Rom. 14 Does Paul dismiss Torah?

[The 614th Mitzvot]

"1 Now as for a person whose trust is weak, welcome him - but not to get into arguments over opinions. 2 One person has the trust that will allow him to eat anything, while another whose trust is weak eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats anything must not look down on the one who abstains; and the abstainer must not pass judgment on the one who eats anything, because God has accepted him - 4 who are you to pass judgment on someone else's servant? It is before his own master that he will stand or fall; and the fact is that he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person considers some days more holy than others, while someone else regards them as being all alike. What is important is for each to be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a day as special does so to honor the Lord. Also he who eats anything, eats to honor the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; likewise the abstainer abstains to honor the Lord, and he too gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives only in relation to himself, and none of us dies only in relation to himself; 8 for if we live, we live in relation to the Lord; and if we die, we die in relation to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord - 9 indeed, it was for this very reason that the Messiah died and came back to life, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You then, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For all of us will stand before God's judgment seat; 11 since it is written in the Tanakh, "As I live, says ADONAI, every knee will bend before me, and every tongue will publicly acknowledge God." 12 So then, every one of us will have to give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore, let's stop passing judgment on each other! Instead, make this one judgment - not to put a stumbling block or a snare in a brother's way. 14 I know - that is, I have been persuaded by the Lord Yeshua the Messiah - that nothing is unclean in itself. But if a person considers something unclean, then for him it is unclean; 15 and if your brother is being upset by the food you eat, your life is no longer one of love. Do not, by your eating habits, destroy someone for whom the Messiah died! 16 Do not let what you know to be good, be spoken of as bad; 17 for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, shalom and joy in the Ruach HaKodesh. 18 Anyone who serves the Messiah in this fashion both pleases God and wins the approval of other people. 19 So then, let us pursue the things that make for shalom and mutual upbuilding. 20 Don't tear down God's work for the sake of food. True enough, all things are clean; but it is wrong for anybody by his eating to cause someone to fall away. 21 What is good is not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The belief you hold about such things, keep between yourself and God. Happy the person who is free of self-condemnation when he approves of something! 23 But the doubter comes under condemnation if he eats, because his action is not based on trust. And anything not based on trust is a sin. "

What do you believe is the meaning of these texts, what is Rabbi Sha'ul's meaning?

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

Yes, this is a confusing passage to many in Christianity today...especially when it is read outside of it's original Hebraic context. For the sake of time I will quote my brother John McKee in regards to Romans 14:5-6 which will clear up most of the misunderstanding in regards Romans chapter 14...

“One man considers one day besides another, while another considers everyday alike. Let each be fully persuaded in his own mind. He who considers the day, considers it for the L'rd, and he who eats, does so for the L'rd, for he gives thanks to G'd; and he who eats not, for the L'rd he does not eat, and gives thanks to G'd.”

On the basis of these two verses of Scripture, many of us are told that all days are equal in the sight of G'd. It is not important, Christians say, whether or not we honor the seventh-day Sabbath or the Biblical feasts. It is all an issue of one’s conscience. Sunday is an acceptable “Sabbath,” and Christmas and Easter are acceptable holidays to celebrate in place of the -prescribed holidays. But if one follows this conclusion to its logical end, then Tuesday is also an acceptable Sabbath, and Christmas can be celebrated on the Fourth of July. Surely, most Christians would disagree with this. It is obvious that the common Christian handling of these verses in this regard is misguided.

The opening verses of Romans 14 have Paul speak of eating meat versus vegetables. He states, “Now take along the one who is weak in faith, not for passing judgment on his opinions. One man has faith that he may eat all, but he who is weak eats vegetables” (vs. 1-2). In regard to the Biblical dietary commandments, Paul is comparing vegetarianism and eating meat, not about eating Biblically unclean things like pork or shellfish, which are not food. If he were speaking about eating unclean things, then the end-time admonition of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 65 & 66, where God says He will judge those who defiantly eat swine’s flesh, is null-and-void, as is the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council’s ruling to abstain from meat’s strangled. But these admonitions still remain, and we must reconcile Paul’s words here to the whole council of Scripture, including Messiah’s words and those of the other Renewed Covenant/New Testament writers, which uphold .

