Chapter 14

Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Epistle of St Paul to the Romans — Chapter Fourteen

¹ Chapter Fourteen. Him that is weak in the faith receive you. Many of those of the Jews who had believed kept even after the faith the observance of foods, and abstained from swine’s flesh, not yet daring wholly to depart from the law. Then, so as not to be easily detected as abstaining from swine’s flesh alone, they abstained from all flesh whatever, and ate herbs. Others again were more perfect, who, observing nothing, reproached those who observed. Paul therefore feared lest the more perfect, rebuking unseasonably, and not in the fitting manner, should unsettle the more imperfect from the faith in Christ; wherefore he also handles the matter wisely, caring for each party. For neither did he dare to say to those who rebuked, that they did ill, lest he confirm the imperfect in their observance; nor again, that they did well, lest he make them more vehement accusers; but he makes the exhortation measured. And he seems indeed to rebuke the strong; but the whole of it he empties out upon the weaker in his discourse toward these. Forthwith, at any rate, having said, Him that is weak, he showed him to be sick. And in saying, Receive you, he shows him to need much care; which is a sign of the uttermost weakness.

² Not unto doubtful disputations. That is, not making distinctions over the weakness, and being troubled, and disturbed with many reasonings, but deeming the weak one worthy of all healing.

³ For one believes that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats herbs. He compares the perfect and the imperfect, and says that the perfect, being confident in the faith, eats all things indifferently; but the more imperfect, inasmuch as he is weak, eats herbs. So that he is worthy of being healed, not of being struck at.

⁴ Let not him that eats despise him that eats not; and let not him that eats not judge him that eats: for God has received him. Those who ate all things, as more perfect, set at nought those who did not eat, as of little faith and still Judaizing. Again, those who did not eat condemned those who ate all things, as gluttons. And since many of these also were of the Gentiles, he says that God has received him; that is, he displayed his unspeakable grace toward him. Why then do you dispute with him concerning the law, whom Christ has justified?

⁵ Who are you that judge another man’s servant? to his own master he stands or falls. He says this toward the perfect, leading him away from condemning, as also from despising; for the more perfect did both, and set at nought, and condemned the more imperfect. And he touches the imperfect also. For not because he does things worthy of not being judged, on this account do I bid you not to judge, but because he is another’s servant—that is, not yours, but God’s. And though he be weak, yet he has not fallen from being a servant; he is not therefore to be despaired of. And again, comforting him, he did not say that he falls, but, He stands or falls; and whether the one or the other, it pertains to the master—what the loss is when he falls, and the wealth when he stands.

⁶ Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. In saying, He shall be holden up, he indicates him to be still wavering, and so much so as to need only one to make him stand; which we say of those who are utterly despaired of.

⁷ One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. There were some fasting, or also abstaining from swine’s flesh on certain stated days; and others eating at all times, who also condemned those who fasted. Concerning these, then, he says that one judges in one way, another in another, and the matter is indifferent. The brethren ought not, therefore, to be struck at on this account. And these things he condescends to grant them, on account of the newness of their faith.

⁸ Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. When the discourse is about doctrines, we must not be persuaded by our own mind, but hold fast the things we received, even if an angel from the heavens should preach other things. But where the discourse is about foods and fasting, and such things, and those who err concerning these are newly planted, and in need of condescension—here something of the strictness must be conceded.

⁹ He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that observes the day, he says, observes it on account of the Lord, as being reverent; and he that observes not, on account of the Lord, as having been already perfected in Christ, and become superior to the legal observances.

¹⁰ And he that eats, eats to the Lord (for he gives God thanks); and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks. One thing only we seek, he says, that the matter be done on account of God, and that they give thanks to God, both he that eats not and he that eats; for being so done, it is blameless. And these things, as I said, he says on account of their being newly planted. Since indeed he gently strikes the Judaizers, in saying, He that eats not gives God thanks. For how could he give thanks, while still clinging to the law? So that he that eats alone gives thanks.

¹¹ For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. We have a Master, he says, who cares for us, who reckons our life as wealth, and death as loss. For we do not live, or die, to ourselves alone, but also to the Lord. And here he calls “life” the life in faith, and “death” the falling away from the faith. So that this Master will by no means suffer those who seem to be weak to die as to the faith, and to fall away from it.

