Please explain this verse Romans 14:21

[Boxerdog]

I am in conversation with a friend whos family believes that this verse prohibits all forms of alcohol consumption. I do not believe this, but I think that there is more depth to this verse than what I know. Also this verse would mean that we shouldnt eat meat. In addition to the prohibiting of wine, why meat ?

 

[Catholic_Dude]

I am in conversation with a friend whos family believes that this verse prohibits all forms of alcohol consumption. I do not believe this, but I think that there is more depth to this verse than what I know. Also this verse would mean that we shouldnt eat meat. In addition to the prohibiting of wine, why meat ?

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for any one to make others fall by what he eats; 21 it is right not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother stumble. Rom14
The point of the passage is about doing ANYTHING that can cause a brother to sumble. In the case of alcohol, drinking alcohol isnt a sin but getting drunk is, if a brother has a drinking problem then dont drink around him which could tempt him because he is weak when it comes to alcohol. Paul also talks about eating meat which SPECIFICALLY is sacrificed to idols (also see 1 Cor 8:8-13), back when they had pagan temples they would have sacrifices to them, a brother who converted from paganism who doesnt quite understand idols are just dead wood shoulndt see you eating such sacrifices or it might tempt him to turn away from the True God and back to idols again. Paul is clear you should have this in mind regarding “ANYTHING” that could lead a fellow Christian astray.

It is not about forbidding wine, Jesus Himself drank it and even “brewed” some Himself (John 2:7-10) and at the Last Supper.
St Paul never condemned the drinking of wine in fact this is what he said:“Timothy, No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” (1Timothy 5;23)

 

[lak611]

There is also a verse from the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 9:7, which has a favorable statement about drinking. “Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do.” (NRSV)

 

[lak611]

There is also a verse from the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 9:7, which has a favorable statement about drinking. “Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do.” (NRSV)

A Protestant friend of mine had a roommate back in college who was a Southern Baptist and thought that all drinking was sinful. My friend found that verse from Ecclesiastes and quoted it to his Baptist roommate. Needless to say, the Baptist guy never said anything more about drinking being sinful because being a “Sola Scriptura” believer, he could not refute something that was in the Bible.

 

[Eireann]

Douay Rheims…Explanation.

2 “Eat all things”… Viz., without observing the distinction of clean and unclean meats, prescribed by the law of Moses: which was now no longer obligatory. Some weak Christians, converted from among the Jews, as we here gather from the apostle, made a scruple of eating such meats as were deemed unclean by the law; such as swine’s flesh, etc., which the stronger sort of Christians did eat without scruple. Now the apostle, to reconcile them together, exhorts the former not to judge or condemn the latter, using their Christian liberty; and the latter, to take care not to despise or scandalize their weaker brethren, either by bringing them to eat what in their conscience they think they should not, or by giving them such offence, as to endanger the driving them thereby from the Christian religion.

**21 It is good not to eat flesh, and not to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother is offended, or scandalized, or made weak. 22 Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth. 23 But he that discerneth, if he eat, is condemned; because not of faith. For all that is not of faith is sin. **

23 “Discerneth”… That is, distinguisheth between meats, and eateth against his conscience, what he deems unclean.

**23 **“Of faith”… By faith is here understood judgment and conscience: to act against which is always a sin.

 

[ricko]

All the above are excellent comments. How about this one from Romans 14:2 “A man of sound faith knows he can eat anything, while one who is weak in faith eats only vegetables.” What does your friends family say about that verse? I bet they don’t know that it and the others even exist! They appear to be picking and choosing their verses to suite their own beliefs.

By the way, does your friends family abstaine from meat? I bet not. If they don’t, then they are pickers and choosers!

 

[lak611]

All the above are excellent comments. How about this one from Romans 14:2 “A man of sound faith knows he can eat anything, while one who is weak in faith eats only vegetables.” What does your friends family say about that verse? I bet they don’t know that it and the others even exist! They appear to be picking and choosing their verses to suite their own beliefs.

By the way, does your friends family abstaine from meat? I bet not. If they don’t, then they are pickers and choosers!

Personally, I love fish, seafood, tofu, salad, etc. I don’t eat ground beef or pork (nothing to do with religion, I just don’t like the taste). I could easily fast/abstain 365 days a year, no sacrifice to me! Personally, if I was forced to eat ground beef and pork, that would be a sacrifice to me because I hate it! So I do something else on Fridays, like read the Bible, pray, go to Mass, because, as I said earlier, not eating meat isn’t a sacrifice, it’s a pleasure (seafood, salad, and tofu are my favourite foods!). :whacky: