NOTES for Rom 14:6-8

In the Roman church, the question of observing—or not observing—the religious prescriptions of Judaism was a pressing one: the local Christian community was very diverse. There must have been many Jews in it, since the Jewish diaspora in Rome was one of the largest in the empire, and among them there were surely many who had accepted Christ.

But there were probably no fewer recent pagans there. Rome was the largest city in the empire, with many people interested in Judaism and in various new spiritual movements, so the ground for preaching was very favourable. It was precisely when Jews met former pagans within the Christian community that various conflicts arose, mostly over Sabbath observance and the dietary laws of kashrut. Pagans, even those actively interested in Judaism who attended the synagogue—usually called ‘God-fearers’ among Jews—were not required to observe such prescriptions. On becoming Christians, they saw neither a point nor a need in observing them. To these people all days were alike, and they continued to eat non-kosher meat from Rome's markets without hesitation or anxiety. Yet at the same table sat Jews who could allow themselves little more than vegetables or fruit from a pagan's table: whether anything else was kosher was doubtful, and an observant Jew who kept all the commandments of his religion would not even touch non-kosher food. The same applied to the Sabbath and other Jewish festivals: for Jews, a whole system of ritual prohibitions and restrictions was in force, which prompted nothing but a smile from a recent pagan.

A natural question arose: should observance of Judaism's Old Testament norms and prescriptions be regarded as obligatory for all Christians? In principle, the apostolic council in Jerusalem, held shortly before the letter was written, had answered no, deciding that pagans who accepted Christ did not have to become Jews. In practice, however, the issue was broader: does religion have any value in itself for a Christian? Does it give any advantage to those who keep it? Paul does not answer as unequivocally here as some recipients of his letter might have wished. He leaves the decision to each member of the Church, requiring only one thing: that no one impose either their religion or their absence of religion on anyone else.

Paul understands perfectly that Christianity is not a new religion replacing Judaism or particular pagan cults, but life with Christ in His Kingdom. Religion may help some people in this, and they are free to use it to reach their goal. For others it may be more of a hindrance, and it should not be imposed on them by demanding observance of norms and rules that are of no use to them. What matters most is life in Christ's love; the rest is best left to each person's discretion, including religion itself.