Catholic interpretation of Romans 16:17-19

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Romans 16: 17-19, says that we should ‘watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them’. Does this mean that I cannot befriend people who may be sinners or evil in an or not be friends with atheists. What is the Church’s interpretation of this passage?
 
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Curiously enough, these verses are not referenced anywhere in the CCC.
 
No. Reading the notes on it (I have a study Bible on hand), it was about Roman Christians that worried more about food than harmony with each other, and those who practice Christianity in a self serving way (from the Ignatius Catholic study Bible New Testament)
 
Schisms and heresy and false doctrine have always been destructive to the knowledge of God and the understanding of His will. As are evil people in general. 😁

But we’re all ignorant to varying degrees and the average person out there isn’t blatantly evil, so while we should avoid fractious people we’re also to forgive and accept and try to heal and encourage and enlighten those who may well be open to it. We’re to be in the world but not part of it and its values; shrewd while yet innocent.
 
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I think what Paul meant was that you should avoid people who weaken your faith by their argumentation, obstruction, or persuasiveness.

Imagine, for example, someone who is always bringing up rumors against the Catholic Church, or someone who is always denying the existence of God. Such people can be harmful to your spirit and your faith. Avoid them, or if you can’t avoid them (as in the family or the workplace), at least protect and strengthen your faith, minimize the the time you spend with them, and pray for them.

On the other hand, it is no problem to spend time with people of good will who have weak faith or no faith. You will be like that lamp shining in the darkness, helping them to see. It can be a good thing for them as well as for you.
 
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I have heard stories of people who have befriended nazis, or communists and ended up bringing them away from these evil ideologies due to the love that they experienced through their friendship and persuading them to leave these ideologies. Would such actions be against this passage?
 
I think the word and is a key word here.
I have a problem feeling like I have to be friends with anyone who wants to be my friend. I feel unchristian avoiding people who aren’t good for me.

I’ve noticed that a lot of these people (for me) are always upset about someone… Like they think everyone in their life is wrong and almost out to get them.

So, I had this verse printed and put where I could see it daily for a while. I read it as “That behavior is a red flag for someone likely to lead you to sin. It’s morally acceptable & often your responsibility to avoid them if you start feeling like they could be an obstacle to following the Lord.”

Obviously pray and hope for the best for them, but be aware of your weaknesses and guard yourself.
 
2014taylorj said:
Romans 16: 17-19, says that we should ‘watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them’. Does this mean that I cannot befriend people who may be sinners or evil in an or not be friends with atheists. What is the Church’s interpretation of this passage?
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The Church has no interpretation of this. Contrary to many people believing the Church has an official interpretation of every Bible verse this is not true.
In fact the Church has only officially interpreted 7 Bible verses.
 
The Church doesn’t police our friends. We’re adults, we’re supposed to be able to determine when somebody is a bad companion or not.

Is your atheist friend interfering with your faith practice, or being disrespectful of it, or trying to get you to stop believing in God, or disrupting church services, or burning churches, etc? Does he lead you into sin?

Or is he just a normal person who happens to be an atheist and you guys go fishing or out for a beer together?

I have plenty of atheist friends. They don’t bother me about my religion, and I don’t bother them about their lack of same. We talk about our cats, our jobs, music we like, etc. Once in a great while we discuss religion, not in any sort of argumentative way but more like we’d discuss some neutral topic. It’s not a problem.

As for not befriending sinners, everybody is a sinner, so you’d have no friends.
 
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thistle said:
The Church has no interpretation of this. Contrary to many people believing the Church has an official interpretation of every Bible verse this is not true.
In fact the Church has only officially interpreted 7 Bible verses.
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Correct. I think many people who ask these questions are only familiar with sola scriptura Protestant churches where every Bible verse means some specific thing.

The Church isn’t like that. Thank Heaven.
 
2014taylorj said:
says that we should
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Paul doesn’t know what doctrine you have been taught. So there is no “we” about it. Paul apparently knew what was happening at the Church in Rome at that time. So, that’s where he’s coming from.

A modern equivalent might be something like a small remote community where the Church is new and doesn’t have much of a presence in the area, like somewhere in Africa. It may be likely that such a community which is isolated from support would need to be warned not to follow anything that contradicts what they’ve been taught. There would surely be times when the community is confused either by someone who means well but doesn’t know what they’re talking about, or someone from outside the new Catholic community who wants to come in and take over.

If you’d want to make the deduction from those verses in Romans that you shouldn’t befriend anyone who contradicts the gospel, then you’d be missing the point of the verses.

Like others here have said, it’s about a situation where a group, or individual, wouldn’t necessarily know who to listen to because of some shortcoming somewhere. Whether it’s a lack of support, limited knowledge, outside pressure or whatever, if someone is completely new to the faith it’s best that they are cautious about what they take in regarding the faith.
 
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No offense, but were you raised sola scriptura? (In other words, raised to look for “answers” in the Bible to everything?)

The Catholic Church doesn’t interpret Bible verses in this way, as we’ve explained in several posts now.

The Church leaves it up to you to pick your friends.

If your friend leads you into sin, or otherwise interferes with you living a good Catholic life, then you should end the friendship. Otherwise, the Church doesn’t tell you what to do here.
 
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2014taylorj said:
Romans 16: 17-19, says that we should ‘watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them’. Does this mean that I cannot befriend people who may be sinners or evil in an or not be friends with atheists. What is the Church’s interpretation of this passage?
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Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.
 
St Paul also says:
‘As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned.’ Titus 3:10-11
 
No one would ever be converted if this was intended as an absolute command, since all who needed conversion would be avoided.

See for example, the Haydock commentary on a similar verse, 2 John 1:10:
this admonition is in general to forewarn persons of the dangers which may arise from a familiarity with heretics, and such as teach evil doctrine. But by this is not forbidden civility, kindness, and a sincere charity for all men, by which we ought to wish and pray for the eternal salvation of every one.
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The point is to be on guard against one’s faith being corrupted.

The same goes for having one’s morals corrupted–we shouldn’t hang around someone who is going to be a bad influence on us.

On the other hand, if one is not in danger of that, it is good to hang around someone as a good influence.
 
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Genesis315 said:
No one would ever be converted if this was intended as an absolute command, since all who needed conversion would be avoided.
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Discernment is key. Some people are open to conversion, others are instruments of the devil and only looking to provoke the faithful to anger and frustration.
 
love does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the truth (1 Cor 13:6) Augustine says ( De Doctr. Christ . i, 4; and De Trin . x, 10,11): To enjoy is to adhere lovingly to something for its own sake. True faith presuades a heart to love the supreme good, and enjoy the virtuous friendships. A heart that fails with this persausion loves a lesser good, and degenerates to love moreso the world. We are not made for this world, our end is in heaven.

they are skilled in doing evil, but how to do good they know not (Jer 4:22)

depart from me, you evildoers (Ps 119:115, vulg.) For I will lose my Father’s embrace. “For whom the Lord loveth he chastiseth: and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons. For what son is there whom the father doth not correct? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards and not sons.” (Heb 12:6-8)

if anyone is preaching to you a gospel other than the one I preached to you, let him be accursed (Gal 1:9)

brethren, join in imitating me and mark those who so live as you have an example in us (Phil 3:17).

observe him and hearken to his voice (Exod 23:21)
 
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