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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
May 1
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Today's Pathway:
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In today's passage Paul indicates that the doubtful disputations that he was referring to in verse 1 probably dealt mainly with Jewish believers. Jews were getting saved in Rome, but they brought with them their beliefs concerning keeping the Old Testament Law in order to be right with God. Paul shows this in verse 2 by saying that there were Christians in the church who believed they needed to keep certain dietary laws. In verse 5 he talks about people who believed that there were certain days throughout the year that should be kept "sacred". The primary group of people who would have held these views would have been Jews. A newer Jewish convert could easily be convinced that he should be keeping all the laws of the old covenant that was ratified on Mt Sinai. However, the more mature believer would know that he had been freed from that covenant and was no longer bound to it. In Romans 7:6 Paul said this,
"But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."
Not only were they delivered from trying to keep the law in order to obtain salvation, but they were also freed from keeping it in an attempt to gain God's favor.
The first issue that Paul addresses is dietary laws. Some people felt it was acceptable to eat anything, while others, those who were less spiritually mature, practiced vegetarianism. Please note that it is not a problem to be a vegetarian if one is doing it for health or diet reasons. However, if someone believes that abstaining from meat will make him more holy or more acceptable to God then he does not understand his liberty in Christ. In Acts 10:10-15 Peter has a vision where God tells him to eat "unclean" animals. When Peter refuses, God tells him,
"What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common".
This indicated that the dietary laws established by the Mosaic law were no longer in effect. Eating meat in general had been allowed by God since immediately following Noah's flood, when God said,
"Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things" (Genesis 9:3).
In I Timothy 4:1-5 Paul warned about those who demanded that people not eat meat. His response was,
"For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."
Thus, those who were stronger in the faith understood that they could eat meat. However, it must be noted that it is not a sin to choose to not eat meat. The Bible says that men can eat meat, but it does not say that they must eat meat. The less mature brother who only ate vegetables might have been weaker, but he wasn't rebellious. He didn't need to be disciplined, he needed to be taught. Thus, Paul says in verse 3 that he is not to be "despised", which means to be treated with contempt and ridicule, and to be considered worthless. At the same time, the vegetarian is not to despise the one who eats meat either. It's not a sin to eat meat, and it's not a sin to not eat meat, so neither individual should look down on the other.
Paul concludes verse 3 with a reminder: "for God hath received him". If God has received someone, should we not also do so? Even though they may see something differently than we do they should be accepted by us as individuals and also by the church. If they are in rebellion against the clear teachings of the Bible then things may need to be handled differently. But if not, then we should accept them and love them as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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