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Who Is The Weaker Brother?
The New Testament teaches that when a person becomes a Christian they do not need to keep all the Old Testament Law.
God's new plan of Grace is explained by Paul in Colossians 2 verses 13 to 17 where Paul says: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
In Colossians Chapter 2 verses 20 to 23, Paul explains that man-made rules and traditions do not make us holy when Paul says, “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”
In the early church Jews were getting saved. Many of these Jews thought they should keep the Old Testament Law. And so Paul instructed Christians to be careful to not offend these weaker brothers who did not realize they did not need to keep the Old Testament law.
And so in Romans when Paul gives us instructions on how to deal with “disputable matters” please keep in mind that the “weaker” brothers were the Jews who thought they still needed to keep the law.
Romans Chapter 14 verses 1 to 4 say, “ Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
There is an assumption in these verses, that new believers were “weak” brothers because they did not understand their freedom from the law.
There is an implication in these verses that Christians who have been saved for many years, ought to not be “weak” and ought to understand our freedom from the law.
Today, new believers, in America are not usually law-keeping Jews, so they do not usually think they need to keep the Old Testament law. So who are the “weaker” brothers today?
Today, new believers start out as unbelievers. So lets think about unbelievers for a bit. Unbelievers think they ought to be able to do things like drink and smoke and dance.
And so if we take Paul's advice we will know that Christians have freedom from the law and so we will not condemn these unbelievers who like to drink and smoke and dance.
Instead, maybe we should take our spouse and go on a double date with our unsaved neighbors and go dancing with them and have a drink of wine with them. Because we want them to know that having a drink or dancing or even smoking will not keep them from getting saved.
I know someone who did something like this. But when he did it, people called him a drunkard and a glutton. His name was Jesus.
His story is recorded in Matthew 11:19, where it says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
Instead of focusing on “disputable matters” we could tell our neighbors about a story Jesus told. It is found in Luke 10 verses 25 to 37. It goes like this:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
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