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"What are the 'doubtful disputations' of Romans 14:1?"
In
Romans 14:1 what are "doubtful disputations"?
“Him
that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things:
another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not;
and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him”
(Romans 14:1-3).
The
“doubtful disputations” are in regard to whether it is okay to eat meat. “But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat,
now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the
kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost” (Romans 14:15-17).
There
are many Christians today who are deeply involved in the “health food” realm. Some of them read books that suggest God’s
perfect will was never for man to eat meat, but to eat vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Some Christians get carried away with that false
doctrine.
First,
it was not man that begged God to be allowed to eat meat.
God simply gave that permission after the flood. “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said
unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the
dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon
all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are
they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green
herb have I given you all things” (Genesis 9:1-3).
Secondly,
we are clearly told that in the later days there will be “doctrines of devils”
that will circulate, one of which will be that people should not eat meat. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in
the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to SEDUCING SPIRITS, AND
DOCTRINES OF DEVILS; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron; FORBIDDING TO MARRY, AND COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM MEATS, which God hath created to
be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature
of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is
sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these
things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith
and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained” (1 Timothy 4:1-6).
The
point of Romans 14:1 is that there will be some people who are weak (spiritually) and they
will be doubtful about whether they should eat meat. A
Christian who does eat meat should not argue about the matter to that one who is weak and
does not eat meat. The summary is that whether
a person is spiritual or not has nothing to do with what we eat (put in the stomach), but
what we put in our hearts (the Word of God). “For
the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17). “But
without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that
he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
