What Are “Disputable Matters?”
Romans 14:1 in the NIV says, “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” The ESV reads, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” The ASV says, “But him that is weak in faith receive ye, yet not for decision of scruples.” The KJV renders the verse as follows: “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.” What are “disputable matters,” “opinions,” “scruples,” or “doubtful disputations”?
What weight does opinion have?
Romans 14 is addressed to Gentiles who didn’t understand Jewish customs regarding food, drink, and Jewish feast days (see verses 2, 3, and 6). While these things were commanded under the Old Testament law, they were abrogated in Christ and not obligatory for Gentiles ( Acts 15:9-11, Ephesians 2:15). These Jewish customs became a problem for churches with Jews and Gentiles. Gentiles had no compunction not to practice Jewish customs and thought Christian Jews should feel the same. However, many Jews couldn’t abandon these Jewish practices because it would offend their conscience. So, Paul gave instruction to the church at Rome not to divide over these matters.
Paul wrote, “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him” ( Romans 14:3). The Jew needed to respect the right of the Gentile not to observe these things by not binding the Jewish customs upon the Gentile. The Gentile also needed to respect the Jew who desired to observe these things by not putting offensive things in front of him (such as pork). For them to do otherwise was to judge unrighteously. So Paul says, “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant?” (verse 4). It is the Lord who judges such matters. “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living” ( Romans 14:9) and it is to Him that we will all give account (verse 12). So Paul’s conclusion in this regard is this, “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way” ( Romans 14:13).
To sum up, Paul’s discussion in Romans 14 concerned the observance or non-observance of Jewish customs. Under Christ, these were matters of personal observance since the law had been nailed to the cross ( Colossians 2:14). So, disputable matters are not matters of obligation, but matters of personal conscience. The principles in this passage ought not to be applied to matters of right and wrong.
From this study, we learn there is room for disagreement regarding matters of opinion in the Lord’s church and we learn not to divide over such things. Today there are some among us who hold one opinion or another as a matter of personal conscience. Let us respect them and honor them as our brothers and sisters in Christ.