Bible Study With Jairus - Romans 14

In Romans 14, Paul issues a powerful challenge to the Roman church. Amid controversies about eating food sacrificed to idols, Paul calls the believers to shift their gaze. He wants them to go a step further. He says that the reality of life with Christ transcends the realm of the physical. Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Love and peace are what matter most. Knowledge and doctrine should never limit our ability to love and accept other believers, even those whose views differ from ours.

Clean or unclean
Romans 14 discusses several topics that were disputed in the Roman church. Paul discusses the morality of observing Jewish feasts, eating meat sacrificed to idols, and idolatry in the Roman church. Idolatry permeated society at that time. Much of the meat sold in the marketplace had been offered to idols. As a result, believers debated whether it was permissible to eat this meat. Some believed that everything was clean, and others believed that the meat was defiled by its past.