Romans 14:11

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. FOR IT IS WRITTEN (ISAIAH 45:23 ), AS I LIVE, SAITH THE LORD (HEBREW, Yahweh (H3068 )), EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD. The passage, as it stands in the prophet, has no immediate reference to any 'day of judgment,' but is a prediction of the ultimate subjugation to the true God (in Christ) of every soul of man; but this of course implies that they shall bow to the award of God upon their character and every soul of man; but this of course implies that they shall bow to the award of God upon their character and actions....

11._As I live, etc. _He seems to me to have quoted this testimony of the Prophet, not so much to prove what he had said of the judgment-seat of Christ, which was not doubted among Christians, as to show that judgment ought to be looked for by all with the greatest humility and lowliness of mind; and this is what the words import. He had first then testified by his own words, that the power to judge all men is vested in Christ alone; he now demonstrates by the words of the Prophet, that all flesh ought to be humbled while expecting that judgment; and this is expressed by the bending of the knee. But though in this passage of the Prophet the Lord in general foreshows that his glory should be known among all nations, and that his majesty should everywhere shine forth, which was then hid among very few, and as it were in an obscure corner of the world; yet if we examine it more closely, it w...

7-13 Though some are weak, and others are strong, yet all must agree not to live to themselves. No one who has given up his name to Christ, is allowedly a self-seeker; that is against true Christianity. The business of our lives is not to please ourselves, but to please God. That is true Christianity, which makes Christ all in all. Though Christians are of different strength, capacities, and practices in lesser things, yet they are all the Lord's; all are looking and serving, and approving themselves to Christ. He is Lord of those that are living, to rule them; of those that are dead, to revive them, and raise them up. Christians should not judge or despise one another, because both the one and the other must shortly give an account. A believing regard to the judgment of the great day, would silence rash judgings. Let every man search his own heart and life; he that is strict in judging...

FOR IT IS WRITTEN - This passage is recorded in Isaiah 45:23. It is not quoted literally, but the sense is preserved. In Isaiah there can be no doubt that it refers to Yahweh. The speaker expressly calls himself Yahweh, the name which is appropriate to God alone, and which is never applied to a creature; Romans 14:18. In the place before us, the words are applied by Paul expressly to Christ; compare Romans 14:10. This mode of quotation is a strong incidental proof that the apostle regarded the Lord Jesus as divine. On no other principle could he have made these quotations. AS I LIVE - The Hebrew is, “I have sworn by myself.” One expression is equival

EXPOSITION ROMANS 14:1 F. _The duty of enlightened Christians towards weak brethren. _From moral duties in general of Christians towards each other and towards all the apostle now passes to such as they owe peculiarly to each other as members of a religious community, united by a common faith. He has already (Romans 12:16) admonished his readers to be "of the same mind one toward another;" but, as was remarked under that verse, this did not imply agreement of view on all subjects, such as is impossible where there are many minds. In this chapter he recognizes the impossibility, having immediately before him what was then patent, the inability of some, through prejudice or slowness of conception, to enter into views of the meaning of the gospel which to himself a

FOR IT IS WRITTEN,.... In Isaiah 45:23; though Justin Martyr o cites a like passage with what follows, as out of Ezekiel 37, but no such words appear there, either in the Hebrew text, or Septuagint version: AS I LIVE, SAITH THE LORD; the form of an oath used often by the Lord; who because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, by his own life; signifying, that what he was about to say, would as surely come to pass, as that he lived; and in the original text in Isaiah it is, "I have sworn by myself"; which being generally expressed, the apostle, perfectly agreeable to the meaning of it, gives the particular form of oath he swore, as in Isaiah 49:18; EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME; which is not to be understood literally of bowing of the knee at the name of Jesu

CHAPTER 14 _ 1. Strong and Weak Brethren are the Lord's Servants. (Romans 14:1 .)_ 2. The True Way of Love. (Romans 14:13 .) Romans 14:1 The question concerning brethren who were weak in faith, how they are to be treated by those who are strong is now taken up. Those weak in the faith had not the complete knowledge of their position in Christ, though they knew Christ and loved Him. They did not realize that certain observances of days, or abstinences from meats and drinks, could not affect their salvation in any way. There were scruples and conscientious difficulties, as there are still among God's people. One believeth he may eat all things, he knew his full Christian freedom--another who i

A LESSON IN TOLERATION. A special homily for Rome (Romans 14:1 to Romans 15:13) follows the comprehensive exhortation of chs. 12 f. Some ascetic circle in the Roman Church (p. 650), led perhaps by Jews of Essenic tenets (see Lightfoot's _Colossians,_ on the Essenes), practised vegetarianism; others made much of sacred days. On such matters Christians should not judge or quarrel with each other. ROMANS 14:1. The man who eats herbs only, has a feeble apprehension of the Gospel, imagining his salvation affected by his diet; see Romans 14:17; _cf._...

RESPECT FOR SCRUPLES (Romans 14:1) _ 14:1 Welcome the man who is weak in the faith, but not with a view to passing judgment on his scruples._ In this chapter Paul is dealing with what may have been a temporary and local problem in the Roman Church, but is also one continually confronting the Church and always demanding solution. In the Church at Rome there were apparently two lines of thought. There were some who believed that in Christian liberty the old tabus were gone; they believed that the old food laws were now irrelevant; they believed that Christianity did not consist in the special observance of any one day or days. Paul makes it clear that this in fact is the standpoint of real Christian faith. On the other hand, there were those who were full of scruples; they believed that it was wrong to eat meat; they believed in the rigid observance of the Sabbath tyranny.

CONFESS. Greek. _exomologeomai._ Citation from Isaiah 45:23. The Holy Spirit substitutes "As. live" for Hebrew, "By Myself have. sworn. "See App-107....