander through the behaviors of strong Christians simply “for the sake of food”! Though it is true that all food and drink are acceptable in and of themselves, it is an “evil” (Gr. kakos) act when a strong believer causes a weak brother to stumble by eating something they deem offensive.

Verse 21 summarizes the entire argument in from vv. 13-23, using antonyms that relate to the previous passage. For whereas it was “evil” to cause one’s brother to stumble in v. 20, it is “good” (Gr. kalos) to refrain from that which causes them to stumble. It appears that the weak believers were mostly recent Jewish converts who had long abstained from certain meats either because they were unkosher or had been sacrificed to idols (cf. 1 Cor. 8). Likewise, wine, mentioned for the first time in v. 21, was used in pagan religious orgies. The mere sight of these no doubt brought back either painful memories of pagan revelry for the Gentile Christians who were weak in their faith or fear of eating something offered to an idol as in the case of the Jews.

Here again in v. 22 Paul does not use the term “faith” in the sense of the Christian faith; he rather uses it in reference to belief with regard to what one could and could not eat or drink. He is therefore not telling the strong to refrain from sharing the gospel! Likewise, he is not telling them to never talk about their views on Christian liberty. He is simply telling them to be wise in airing their opinions about Christian liberty in such a way that might offend the weak. The strong “approves” (Gr. dokimazō) their own personal convictions and are content with the blessing God has given them in understanding their liberty in Christ. They need not flaunt that. However, it must not be concluded that Christians can do anything they please, approve of it, and have no conscience about it. These behaviors must all align with biblical teaching, not personal opinion.

Contrary to those who act in faith, some act with doubts in their minds (v. 23). If a weak believer partook of something he was not certain about, he was acting sinfully. Ridderbos says, “For a Christian not a single decision and action can be good which he does not think he can justify on the ground of his Christian conviction and his liberty before God in Christ.”

Food For Thought
For the strong, it’s a gift to be free from the sort of scruples that haunt the weak. Yet our inward freedom does not have to be expressed outwardly in order to be enjoyed. We may enjoy it inwardly and fellowship with God. In this, we enjoy a much greater reward. So give no offence!