Romans 14:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Again the Apostle asks for something greater: not only not to compel, but also to show condescension. He himself often acted in this way, namely when he circumcised, cut his hair, and offered a Jewish sacrifice. He does not say to the weak man, "Do it," but proposes this as his own opinion, lest he make the weaker man still more careless. And what does he say? "It is good not to eat meat." And why do I speak of meat? Abstain also from wine and from everything that serves as scandal, because nothing can equal the salvation of the brother. Christ showed this, for He came down from heaven and endured for our sake all that He endured.

You, he says, compel your brother to eat what he does not dare to eat. But I say that you must abstain from everything that scandalizes your brother, not because it is evil, for all things are clean, but because it scandalizes. By the word "stumbles" he showed that the man is blinded, for the blind stumble. He is scandalized as thoughtless, and he is weak as one of little faith. By all this he draws the stronger man to help his brother as one who is utterly weak.

Although it is possible both to eat meat and to drink wine, freedom in this is not altogether harmless. Yet abstinence too is useful, lest we fatten the flesh with foods and thereby stir up in it the fierceness of the passions against ourselves. Therefore, if we abstain from them for our own sake, we should do so much more for our brother's sake, so as not to give scandal, in view of what has been said: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Rom 13:9 = Lev 19:18; Mt 22:39).

Although the discussion concerns only meat, Paul also adds wine in order to attend to those who abstain from both. He says that it is permitted both to eat meat and to drink wine, so that some may not be wounded by those who do not abstain from these things. Paul comforts them, that they may act peacefully according to their own will and avoid dispute, through which division comes. For there is no purpose in arguing whether it is good to eat meat and drink wine, or, conversely, not to eat meat and not to drink wine. No one disputes that both groups are right in their own way. For creation has been given for the use of those who desire it, while to desire or not to desire is not a necessity.

In this place the Apostle praises abstinence from meat and wine. Yet he urges even more insistently that, so as not to give occasion for the brethren to stumble, one should abstain from the food and drink of those who sacrifice to idols.

"It is good not to eat meat, nor anything by which your brother stumbles." This is a beautiful rule of lofty Christian love. It renounces what is pleasing to oneself, perhaps even what is needed, solely because this or that food may trouble one's neighbor. How lightly this rule is forgotten by those who, while making use of Christian freedom, openly violate the Church fasts.

Some, boasting of their freedom and making use of the absence of Church regulations concerning fasting, ate everything. They even ate what others considered forbidden and unclean, and by this they repelled them from themselves and even from the Church. The Apostle instructs such people not to grieve their brethren (v. 15), not to give occasion for their faith to be blasphemed (v. 16), not to destroy the work of God, that is, the unity of the Church (v. 20), not to eat to the scandal of others (ibid.), and not to scandalize the brethren (v. 21). In all this there is a direct rebuke of the Stundists. It is all the more severe because the fasts they reject and openly violate are now not a remnant of Judaism, but an age-old institution of the Church of God.

Fourth, in questions about eating, when the perfect adapt themselves to those weak in faith, they do not lower their own faith, but preserve the weak from sin (Rom 14:22-26). "Do you have faith," that is, faith not constrained by questions about food? "Have it to yourself before God. Blessed is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts, if he eats, is condemned, because he does not eat from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin." The Holy Apostle accompanies this instruction with a prayerful appeal to "the only wise God, through Jesus Christ," who is able to establish the Roman Christians whom he instructs. But is condescension toward the imperfect and immature notions of the weak in faith not hypocrisy? "No," Saint Chrysostom answers. "Your action is not hypocrisy. On the contrary, it will serve for the building up and preservation of the brother."

Having said that food is not an essential matter, the Apostle indicates wherein the essential matters of Christian life consist: holiness, mutual concord, and spiritual joy. All the care of Christians must be directed toward these chief matters of Christian life, since in them the Kingdom of God is found. It gradually takes up its dwelling in the hearts of Christians as they advance in attaining the blessings indicated. Therefore, if anything at all, including difference over food, becomes a cause of violating someone's holiness or peace, and instead of joy implants division, grief, and the heaviness of enmity, it must in every way be set aside. By such difference the inward establishment of the Kingdom of God within us is destroyed.

"It is good not to eat." Throughout the whole chapter, while interpreting this matter, the Apostle clearly required this as something due and gave a commandment for its fulfillment. Yet he expressed himself as though he were saying, "It is better," in the form of his own opinion and counsel. He did this so that, while giving a commandment to the strong man together with the weak, he might suggest to the latter that condescension is being shown to his weakness. In this way he would move him to care for healing. He does not prescribe not eating meat and not drinking wine in general, but only in the case when someone is scandalized by it. Here the Apostle does not touch on the fact that both things should be done for the sake of abstinence.