The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 421

ciples here laid down. First of all, it is shown that we ought not to judge our brethren, This is a purely negative command. The next oomme.nd is somewhat more positive. "But jud,,"8 this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in bis brother's way " (ver. 13). The apostle enforces the exhortation to Ohrietian self-denial by three special reasons. 1. TM Christian should not injure those whom Ohrist has died to sa11e. "Destroy not him with thy m<'at, for whom Christ died" (ver. 16), Thia ~ the tn&e basis of total, abstiflefll.C& " It is good neither to ee.t flesh, nor to drink wine, nc>r anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is me.de weak" (ver, 21). 2. The Chn~tian has higlier enjoyments than those of seljish indulgllnce. "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink ; but righteousness, e.nd peaoe, and joy in t.he Holy Ghost" (ver. 17). The giving up of a merely bodily comfort or enjoyment should not be a great hardship to the Christian. God is able to give us much more than this. 3. The e=mple of Christ is an ea:ampk of self-denial,. " For even Christ pleased not himself" (eh. xv. 3). Self-denial is an essential part of truly following Christ, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." This law of Christian self-denial covers a wide field. Not merely absti~ nence from meats and drinks, from bodily indulgences which do harm to others; but also to put a bridle on our tongues, lest by our words we should give offence to others; to abst.ain from gratifying even lawful desires and wishes where the attainment of our purpose would cause pa.in or injury to others ;-this is self-denial, this is to follow the example of Christ. Self-pleasing is a besetting sin with most of us. III. Tm: LA w OF CHRISTIAN HELPFULNESS. Here the apostle takes another forward step. Here he st.ates a still higher principle. "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" (ver. 19); "Let enry one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification" (eh, :xv, 2). Here is the truly positive principle of Christian life. The Christian life should not be merely an abstinence from enl, but a positive doing of what is good. We should not merely refrain from injuring our neighbours, but we should be actively engaged, as Christians, in rendering them all the spiritual help we can. .AJJ a rule, our Christianity is negative rather than positive. It is too selfish. Many Christians are perfectly content with attaining the salvation of their own souls, and going through the world as harmlessly as possible. '11us, after all, is but a low type of Christianity True Christianity, the Christianity of the sermon on the mount, is a.s the salt, the light, the leaven; an active, helpful, beneficent influence upon those around us,-C. H. L Vers. 1-23.-C'hristian liberty. Tbe general treatment of the ethics of the gospel is concluded, and now the apostle deals with a particular application whlch the condition of the Church at Rome required. There were some there, a minority prob- ably, who were more or lees in subjection to the spirit of the old Judaic economy, making cfutinctions of meats and of days. And when they came together for the C~tia.D love-feasts, the differences were of awkward consequence. Tbe stronger ones doubted whether they shonld admit these, so weak in the faith, as they deemed them; the weaker ones were scandalized at the unscrupulousness, as they thought it, of the strong, or perhaps, overborne by the weight of their example, against their own con- victions they joined in the common meal. Was there not grievous wrong in this? The stronger ones despising the weak, and overbearing their scruples, by disputations, perhaps by ridicule; the weaker ones, grieved in their hearts, and judging the strong, or otherwise, to their own condemnation, sinking their scruples and joiniDg in the feast? But surely the Divine ethics of the gospel can meet thl'3 case: the apostle applies them, He will espouse, not the scruples of the weak, but their weakness, ae age.inst the over- bearing ridicule of the strong; but first, to guard himself and them, he will defend the liberty of the strong as against the censorious judgmente of the weak. L THE DUTY OF '.!:HE WEAK, 'l'he weaker man had his scruples; his strong judgments as to this or that mode of outward living being right, and this or that wrong. And he was quick to condemn the man whose opinions and practices were unlike hie own. Not so, says the apostle. 1. He ha, another Ma8ter. Certainly he hae yielded him- ~lf tc, Christ, and Christ, not another, _must measure the fidelity of hie service. If ra·,thfu.l, he abides bis servant ; if unfaithful, he falls. But he shall not fall. 'l'hi, iu:..J"L i.E rigl,t, ar,d even if the freedom uf uutwa.rd ob6Cfva.nce were a mistaken freo<low, on, xiv. 1-23.] THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO 'l'HE ROMANS. 419