For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
Truth to Learn
Arguing about unimportant things is destructive, not edifying.
Behind the Words
The word “believes” is translated from the verb pisteuō, meaning “to trust, to have faith in, or to believe.”
“Eat” in the first part of this verse is from the Greek verb phagō. Later in the verse the word “eats” appears, which is from the Greek verb esthiō. These two form an interesting word pair. Though they are different words, they both mean “to eat,” literally or figuratively. The selection of which one to use depends strictly on the tense of the verb used. Esthiō is used in the aorist or future tenses, and phagō is used in all other tenses.
“Weak” is from astheneō, which we looked at in the previous verse. The use of the word in this verse identifies specifically who Paul was talking about in the previous verse. Here he uses the word to refer to those who are weak in faith, those who are spiritually immature, not those who are physically weak.
The word translated “vegetables” is lachanon, which is derived from the verb lachainō, meaning “to dig.” Thus, we see that lachanon literally refers to that which has been dug up. Since it is in reference to something eaten, it logically refers to vegetables as opposed to meat.
Meaning Explained
As we said in the previous verse, Paul is addressing the issue of many of the converted Jews in the Christian church in Rome who are still following the eating restrictions as laid down in the Mosaic Law. Some of them believed that Christians were required to follow all of the commandments based on the origin of the Christian faith coming out of the Jewish belief in the Messiah. Others, like Paul, recognized the fact that Christians have been set free from the Law and that we are at liberty to eat all kinds of food without any legal restrictions.
As we combine these two verses, we see that Paul is exhorting the members of the Christian Church at Rome to admit anyone to membership who makes a confession of faith, but not to get into arguments with them about what food is permissible and what isn’t. The point he makes in the current verse is that the more mature Christian recognizes that all foods are permissible, but those who are weak in the faith still think they have to refrain from certain foods.
Let’s not get hung-up, however, on the specific subject matter (what kinds of food can be eaten). Paul is using food as a metonym for any secondary belief within the church that is not foundational doctrine. As we said in the previous verse, understanding and adhering to doctrinal fundamentals of the Christian faith are of critical importance and need to be fully studied and taught. Arguing about other aspects of the Christian faith is a waste of time and effort. Belief in who Jesus is (completely God and completely man at the same time), the offering of His sinless life to pay the penalty for our sins, His resurrection from the dead, our own need to admit our sinful, lost state, and our confession of Christ as our Savior and Lord, these are truths that we must all believe to become Christians.
Application
Arguing about issues of lesser importance in the church doesn’t please God. We need to focus more effort on loving one another and less effort on arguing about unimportant things.
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved
