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  • From: "rabbisaul" <tim AT rabbisaul.com>
  • To: "Corpus-Paul" <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] (no subject)
  • Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 16:52:12 -0600

Welcome, Ryan.

> I am doing a paper on the strong and weak in Romans 14. I came across
> your postings in my research and decided to join the discussion.
> My question for this post would be if anyone has interpreted Romans 14
> from a "super-Lutheran" perspective-- that the eating/ not eating and
> day distinctions represent all works that one does to "earn" right
> standing with God rather than accepting Grace through Faith. the
> eating and drinking and day distinctions just being recognizable
> examples of works to the recipients, Torah or no Torah (Reasoner argues
> that the dietary restrictions were not necessarily Jewish in origin, as
> the Roman sumptory laws reflect). I have not come across anything in
> my studies that has suggested this interpretation(even Luther hasnt
> made that explicit argument, though his main lecture on Romans, that I
> have found, was written early in his career). This may be
> de-contextualizing the Letter as theological rather than situational,
> but it seems to be consistent with Paul's gospel of faith.

No, I don't think that works, for a number of reasons. Even read from a
perspective of "super-Lutheranism," the text won't function that way,
because Paul treats the issues as adiaphora and makes no warning here that
there be no "works-righteous" attitude on the part of the people he calls
the weak.

I think the case is solid enough that the weak and the strong refer to
Torah-observant and non-Torah-observant, rather than Roman sumptuary laws
(which would have nothing to do with weak and strong). This is the simplest
way of understanding how Rom 14-15 relate to the rest of the letter, with
its very heavy Jew/Gentile focus. (I'm not suggesting that the "weak"=Jews
and the "strong"=Gentiles. That is too simplistic. There were many Jews,
like Paul, who would have numbered among the "strong," and likewise, many
converts from paganism came into the Church via the synagogue.)

To anticipate a possible objection: the reason that Torah-observant people
might think they had to abstain from meat and wine altogether was not
because of the meat and wine itself, but its sources of availability. Jews
were wary of purchasing wine and meat in pagan cities, because wine sold in
the marketplace could very well have been previously used in libations to
false gods; likewise, most marketplace meat had been offered to idols. Thus
this passage is closely related to the issues addressed by Paul in the
Corinthian letters, but now within the context of Torah concerns. Paul's
answer in both places is the same: there is nothing wrong with eating meat
offered to idols, except (1) where one destroys the conscience of a brother,
or (2) in the context of the idol's temple itself.

Tim Gallant
Pastor, Conrad Christian Reformed Church
Conrad, MT

http://www.rabbisaul.com
Pauline Studies

http://www.timgallant.org/center.htm
Biblical Studies Center





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