Romans 14

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Sudsy
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Re: Romans 14

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Hats Off wrote:
Sudsy wrote:Questions for further discussion -

1) Hats Off - How is Romans 14 a 'replacement' for John 3:16 ? I don't see the replacement idea here.
I am not talking about a connection or that one "replaces" the other. My point was to look at favourite or often quoted verses and see what the message of the verse has to say about us and our thinking. John 3:16 has been a favourite verse because of it's message that all who believe are "saved." Romans 14 seems to be replacing it as a favourite because it implies that no one else should be able to tell me what to do. By quoting Romans 14, I can silence my detractors.
OK, I understand now what you mean by replacement. I think Romans 14 is a good text to give some balance to being told by others how one must live for their master and being tolerant and sensitive to the fact that we all report to God first and foremost and not to 'the brethren' or community. Some of us in Anabaptism have, what I think to be, a more accepting way of others in our community when they chose to follow Christ in their way. And when those in Anabaptism come out strong against individualism and promote following a community derived way of following Christ, then this referral to Romans 14 is often used. Can either argument be taken to extremes, imo, yes. In this text it uses the term 'condemning' and sometimes pointing out how submissive one must be to the community or how individual one should be, can sound condemning of the other.

Romans 14 is not a text that says 'leave me alone to follow Christ as I chose to follow'. It talks about the need to be sensitive to each other's spiritual growth in what we do and it also warns against dictating how each believer must follow the Lord in a community of believers. It is not to support individualism over community but rather how best to accept and be concerned for one another within a community.

Open to rebuttals.
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Bootstrap
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Re: Romans 14

Post by Bootstrap »

Sudsy wrote:Romans 14 is not a text that says 'leave me alone to follow Christ as I chose to follow'. It talks about the need to be sensitive to each other's spiritual growth in what we do and it also warns against dictating how each believer must follow the Lord in a community of believers. It is not to support individualism over community but rather how best to accept and be concerned for one another within a community.
Yes. Yes.

And it's a message some modern Christians really need to hear. It doesn't negate the rest of the New Testament, but the rest of the New Testament is in harmony with Romans 14.
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Josh
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Re: Romans 14

Post by Josh »

Bootstrap wrote:It doesn't negate the rest of the New Testament, but the rest of the New Testament is in harmony with Romans 14.
That's a message that also needs to be heard - I don't believe that one part of the New Testament somehow trumps another part.
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