Romans 14.19a-Paul Commands The Strong To Unite With Him In Continuing To Be Diligent To Practice Those Things, Which Produce Peace
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday April 14, 2010
Romans: Romans 14:19a-Paul Commands The Strong To Unite With Him In Continuing To Be Diligent To Practice Those Things, Which Produce Peace
Lesson # 486
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 14:14.
This evening we will begin a study of Romans 14:19 by noting the first command that appears in this passage in which Paul commands the strong to unite with him in continuing to make it a habit of being diligent to practice those things, which produce peace between themselves and the weak.
Tomorrow we will complete the verse by noting the second command in which Paul commands the strong to unite with him in continuing to make it a habit of practicing those things, which produce the edification of the weak, which is for the benefit of the body of Christ as a corporate unit.
Romans 14:14, “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.”
Romans 14:15, “For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.”
Romans 14:16, “Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil.”
Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 14:18, “For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.”
Romans 14:19, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
Romans 14:19 is an emphatic inference from Paul’s teaching in Romans 14:13-18 and summarizes this teaching.
Some manuscripts have the first person plural present active subjunctive form of the verb dioko (διώκω) (thee-owe-koe), which would be translated as “let us pursue”(C D Ψ 33 1739 1881, majority text latt co).
On the other hand, some have the word in the indicative, which would be translated as “we pursue” (The following manuscripts have the indicative: a A B F G L P 048 0209 6 326 629 al).
The NASB goes with the indicative whereas the NET Bible, ESV, LEB, NIV, ISV, RSV, NRSV, KJV and NKJV all go with the subjunctive.
Even though the indicative is the more difficult reading and has great external support, the confusion between ω and ο and intrinsic probability make the argument for the subjunctive more likely.
Intrinsic probability refers to what reading, which stands by itself and makes the most sense and views what the author is saying in a particular context and attempts to make sense of the variant from the context.
The verb dioko means “to be diligent to practice” in the sense of doing something with intense effort and with a definite purpose or goal in mind, thus Paul wants the strong to join with him in being diligent to practice those things, which produce peace and the edification of the body of Christ.
The first person plural form of the verb is an “inclusive we” referring to Paul and those of his readers who were strong emphasizing that being diligent to practice those things, which produce peace and edify the body is to characterize them.
The subjunctive mood of the verb dioko is a “hortatory” or “volitive” subjunctive used by Paul to exhort his readers who are strong to unite with him in being diligent to practice those things which produce peace and edify the body of Christ.
The present tense is a “customary” present used to signal a continuation of an ongoing state indicating that Paul wants the strong to unite with him in “continuing to make it a habit of” being diligent to practice those things which produce peace and edify the body of Christ.
The customary present and Paul’s statements in Romans 15:14-15 indicate that the strong in Rome were already uniting with him in being diligent to practice those things which he taught in Romans 14:13-18, which will produce peace between them and the weak and edify the body of Christ.
Therefore, he is simply reminding them here to continue doing so.
Romans 14:19, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
“The things” is the accusative neuter plural form of the definite article ho (ὁ() (owe), which refers to the prohibitions that appear in verses 13b, 15b and 16 that constitute loving one’s fellow believer self-sacrificially like Christ and will manifest the righteousness, peace and joy of God among the Roman believers.
Romans 14:13, “Therefore, let us continue making it a habit of never ever condemning one another but rather, on the contrary, I solemnly charge all of you to make it your top priority to determine this, namely, continue to make it a habit of not placing an obstacle or a temptation in the life of your spiritual brother that causes them to sin.”
Therefore, in Romans 14:19, the substantive use of the article ho, “the things” refers to this prohibition addressed to the strong.
Romans 14:15, “For if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that because of food your spiritual brother does get upset, then you are, as an eternal spiritual truth no longer conducting your life according to divine-love. Continue making it your habit of not causing this person on behalf of whom Christ died as a substitute to suffer loss because of your food.”
Therefore, “the things” in Romans 14:19 refers to the strong not causing the weak believer to suffer loss of fellowship because of the inconsiderate use of their freedom with regards to food.
Romans 14:16, “Therefore, continue to making it your habit of not causing that which is good in character possessed by you to be spoken of as evil.”
Therefore, “the things” in Romans 14:19 refers to the strong not causing their freedom with respect to food, which is good in character, to be spoken of as evil by their weak brother.
Therefore, “the things” in Romans 14:19 refers to the prohibitions Romans 14:13b, 15b and 16, which are acts of love since by obeying them would constitute obeying the command to love one another since love does no wrong to a neighbor.
Obedience to these prohibitions manifests the righteousness, peace and joy of God among the Roman believers.
It is also a manifestation of being in fellowship with the Holy Spirit since love is produced by the Spirit in the believer who obeys the command to love one another as Christ loved.
Romans 14:19, “So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
“Which make for peace” is the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun eirene (εἰρήνη) (ear-ree-nee), which refers to the manifestation of the peace of God between the strong and the weak in Rome since Paul is addressing the proper conduct of the strong in relation to the weak.
The noun eirene, “peace” functions as a genitive of product indicating that the peace, which will be manifested between the weak and the strong is the “product” of the strong being diligent to practice the prohibitions in Romans 14:13b, 15b and 16, which constitute loving the weak self-sacrificially.
So with this word Paul is saying let us continue making it a habit of being diligent to practice those things, “which produce peace.”