¹² Whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. From the death according to faith he passes over to the natural; for concerning this he now discourses. That even if we live the natural life, we are the Lord’s; and if we die the natural death, we belong to him.

¹³ For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living. And let this also persuade you, he says, that he cares for the setting-right of the weak. For he that poured out his blood, and submitted to die, that he might be Lord of us, how would he not care for those who have become his servants? Just as we are wont to say: How will such a one not care for the servant for whom he laid down so great a price? And if he cares, he says, for the dead, much more for the living. And he says these things, putting the Judaizer to shame, and persuading him to call to mind how he still gives heed to the law, being thankless toward Christ who died on his behalf.

¹⁴ But why do you judge your brother? or why do you also set at nought your brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. You that eat not, why do you judge your brother that eats, as a glutton, because he eats? And you that eat, why do you set at nought your brother, as of little faith? He is a brother; you ought not to set at nought your own member. For are you about to give account on his behalf? He himself shall stand before the judgment seat, and he himself shall render the reckonings. Do you see how, in the things which he discourses toward the more perfect, he frightens the Judaizer, as one about to render reckonings at the fearful judgment seat?

¹⁵ For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. That we shall be judged as servants by a master, he says, the prophet testifies. For he showed the intense subjection by saying, Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue—both of those before the law, and of those under the law—shall confess; instead of, shall give account of the things done. To whom? Not to the law, but to Christ. So that what part have you still in the law?

¹⁶ Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. Both of you, he says, dissolve the contentiousness toward one another; and neither do you that eat all things put a stumblingblock before the imperfect, as one rebuking vehemently; nor do you that eat not all things put an occasion to fall before your brother, as one observing. For both these things, the stumblingblock and the occasion to fall, fit both persons in turn.

¹⁷ I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteems any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. After he had taught that one must not rebuke the weak, he henceforth lays down doctrine concerning foods, teaching the weaker not to fear, nor to tremble at these as unclean; and he says: I know, and am persuaded, not by human reasonings, but in the Lord Jesus, that is, having learned from him, and from thence been assured, that there is nothing unclean of itself; that is, in its own nature nothing is unclean, but it comes to be so from the choice of him that partakes. To that one alone, then, is it both common and unclean, and not to all.

¹⁸ But if your brother be grieved with your meat, now walk you no longer according to love. Here he discourses toward the more perfect, teaching that even if ten thousand times the foods are not unclean by nature, you nevertheless ought to abstain from swine’s flesh, if indeed you would keep love, so that your brother be not grieved, being made to stumble. And he adds next:

¹⁹ Destroy not him with your meat, for whom Christ died. On account of meat, he says, you destroy and overthrow your brother, who is so greatly prized by Christ, as that he died on his behalf. For seeing you eat swine’s flesh, out of contentiousness toward that one, he becomes the more obstinate, and so will be in danger, departing from Christ, of being wholly nailed fast to the law.

²⁰ Let not then your good be evil spoken of. That is, You have perfection in the faith (for this he names “good”); do not, then, use your perfection ill, nor make it to be evil spoken of. For if you, from being perfect, corrupt the imperfect, you have made the good which you had to be slandered. And you may understand as “good” also our doctrine, which he wishes not to be blasphemed by the unbelievers, who see the divisions, and the occasions of stumbling concerning foods.

²¹ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink. For are we approved by these? for if you eat, he says, does this bring you into the kingdom? And mocking them as priding themselves greatly on this, he added also “drink.”

²² But righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Into the kingdom of God righteousness brings us—that is, virtue as a whole, the blameless life—and peace toward one’s brother, not contentiousness; and the joy that is from concord, not the grief that is from rebuke. And since there is peace and joy even over wicked things, he added, in the Holy Ghost. For I speak, he says, concerning the peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. And the all-great Chrysostom expounded yet more deeply for what cause Paul made mention of righteousness. For, that he might show, he says, that he who abstains not from swine’s flesh wrongs his brother in respect of that very salvation which Christ, by dying, procured for him. So that, on the contrary, he who abstains for his brother’s sake pursues righteousness, which procures the kingdom.

