Judging Nothing Unclean

In the continuing study of the doctrine of Christian liberty, Pastor Bacon examines Rom. 14:13-14 and notes that here Paul adduced another principle regarding Christian conduct: that none of us place a stumbling or occasion to fall in a brother's way. Paul will continue to expound upon this principle through the end of the chapter, and adduce no fewer than fourteen arguments in favor of the principle. In this sermon, Pastor Bacon deals with the first two arguments, found in verse 13, together with a possible objection in verse 14.

The two arguments of v.13:

1. The nature of the deed: it is a stumbling-block or occasion to fall.
2. The nature of the other person, which is that he is a "brother," or fellow believer.

The objection of verse 14 is drawn in part from Acts 10:15. There God seems to remove the category of "unclean" from the dietary restrictions of the OT.

Paul dealt with this objection by granting that nothing "of itself" is unclean (referring explicitly to dietary considerations). Yet, if one has an erroneous conscience about matters of diet (as in previous verses in this passage) such that he regards the lawful to be unlawful, then it is perfectly reasonable for the strong to condescend to the weak in such matters.