The knowledge of God and from God in Scripture is the highest knowledge, the apex of all knowledge. It is the basis or foundation of our faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Dr Carl McIntire, the founder of the Bible-Presbyterian movement says “The genius of the Protestant faith has always been that the Holy Spirit speaks through the Scripture directly to the individual.” It is profitable for you when you appropriate it for yourself with prayer.

The Apostle Paul quoted Psalm 69:9, “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.” Hendriksen said well, “The main lesson Paul is conveying is this: If Christ, the Holy One, was willing to take upon himself so much suffering, in the form of insults hurled at Him by His enemies, then should not we be willing to sacrifice just a little eating-and-drinking pleasure for the sake of our fellow-believers?”

The stronger believer ought to bear the infirmities of the weaker believer is the continuing exhortation of the Apostle Paul in this chapter. William MacDonald explains well, “Treat the weaker brother with kindness and consideration.” The reference here is between the difference in practices of eating habits and observing of holy days between Jewish and Gentile Christians.Disharmony arises that disrupts the peace in the body of Christ.

Whatever in the Christian’s life that “does not spring from faith,” that is, “is not in harmony with an inner conviction that what he is doing is in line with his Christian faith,” this person is sinning because he is trying to silence the voice of conscience…To be sure, a person’s conscience is not the Final Judge of his actions…that Final Judge is God, or if one prefers, the Word of God. [Hendriksen]

The Apostle Paul is urging the believers to refrain from judging one another over inconsequential matters threatening to disrupt the harmony of the body of believers in the local church in Rome. Why does he have to repeat time and again throughout this chapter the same point? Why is he so longwinded? I believe this is a pertinent principle for the believers’ to learn for blessed church life.

God is doing a blessed work of sanctifying the lives of His people through the putting on of holiness in the believers’ life. May His children not impede the spiritual progress of God’s body by taking issue with the weak brother on inconsequential issues. Be willing to give deference one to another. Let Christian fellowship be sweet when the believers focus upon those things that work to build up one another in the faith.