Romans Chapter 14 Vs. 15

 

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Rom 14:15

brother be grieved... Paul tells just how important it is not to lead our weak brothers and sisters astray.

Destroy not him... This proves that a brother can be destroyed by another Christian. If not, this is all very needless language.

1Cor. 8:11-12 “And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?” “But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.”

1Cor. 8:13: “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.”

This is some very good advice from Paul. We must not let our liberty in the Lord cause us to encourage someone else to go against their conscience.

Love will ensure that the strong Christian is sensitive and understanding of his brother’s weaknesses.

How should a Christian whose convictions allow him to eat everything respond to one with scruples against certain foods? In Christian love he ought to forgo his liberty in Christ to avoid being a spiritual hindrance to his spiritual brother. If he persists in exercising his liberty so that his brother is distressed (lypeitai, “grieved, hurt”), Paul concluded, then the Christian exercising his liberty is no longer acting (lit., “walking”) in love. Such persistence could cause the spiritual destruction of a brother for whom Christ died. Destroy renders the word apollye, which often means eternal ruin. Here it may mean temporal ruin; a Christian forced to act contrary to his scruples, even though more strict than necessary, may find himself ruined by his wounded conscience (cf. 1Cor. 8:10-12). Persisting in one’s freedom could also result in his Christian liberty (what you consider good) being blasphemed (spoken of as evil, blasphēmeisthō).

Such things should not happen. After all, food is not that important an issue (1Cor. 8:8); it is not the sum and substance of the kingdom of God. But… righteousness (upright living), peace (cf. Rom. 12:16, 12:18; 14:19) and joy in (the sphere of) the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom. 15:13) are essentials of Christian fellowship and harmony.