Eating Food In The Faith With Love and Thanksgiving

     Romans 14:1-2:

     Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on

     his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak {in faith

     according to verse 1}, eats vegetables only. (NASB)

This verse does not say why the weak person only eats vegetables, but it is unlikely the health

conscience vegetarianism of today since eating meat was standard cuisine for the main meal

among the affluent in both ancient Rome and Greece.44 In the cultural context of this writing,

members of the early church that had forsaken their old manner of life to follow Christ were

living in a society and within a governmental system that revolved around pagan beliefs and

practices. These practices included ritual dedication of meat and wine to what they now

understood as false gods and/or demons. Before turning to Jesus, some had participated in these

ceremonies and consumed these sacrifices in order to worship and commit themselves to these

pagan deities.

The left-over fresh meat from these pagan temples was often sold in the market place and it was

difficult to know for sure its source. Therefore, some believers were avoiding meat altogether. Paul gives more information about the implications of this in the following verse.

     1 Corinthians 8:4-10:

     As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols,

     we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

     For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods

     many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things,

     and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

     Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol

     unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is

     defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better;

     neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of

    yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which

    hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is

    weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

Intentionally participating in practices involving idolatry was expressly forbidden in the Torah

and reaffirmed by Paul in the book of Acts.  For people who were firm in their faith and

allegiance to Christ, who had already freed themselves from the trappings of idolatry to follow

the Lord only, Paul advised them to not be overly concerned about the meat they bought in the

market or would eat in the homes of unbelievers. However, if the people eating with them told

them the food was sacrificed to an idol or they were eating in close proximity to a pagan temple

so that someone “weak in faith” could assume that they were giving honor to an idol by what

they consumed, they were not to eat, because that person might think that they were following

other gods and be tempted to believe it was acceptable to the Lord Jesus Christ.