Romans 14:1

τὸν δὲ�.τ.λ. S. Paul passes to a special case (δὲ) of the duty of love and the consequence of the corporate character of the Christian life: we may perhaps regard it as a special case of the injunction, Romans 12:16.

ἀσθ. τῇ πίστει, Romans 4:19; cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; 1 Corinthians 8:7 f. Cf. Romans 4:20; 1 Corinthians 16:13. τῇ πίστει = his faith—the weakness lies in the fact that his faith in GOD through Christ does not carry him to the detailed conclusions as to the true use and place of all material things and acts in the spiritual life: it is not a wrong faith, but a faith which in certain directions is ineffective. The cause of this ineffectiveness is assigned in 1 Corinthians 8:7, as the associations which certain acts have with the sins of the former heathen life. These prevent him from realising the full Christian ἐξουσία (ib[269]).

[269] ib. ibidem

προσλαμβάνεσθε. Philemon 1:17; Acts 18:26; here Romans 11:15; Romans 15:7; make it a rule to take him into your company and intimacy, whoever he may be.

μὴ κ.τ.λ. = but not; the negative qualification is expressed separately, to give its full scope to the positive injunction.

εἰς διακρίσεις διαλ. For settling doubts, or deciding difficulties; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:10; Hebrews 5:14. This is the only meaning of διάκρισις in N. T. and suits the context well: διαλογισμοί = thoughts involving doubts and scruples; cf. Matthew 16:7-8; Luke 5:22. They are not to aim at deciding the questions which the weak brother raises in his mind, in the spirit of judging. It is a fine piece of charity to take a man, opinions and all.