Don't Let Your Good Be Evil Spoken Of

Ike Whitson, a wise friend of mine, once wrote, "We can all find scriptures that will support our view if we are foolish enough to take the scripture out of context. You must be very careful that what you read really pertains to your situation." If we approach the scripture without the pure intent to search out what God is speaking, then we can come up with all sorts of heretic doctrines. It's imperative that we study and search out God's heart and intent in scripture. We have to ask, "Who wrote the scripture? Who was it written to?" We must study the full text of the letter and not just the verse itself.

It seems that one scripture I hear quoted more often lately than usual is Romans 14:16. It says, "Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil" - NKJV (Side note: One might notice that most people making reference to it do not even know what book of the Bible it is in). This verse is mentioned frequently in conversations where someone disagrees with someone else's convictions. For example, let's say Randy is a believer who doesn't eat pork because his convictions tell him not to. He thinks it is bad/evil. Randy often quotes this scripture to/about anyone who eats pork, trying to impose his convictions as "true and right for everyone." Randy proposes that anyone who is really a Christian should know better and act more wisely because people who don't believe it's ok to eat pork can "speak evil" of their "good."

Let's take a closer look at the context of this scripture.

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church at Rome around the year 57AD. Chapter 14 is summarized as a set of principles of conscious for the weak and strong in faith. Let's break the chapter down a bit. My notes are in blue print.

Romans 14

1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Don't be loading up new/young believers with all of your personal convictions. They will fall in love with God and through His Word will discover their own convictions. Disputing and debating can really mess them up causing doubt to take root in their heart. It took me a long time to figure out that many of the convictions I had developed as a believer were based on traditions of church people and not scripture (AKA legalism).

2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

God will convict us about specific things in order to protect us from falling into sin. Some people are more susceptible to certain temptations than others. Overeating isn't much of a temptation for some, and others may need to steer clear of the buffets and find an accountability partner who only eats organic food. We draw a line of self-righteousness in the sand when we say that we are better than someone else because we aren't tempted with the same issue. Paul takes some time in the next few verses to say, don't be judgmental or mad that other people have freedom in things you are bound in.

3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.