Romans 14:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, imagining the common Master seated upon the Throne, attend to yourself. Do not tear and divide the Church by separating yourself from grace and returning to the law, since the law too belongs to Him. And why do I say the law? All who lived both under the law and before the law belong to Him. The law will not demand an account from you, but Christ will, from you and from the whole human race alike. Do you see how the Apostle freed the weak in faith from fear of the law?

Proud and self-invented abstinence does not constitute true fasting, and can very easily become an occasion for the involuntary judgment of others. Explaining the words of verse 11, Saint John Chrysostom says: "Saint Paul cited the words of the prophet, who bears witness that both those who lived in the old covenant and all without exception are subject to God, and subject to Him in everything. For it is not simply said, 'Every one shall bow,' but, 'shall confess,' that is, shall give an account of what he has done. Therefore, imagining the common Master seated upon the throne, attend to yourself." Developing this last thought, another holy father says: "The best place where you ought to stand is the judgment seat of Christ. Stand there and do not move, and everything will go well with you: the cry of prayer, the struggle with the passions, and the practice of every virtue. The fear of God will always overshadow and guide you." Blessed Theodoret adds to this: "Since the Apostle has pointed to the Master's judgment seat, he necessarily counsels us not to judge one another, but to await that sentence." According to John Chrysostom, it is not so ruinous to sin oneself as to lead others into sin besides oneself. Therefore he says: "Consider what punishment we shall undergo if we scandalize our neighbors without any good purpose." The Apostle sets forth all these thoughts about the general laws governing our life, and all the particular laws of moral Christian life, in order to teach Christians to subject every detail of life to these laws. This includes eating and not eating. Therefore, after unfolding them, he again returns to the same subject.

All will come and turn to the true God, confessing that they acted wrongly by worshiping what is not God. The conversion of all nations points to the preaching of the Gospel, which is to fill the whole earth and conclude with the fearful judgment. Thus the words of Saint Isaiah indicate beforehand the first coming of the Lord, and through it the second as well. Whether one keeps the one or the other in mind while reading these words in Saint Paul, either will accord with the purpose for which they are cited. Before this he had said that the Lord is our Master, that we are His servants, and that we shall give account to Him of whether we served Him well. In citing the prophetic testimony, the Apostle could direct it both to the first, that is, the Lord's dominion and our servitude to Him, and to the second, that is, our answer before Him at the judgment seat. The first is fulfilled when we believe in the Lord and worship Him as God, which the evangelic proclamation accomplishes. The second will be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ. With the first thought, the connection in the Apostle's words will be this: we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, for He is our Lord, as it is written, "To Me every knee shall bow." Judgment over us belongs to Him, and not to anyone else. With the second, the connection is direct. The words cited by the Apostle depict before us the appearance of Christ the Lord at His second coming. All nations from the ends of the earth are gathered. Seeing the Lord coming from heaven with the hosts of Angels, all will bow to Him in trembling. They will confess Him as their God, before Whom they are accountable, whether they believed this before or not. Then the universal confession of Christ the Savior as God will properly appear and be solemnly proclaimed. Until then, all who persist in unbelief will remain. Therefore one may suppose that the Prophet's words point directly to this. And Saint Paul, citing them in this sense, gives them no thought foreign to the Prophet. Saint Chrysostom says: "Saint Paul cited the words of the Prophet, who bears witness that both those who lived in the Old Covenant and all without exception are subject to God, and subject to Him in everything. For it is not simply said, 'Every one shall bow,' but, 'shall confess,' that is, shall give an account of what he has done. Therefore, imagining the common Master seated upon the throne, attend to yourself," and do not judge others.