Romans 14:10 But why do you judge your brother? or why do you set at nothing your brother?… To the weak and scrupulous the apostle says, "Why judge?" To the strong and liberal, "Why despise?" I. THE SUPREMACY OF CONSCIENCE. 1. This principle is the master thought of the chapter (vers. 5, 12, 13). Nothing is to supersede personal conviction. (1) Human passions are not to bar Christian rights. For matters that do not interfere with the happiness of others do not mind the denim of your Christian character by fallible men. Feel that you owe allegiance to Christ, and in that feeling be calm. (2) There is no appeal to public authority. Uniformitarians would have thought this just the occasion for the Church to decide once for all, and so put an end to variety. But as the great apostle would not interfere, no Church has a right to rule in these matters. 2. But let us not mistake supremacy of conscience for that of the individual will. The apostle asserted the sanctity of convictions, but we must not exalt our opinions to the rank of convictions. II. THE VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE. 1. By unchristian judging. Judging is persecuting; it was the procedure of the dark ages. But consider the judgment that is not peculiar to Rome, but which belongs to human nature. Take these cases cited by the apostle — Sabbath observance, and abstinence from things pronounced worldly. How do we treat those who do not hold our views on these matters? You hear insinuations about laxity or Sabbath breaking or worldliness: then about socinianism or infidelity; then immorality. This is judging. It is not life or liberty that is assailed, but character. Look at the wrong of this. Note(l) Its arrogance. Such judging is only to be defended on the claim of infallibility, and therefore Rome is consistent, but Protestants are not. Are those who judge free from human frailty? Or are they not generally the weakest of both sexes? (2) Its failure to procure what it aims at — uniformity of opinion. This is the ideal good which men have tried for ages to attain, but is Christendom more united than in the apostle's days? (3) It destroys free inquiry. We boast in opposition to Rome, of our free and open Bible. But do we not really say, "Here is the Bible; read it for yourself; but find these doctrines there and no others." Hence men will not bear to hear the truth. They think they have it already in the compass of a single mind, and they come to church to hear it repeated. 2. By contemptuousness. The sin of judging is the sin of the narrow minded; the sin of the liberal minded is contempt for narrowness and scorn for scruples. There is a distinction between largeness of view and largeness of heart. A narrow mind is not always a narrow heart. There are worse things than narrow views. The missionaries often hold narrow views, and yet these men give their lives to turn men to God, and shame those of larger views. Take heed how ye despise any of God's little ones, for what is largeness of view compared with devotedness of life? Good men usually cling to a superstition or a form for the sake of some deep truth with which it stands connected. (F. W. Robertson, M.A.) Parallel Verses KJV: But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. |
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