Conscience and Disputed Practices
Theological Definition
The Bible recognizes that believers may differ on certain practices while sharing the same Lord, and it calls for careful speech and restraint in such cases. Romans frames these issues around conscience, honoring God, and refusing to judge or despise one another. Disagreement here is about how to honor God in practice, not about whether God should be honored.
Key Occurrences in Romans
13Therefore Let`s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother`s way, or an occasion of falling.
14I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don`t destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
16Then don`t let your good be slandered,
17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19So then, let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may build one another up.
1But receive him who is weak in faith, not for judging thoughts.
2One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats herbs.
3Don`t let him who eats despise him who doesn`t eat. Don`t let him who doesn`t eat judge him who eats, for God has received him.
4Who are you who judge the servant of another? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand.
5One man esteems one day above another. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind.
6He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn`t eat, to the Lord he doesn`t eat, and gives God thanks.
20Don`t overthrow God`s work for food`s sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating.
21It is good not to eat meat, drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak.
22Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn`t judge himself in that which he approves.
23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn`t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.
7For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself.
8For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord`s.
9For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
1Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2Let each one of us please his neighbor for that which is good, to be building him up.
3For Christ also didn`t please himself. But, as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."
14(for when Gentiles who don`t have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves,
15in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them)