Differences of opinion?

We can have different opinions about all sorts of things. Unfortunately, even as Christians, you can have different opinions. Take "vaccination" for example; a subject on which there are different opinions even in the Christian church. The other day we had a conversation about Romans 14 and vaccination and that is what prompted this little article.

The disagreement

You can hear all kinds of opinions in the media about whether or not you should be vaccinated as a Christian. This morning it came up Cip.nl again like that. Both people say they only want to "give what Jesus taught." I don't think it's the first article on this medium on this subject. By the way, the comments on the articles don't lie either. Often the 'responders' also disagree in no uncertain terms.

On the one hand, there are those who believe that – simply put – the Bible teaches that we must be submissive to the government and therefore also take the vaccinations, partly for the health of our fellow citizens. It would be disobedience to God and not showing love for your fellow man not to do this.
The view at the other end of the spectrum is that under no circumstances should a true believer have a substance injected that could potentially be harmful to your body in the long run. After all, the body of a believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Both positions can undoubtedly be substantiated by several Biblical arguments. Each position is a constellation of scriptures, because there is not one text that says anything specifically about vaccination. So you have to build a reasoning on biblical texts, so that your position actually follows logically. That immediately makes a conversation about it a lot more complicated.

As long as you don't belong to the same local community together, you may still be able to live with such a difference of opinion and you don't have to worry so much about the other's opinion. But what if you do belong to the same community and you see each other once or a few times a week? How long can you keep that up?

Two different topics

Before we go any further, it's good to see that Romans 14 actually deals with two topics, which are related, but which we must distinguish well. Unfortunately, they are often confused with dire consequences.

• The first part (verses 1-12) deals with topics that the Bible does not specifically command or prohibit. In this, accepting each other and not judging is the task of the believers.
• The second part (verses 13b – 23) is about how I must adjust my behavior to prevent a brother or sister from falling into idolatry. The same subject Paul deals with in 1 Corinthians 8.

The next chapter 15 then continues in verses 1-13 in a general sense on both themes.

Accept each other and don't judge

First read Romans 14, verses 1-13a once or a few times and get an overview of the part.
This section deals with issues for which the Bible does not provide concrete answers and where the task is to accept each other as believers. It's about things you do or don't do because of you'believe' (verse 1,2); things you do or don't do'for the Lord' (verse 6). So it is not just about something, they are things that everyone has thought about for themselves and is fully convinced in the spirit (verse 5). It can even be about serious things that have to do with life and death, because we are in that too'for the Lord' (verses 7,8).

There are many topics that you as believers can think differently about, even if you all serve the Lord and want to be submissive to Him. In my opinion, the contemporary Covid vaccinations also belong in this category.

Accept and don't fight over disagreements

The section begins with the statement “Accept then those who are weak in faith, [but] not to fight over differences of opinion”.

We can have different views on eating food – what to do and what not – or to keep certain days or not; or about vaccinations. If my view conflicts with that of a brother or sister, I will be inclined to attribute 'weak faith' to the other person.

'To accept' does not mean tolerating or tolerating someone with a different view. That's rather passive, while 'to accept' is an active verb and means 'to receive'. It means that you receive someone close to you. You receive someone as a companion or into your home or even you allow someone into your heart. It denotes a common path of sharing life. Paul also uses the same word when he says “God has accepted him" and "Therefore, accept one another as Christ also received us, to the glory of God” (Romans 14:3 and 15:7). That is quite different from tolerating someone with a different view. It is accepting the other in a way that is almost inhumane; as God and Christ have accepted me!

Over ‘fight disagreements' means that there is a discussion to determine what is the right and the wrong view. It almost always happens in a questionable, carnal way.

Do not despise and condemn

How easy is it in such matters to despise or condemn one another? That one despises the other because in your eyes he has understood it less well. Or that the other judges one for an alleged misconception.
We don't even have to say these things to each other, but how easily do they come to your heart? “The heart is deceitful, above all things, yes, it is incurable, who will know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). We must also know our own heart in these things, because otherwise it will eventually damage mutual relations and possibly even end the Christian community.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

There is no call in this section to give up our view for the sake of a brother or sister. Each is called not to despise or judge the other. We are not even allowed to distinguish between the two views, in the sense of one being right and the other wrong. Ultimately, each of us will be brought before the judgment seat of Christ, where we will see where we were wrong, so to speak. It may be that my view and belief on a matter – for example, the vaccinations – was wrong after all. We run that risk and that should make us very careful in our attitude towards each other as brothers and sisters.

That is why Paul says afterwards that we would render an account to God for ourselves. 'give account' is the translation in the ESV of 'to give words'. We are thus called upon to express our view, including the underlying reasoning, once before God. That's better than 'to fight over disagreements' with your brothers or sisters.

'Let's stop judging' is the conclusion that closes the first part of this chapter in verse 13^a.

Assessing my own behavior

Previously we discussed cases where we are not allowed to judge others and now in verse 13b Paul goes on to talk about things that we must judge. It is about 'judging', distinguishing between right and wrong and making a good choice. Especially a good choice with regard to your own behaviour.

“Let us, then, no longer judge one another, but rather judge this: to give the brother no stumbling block or cause for stumbling.” (Romans 14:13).

Risk of Relapse to Idolatry

This second part in Romans 14 contains other expressions not found in the first part of the chapter, which are very similar to 1 Corinthians 8. After all, similar words and expressions can be found in both parts:

• 'cause to stumble' is used in both Romans 14:13b and 1 Corinthians 8:13.
• 'offense' is used in Romans 14:13b,20,21 and 1 Corinthians 8:9
• 'he perishes for whom Christ died' (in Romans 14:15) and in 1 Corinthians 8:11 it says 'so shall the brother . . . perish for whom Christ died';

The point in these passages is that there are things that are not wrong to me and that I believe are permissible, but that can be disastrous to a fellow believer. For me it's'rein’, but the other sees it as 'unclean' and it makes himsad' (Romans 14:14,15). This allows the other person to enter the path of idolatry, as also becomes clear in 1 Corinthians 8. Find out more about the background of 1 Corinthians 8 here; we are not going to repeat its contents here.

Emphasis on my own behavior

Here in Romans 14, Paul hardly explains anything about idolatry, but he puts great emphasis on my own behavior. I have to judge for myself whether I am in my behavior about these things

• Still walk after love (14:15)
• Christ yet serve (14:18)
• Pursue what promotes peace and mutual upbuilding (14:19)
• Do not interrupt the work of God (14:20)
• Sin by being an offense to another (14:20,21)

So when I know when not to exercise my right (to eat or drink) and I do not act upon it, then I am not acting according to my faith and that is sin (14:22,23).

Don't generalize

Finally, the note that we should not generalize this section; something you unfortunately encounter regularly. For example, you end up with a view that you are not allowed to do anything that 'annoys' (offens) another. But also the expressionAnd everything that is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) then results in erroneous conceptions of faith and sin in a believer's life.
The second part in Romans 14 really needs to be related to the risk of falling back into idolatry—as 1 Corinthians 8 also teaches. In that context, we need to understand this section.

Finally, from Romans 15: