Weaker and Stronger

A.    Seven Foundational Thoughts to help you understand Romans 14:1-15:7

1. The problem in this passage is disunity in the local church caused by differences of opinion on matters of conscience.
2. Paul uses three examples to show where this “disunity caused by disagreement on conscience issues” displays itself in the Roman church
3. A person is either consistently weak or consistently strong in their conscience. He cannot be free in one and not free in the other. Strong in one and weak in another.
4. While there are separate commands to both the strong and weak, the burden of responsibility for church unity falls on the strong.
5. It is better to have a strong conscience than a weak one.
6. The solution to the disunity problem that results from differences on matters of conscience, is not to avoid talking about nor to HIDE our freedoms.
7. Your personal preferences are profoundly less important than the unity of your local church. 

B.     Unpacking the argument of Romans 14:1-12

1. The first command to the strong: Welcome the weak as they are (1)
2. The problem in a nutshell: Differences of conscience of diet (2)
3. The second command to the strong: Do not ridicule the weak (3a)
4. The only command to the weak: Do not condemn the strong (3b)
5. The first reason to obey these two commands: God accepts whom you are rejecting  (3b—4)
6. The conscience problem restated with a new example: days (5a)
7. The crucial qualifier to make this a legitimate conscience issue: each acts as unto the Lord (5b-6)
8. The reason this qualifier is essential: we do all things as unto God whether we know it or not (7-9)
9. The second reason to obey these two commands: You will stand before God and be judged for your own conscience, not your brother’s (10-12)