In regard to Romans 14:5-6, about days and people choosing not to eat, we believe that the context of these verses is clearly speaking of days regarding fasting and when certain people were led to fast and abstain from eating. The only Biblical time we are commanded to fast is on Yom Kippur, but other than that there is not very much the Scriptures have to say about fasting. Fasting on certain days are times where each man must be convinced in his own mind.

This view is shared by Harold and Donna Kupp in their article “The Churchmen Versus the Sabbath.” They write, “What then was Paul talking about? He was talking about fast days. The whole 14th chapter of Romans is about food and how people’s beliefs about fasting should not be interfered with. The fast days could be observed according to each believer’s conscience. A man could eat or not eat, keep the day or not keep it. It is as simple as this: Each man could observe FAST DAYS, or not observe them, according to his own convictions….

“The ‘days’ that Paul was referring to were the traditional fast days mentioned in Zechariah 7:5-6.5 The Gentile [non-Jewish] Christians in Rome did not keep them because they had no cultural interest in the anniversary feasts that were observed during the Jews’ captivity in Babylon.”<br>
With this viewpoint, Paul’s words take on a whole new meaning: “Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let him who does not eat judge him who eats, for G'd has taken him along. Who are you to judge the house-servant of another? To his own lord he stands firm or falls; and stand he will, for the L'rd is able to make him stand. One man considers one day besides another, while another considers every day alike. Let each be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:3-5).

Note that here Paul clearly tells the Roman Believers, “let not him who is eating despise him who is not eating” (Romans 14:3, YLT). We are told that on some days some people choose not to eat, and others do. We are not to despise those who choose not to eat and fast. Hopefully, those who choose to fast on certain days are being drawn closer to the Father in prayer and supplication.

Romans 14 is not talking about celebrating the Sabbath “whenever you like” or replacement holidays for YHWH’s appointed times, but discusses disputable
matters such as fasting, and abstaining from eating on certain days. Fasting on certain days is something that each person must individually be convinced about—and this is what Paul was speaking of.

I hope this was helpful.

Shalom achi,

Reuel

[The 614th Mitzvot]

But does it not also speak of food? I would say in the same manner as it refers to Shabbat

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

The subject of Shabbat, and food is covered in my reply.

[Mark]

Romans 14:14, at least in the King James translation, says specifically, "I know that nothing is unclean in and of itself..." and is often heralded as evidence that the Law in total, or at least this Law, is abrogated. One has to go back to Acts 10 and the use of the language to understand where this misconception lies.

Peter said, "I hav enever eaten anything unclean or common."

The Lord replied, "What I have cleansed do not call common."

The interpreters who view this passage as rendering all meats clean fail to recognize the difference between what is unclean (akothratos in the Greek) and common (koinos). Unclean meats are those specifically mentioned in Deuteronomy 14 and Leviticus 11 that are not food items. However, in Leviticus 11 it is decribed how even acceptable foods can be rendered unclean by their association with the clean. These foods are what are referred to as "common". Unclean meats cannot be rendered clean. Common meats can be cleansed.

Now, open up your Strong's concordance and see what is the word in Romans 14 that has been translated "unclean". It's koinos. It's a mistranslation of Scripture. I've come to believe a malicious one- just as bold as the addition to text in Mark 7:19.

Either Paul was Observant or the most two-faced gain-sayer who ever walked this earth. I choose to interpret the Scripture in a way that acknowledges his integrity, rather than ignore the apparent inconsistencies.

[Chizuk Emunah]

Unfortunately, the KJV is most notorious for mistranslating Scripture, even though it is the most widely used version by Protestant Christians. I usually avoid it's usage. Though, in this case, I'm glad you brought up those differences between 'unclean', and 'common.' It's funny... the Scriptures make sense when interpreted properly, and seem full of inconsistencies when not interpreted properly.

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

Either Paul was Observant or the most two-faced gain-sayer who ever walked this earth. I choose to interpret the Scripture in a way that acknowledges his integrity