There was a cultural problem in the church at Rome. Meat from Roman butcher shops had mostly been given as offerings in pagan rituals before it was sold. Was this food “offered to idols?” In Jewish culture, wine was on the table for most meals. Some believers identified alcohol with drunkenness and debauchery. This was causing a problem. Paul gave them the following instruction [found in Romans Chapter 14, Amplified Bible]:

“¹⁷[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸He who serves Christ in this way is acceptable and pleasing to God and is approved by men.

¹⁹So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (edification and development) of one another.

²⁰You must not, for the sake of food, undo and break down and destroy the work of God! Everything is indeed [ceremonially] clean and pure, but it is wrong for anyone to hurt the conscience of others or to make them fall by what he eats.”

This lesson is taken directly from The Message, which is a modern rendering of the Bible.

Romans 14:2-12 — “For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.

Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.

What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:

So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.”

Is there any need to add to this Bible portion? I think not.

Romans 13:8 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.^“

¹¹And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹²The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Saint Paul

Paul wrote to the church from Corinth on his third missionary journey. He had wanted to visit Rome, but had been unable to go there. His audience lived in the capital city of the major world power of that day. That government was not friendly toward Christians and Christianity. For that reason, it is interesting to note Paul’s instructions in light of these facts.

We pick up this study of Romans in progress. There is a natural break at this point so we’ll start here and go on.

Key Verses:

You may not have voted for those who hold the power to govern your state and nation. Nevertheless, you should respect and honor their function and live peacefully to the degree that it is possible to do so.

Peter refused to obey those in authority only when they forbade him to preach and practice his faith.

Malachi, the name means “my messenger.” Whether Malachi is a name or a title, the man who penned this book was probably a contemporary of Nehemiah. He spoke against half-hearted worship of God. (As did Nehemiah.) He also spoke of a day when God would come to purify his people.

Key verses:

Zechariah was both prophet and priest. He was a contemporary of Haggai, and like Haggai, his message one one of encouragement to God’s people to complete building the temple. Haggai’s writing spans a relatively short time span. By contrast, Zechariah’s first message came in August of 520 BC. His final prophecy was given after 480 BC.

Here are some verses of interest:

God wants us to put our priorities in order. That is the message of Haggai, the Old-Testament prophet.

In 586 BC, Babylon had leveled Jerusalem and carried off many of its people as prisoners of war. During this period of exile, the Medes and Persians defeated the forces of Babylon. Soon after, Cyrus, the king of Persia, freed various peoples that the Babylonians had captured. Cyrus encouraged the Jew to return home to rebuild their city and its temple.

In 538 BC, God’s people returned to their home and began their work. There were hinderences and the rebuilding of the temple was, for the most part, placed on hold for a decade. The prophet, Haggai, encouraged the people to once again make the rebuilding of God’s house a priority.

Key Verse:

After the death of Isaiah, the kingdom of Judah would fall to the Babylonians in less than a century. During this time, a series of prophets spoke to the people and their leaders. They warned of the consequences that followed from the practice of violence and injustice. They also spoke of God’s promises to those who remained faithful and true. Zephaniah was one of these.

The verse for today is:

Once again we look at an Old Testament Prophet. This time we consider the message of Nahum. His name means “comfort of God.” You could think of Nahum as the sequel to Jonah.

Nahum by J James Tissot

Hahum’s message comes more than 100 years after Jonah’s. Like Jonah, he has a warning for Assyria. The book divides into four parts. The first, is about the character of God. Then comes God’s punishment for his enemies. Third, the destruction of Nineveh is detailed. Finally, the cause of the destruction is explained. It is not all bad news. Nahum shares a promise of restoration for God’s people.

When Jonah preached, the Ninevites repented. They did not respond to Nahum. In 612 BC, the great city was captured by the Babylonians.

Key verse: Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.