²³ For he that in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. He hints here that it was out of vainglory that the more perfect rebuked the weaker; and he says, that If you wish to be admired by men, you shall be admired not so much from your perfection as from your peaceableness and the rest. For in these things it is possible both to serve Christ, and to be well-pleasing to God—not in eating swine’s flesh indifferently.

²⁴ Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. The things of peace, he said, toward the more imperfect; for that one was he that was not at peace. The things of edification, toward the more perfect, that he cast not down his brother, making him to stumble; or rather he has made these common, by saying, of the things toward one another. And having made mention first of peace, then of edification, he showed that without peace it is not easy to build up.

²⁵ For meat destroy not the work of God. By the work of God he means the salvation of the brother. Destroy not, then, this which God procured for him, and that for the sake of foods—being unwilling, that is to say, to abstain from swine’s flesh in order to gain him.

²⁶ All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offence. Having much rebuked the more perfect, he feared lest the weak be confirmed in his evil supposition. For this reason, then, he lays down doctrine again and says, that all things are pure, but it is evil for him that eats with an evil conscience and is made to stumble. For the imperfect, deeming swine’s flesh unclean, and then being compelled to taste of it, is the rather harmed. So that he must first learn from you, that all things are pure.

²⁷ It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak. You indeed, he says, compel your brother to eat the things in which he has no confidence; but I say that you too ought to abstain from everything that makes your brother to stumble; not because it is evil (for all things are pure), but because it gives offence. And in saying, He is offended, he showed him to be blind; for such are they that are offended. And he stumbles as one light-minded; and he is made weak as one of little faith. And through all these things he draws on the stronger to the help of the brother, as one who is in all things weak.

²⁸ Hast you faith? have it to thyself before God. Here he hints that it was also as one vainglorious that the more perfect displayed his own perfection. He says, then: Do you wish to show me that in the faith concerning foods you are perfect, believing all things to be good and pure? Show it not to me, but the conscience suffices, and God, to whom you show these things.

²⁹ Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows. Even if no man see it, you suffice of yourself unto being happy, if you condemn not yourself, nor your conscience find fault with you in a matter which you have allowed, that is, chosen. And understand these things concerning the present subject only, that of foods.

³⁰ And he that doubts is condemned if he eat, because he eats not of faith. But he that wavers, he says, and eats not with confidence, is condemned. Why? Not because the food was unclean, but because he believed not that it is pure, but laid hold of the food as of something unclean.

³¹ For whatsoever is not of faith is sin. For when one is not confident, nor believes that the food is pure, but tastes of it with an evil conscience, he has altogether sinned.

³² Now to him that is able to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, both by the Scriptures and the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known unto all nations for the obedience of faith, to God only wise, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever. Amen. After the exhortation he is ever wont to pray; which here also he does, praying on behalf of the more imperfect; and not only instructing by word, but also bringing in the alliance that is from God. And the sequence of the construction is of this sort: Now to him that is able to stablish you, through Jesus Christ, be glory for ever. Amen. For the word “to whom,” the relative, lies superfluous, having been taken up because the discourse needs a resumption. To him that is able to stablish you that are imperfect, you that are wavering: how? According to my gospel, that is, That you may hold fast the things I teach. And my gospel, and the preaching of Christ, are one. For the doctrines are not ours, but his are the laws.

³³ According to the revelation of the mystery. A sign of greatest honor, that we should become partakers of mysteries—of a thing of old foreordained, but now made manifest through the prophetic Scriptures. So that why do you fear, you that are weak, lest you depart from the law by eating swine’s flesh? For behold, all the Scriptures proclaim this mystery, which brings in the indifference of foods. But it is also according to the commandment of the everlasting God. One must not, therefore, set oneself against God, but believe and obey. For faith needs obedience, not officious curiosity. But also all the nations so believe; for it was made known to all. How then will you still hold to the law? To God only wise, he said, unto the exclusion of angels and of us, not of the Son—away with the thought. For the Son is the wisdom of the Father. To him, then, be the glory, who made manifest the mystery, not to the law, to which you still attend, you that observe foods. And the words, Through Jesus Christ, can, as was said above, be construed: To him that is able to stablish you, through Jesus Christ; and can also be taken thus: Made known unto all the nations through Jesus Christ. For he himself made the mystery known to the nations, who sent the disciples to make disciples of all the nations.