Tolerating Christian Quirks

May 28th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Romans 14:2-4 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

The English term “faith” in v. 1 (Gr. pistis) is a noun referring to saving faith. But in v. 2, although the same Greek stem is behind “faith” in verb form (pisteuō), it refers to one’s convictions, not saving faith. Paul is therefore not notating a weak saving faith; he is notating a faith with man-made rules, or legalism. Though the recipients of Paul’s letter are certainly Christians, some were struggling to overcome their former beliefs of abstaining from certain foods and celebrating certain days. In short, as Douglass Moo says, “They are simply those who do not think their faith allows them to do certain things that the strong feel free to do.”

Perhaps it was the Jewish Christians in Rome who struggled with their freedom in Christ. This makes sense, for in the old covenant of Moses these Jews observed many rituals. But in Christ’s new covenant, dietary restrictions were removed (Mark 7:14-23; Acts 10:15). Paul thus refers to those who knew they could eat anything (the strong) in contrast to the weak, those who avoided some foods for whatever reason (cf. 1 Cor. 8). Notably, Paul would later warn Timothy, “The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits… men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Tim. 4:1-3).

Like many Jewish Christians, even Peter struggled with his freedom in Christ. Right after he began his apostolic ministry, he was afraid to eat animals that had been declared ceremonially unclean under OT law. God therefore told Peter on three occasions that “what God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy… [do] not call any man unholy or unclean” (Acts 10:15-16, 28). Later, Paul told the Galatians, “You were called to freedom… only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another” (Gal. 5:13-15).

In v. 3, Paul’s advice therefore to the strong who did understand their Christian freedom was that they not “regard with contempt” those who abstained from meat which, if purchased in the market, was believed to be unkosher, or unclean. To “regard with contempt,” or “despise” (ESV), carries the idea of hatred, regarding someone as worthless. As to weak believers who struggled with legalism, Paul admonished them not to “judge” those who do not confine themselves to man-made rules and regulations. This term “judge” (Gr. krinō) has the basic meaning of separating or isolating. This is what legalists typically do—isolate themselves from all others with a judgmental stance, believing themselves to be more holy than others. Paul thus forbids both the despising of the weak and judging of the strong. Both are unholy attitudes towards believers made in the image of God and saved by the blood of the Lamb.

Verse 4 makes a clear and direct statement that Christians are not to despise one another based upon their quirks and convictions in how they serve Christ. After all, if God Himself does not make an issue of such things, what right does anyone else have to judge? Earlier in Romans Paul made the same point: “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (8:33-34). So if God will not judge, who are His people to usurp that which only He can do?

Food For Thought
All Christians are commanded to obey what Christ has taught (Matt. 28:20). Yet many make up their own rules and become legalists, making them weak in faith. By forbidding foods, drinks, or actions not forbidden in the Bible, they become legalists if they refuse to be taught the true freedom we have in Christ. Yet in Christ we have been set free from worthless works and rituals. Although we are free to eat and drink whatever we please, we have not been given the liberty to sin freely (cf. 1 Cor. 5). We are free from the power of sin, so we can now please God, seeking to glorify Him whether we abstain from certain foods and drink or partake of all foods and drink.