Pelagius — Commentary on Scripture

Christ alone should be seen in us, not the old self, for “one who says he abides in Christ should walk as he walked.”

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

From here on Paul indirectly begins to upbraid those who thought they were strong and who therefore ate meat without restraint. Paul tells them not to judge others according to their opinions when the law does not judge them.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:2

Some people have a faith so strong that it is not disturbed. Some are worn out by abstinence, or else they are elderly. Others are weak because of their youth or the lusts of the flesh. Paul is not speaking here of the Jews, as some suppose, but of those who abstain, for the Jews do not eat meats even if they are clean according to the law, but only vegetables.Another possible interpretation is this: If you become fainthearted because you know another person who has decided to eat only vegetables and you hesitate to eat meat because of his faith, do not judge the other man’s decision or ask him what has been left to individual discretion. But if you take offense and do not want to eat meat, set a limit for yourself and do the better thing—eat only vegetables—so that everyone may be stirred to abstinence by your agreeableness in this matter rather than be annoyed and offended and thereby merely strengthened in their resolve to go on eating meat. For you cannot condemn someone if he is acting in faith or does it because of his health or old age.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:3

These people took offense at each other. Those who did not eat judged those who ate as carnal, and those who ate ridiculed those who did not eat as fools and considered them to be superstitious. But God called the one, just as he called the other.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:4

What authority do you have to judge someone whom the law does not judge? This is why James says: “He who judges his brother judges the Law”; in other words, he judges himself to be wiser than the law. Nevertheless, Paul himself judged those who broke the commandments and gave others the power to judge. A man either lives or dies according to his own master.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:5

Therefore Paul is speaking here about fasting and abstinence, which are not treated under a fixed provision of the law. Each individual should do whatever he sees fit in the light of his desire to share in the reward. Thus it follows that in a matter of this kind one should simply do what he himself has judged to be better.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:6

The man who fasts for God’s sake and not on account of other people observes the day for the Lord. He eats for God’s sake so that he may have strength to preach the gospel, for which every convert should thank God. This man is not devoted to his own stomach but to the salvation of others.But it is also true that by the example of the one who does not eat meat many are saved and return thanks to God. For one who gives thanks with the voice gives thanks alone, but one who gives thanks in deed as well as voice gives thanks with many others.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:7

No believer lives for himself or dies for himself, because “Christ has died for all, so that those who live no longer live for themselves but for him.”

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:8

Therefore, we must take care that we do not live for ourselves in eating or die on account of others in fasting.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:9

The coming of Christ will find people alive and will bring the dead back to life. It does not matter whether he brings you back to life or finds you alive, as long as you appear righteous before him.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:10

By what authority do you condemn your brother as a voracious glutton? For what reason do you despise him, as if he were weak or his fast were pointless? The Lord will judge our consciences to see with what sort of desire and intention we did what we did.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:11

This shows that we must all account for our actions to the Lord alone.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:12

We shall account to God for those things about which the law is silent. But if we do not rebuke someone when we see him sinning, we shall also give an account to the Lord for that.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:13

From here on, Paul subtly begins to recommend abstinence and says that even though those who eat are strong, they ought to abstain in case the weak are subjected to a stumbling block by their example.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:14

Paul is not saying here that there is anything which is unclean but that for someone with a tender conscience things do become unclean, for even after coming to faith in Christ he is still judging according to Jewish custom.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:15

Paul did not say that a brother is distressed because of fasting but because of food; therefore you should not incite or constrain anyone by the example of what you eat. If your neighbor eats something which is not good for him against his will, you are no longer loving him as yourself if you are not thinking of his good as much as of your own.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:16

What is good is our freedom, which we have in the Lord, so that everything is clean to us. We should not use our freedom in such a way that we appear to be living for the stomach and for feasts.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:17

We are not justified by food. But one should also note that Paul did not say that “fasting and temperance” are not the kingdom of God but rather food and drink. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are more easily maintained through abstinence, for where there is righteousness (by loving one’s neighbor as oneself) there is also peace, and where there is peace there is also spiritual joy, because distress and trouble always arise out of discord.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:18

No one can doubt that a person like this is holy.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS

Romans 14:19

Let us not judge one another in matters of this kind. Abstinence is edification; food, on the other hand, even if it does not ruin anybody, edifies no one.

PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS