In Chapter 14, Paul’s injunctions from chapter 12 to love each other and honor the other above the self met the realities of living in Rome. Jewish Christians had different ideas about when to worship and what foods to eat than the Gentile/Greek Christians.
The Gentile/Greek Christians thought themselves to be better than the Jewish Christians because they didn’t believe in any restrictions regarding food or on what day to worship. The Jewish Christians thought they were better because they DID have beliefs about worshipping on certain, special days and about not eating certain foods. Both groups judged the other…to which Paul cries ‘foul’!
Unity in the body of Christ was paramount. The Christians in Rome were to respect each others’ differences because each tried to follow Christ and be faithful to him as their Lord.
To have peace among themselves and to mutually edify/build up/strengthen each other was the goal. They were to be so ‘other focused’ that they would abstain from behaviors that would cause someone else to stumble. Love and unity was Paul’s insistent hope for them.
