Romanos 14
Augustine of Hippo · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Romanos 14:1
Paul says that we should receive the weak man in order that we might support his weakness by our strength. Neither should we criticize his opinions by daring to pass judgment on someone else's heart, which we do not see. — AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 78
Romanos 14:2
At that time many people who were strong in their faith and who knew the Lord's teaching, that it is what comes out of the mouth which defiles a man, not what goes into it, were eating whatever they liked with a clear conscience. But some weaker ones abstained from meat and wine, so as to avoid unknowingly eating foods which had been sacrificed to idols. At that time the Gentiles sold all sacrificed meat in the butcher shops, poured out the first fruits of the wine as a libation to their idols and even made some offerings in the wine presses. — AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 78
Romanos 14:3
The apostle instructed those who ate such food with a clear conscience not to despise the weakness of those who abstained.… And he told the weak not to condemn as polluted those who consumed such meat and wine.… For the strong insisted on despising the weak, and the weak did not hesitate to condemn the strong. — AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 78
Romanos 14:3
Paul wanted to keep the balance, by which scandals are avoided, between those who fast on Saturday and those who do not, so that the one who eats would not despise the one who does not eat, and the one who fasts would not judge the one who eats. — LETTER 36
Romanos 14:4
Paul says this so that, when something might be done with either good or bad motives, we should leave the judgment to God and not presume to judge the heart of someone else, which we do not see. But when it comes to things which obviously could not have been done with good and innocent intentions, it is not wrong if we pass judgment. So in the matter of food, where it is not known what the motive in eating it is, Paul does not want us to be judges, but God. But in the case of that abominable immorality where a man had taken his stepmother, Paul taught us to judge. For that man could not possibly claim that he committed such a gross act of indecency with good intentions. So we must pass judgment on things which are obviously wrong. — AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 79
Romanos 14:4
These men were of a mind to pass judgment with regard to things which may indeed be done with a bad intention but which may also be done with an upright, simple and magnanimous motive. Although they were men, they wanted to judge the secrets of the heart—secrets of which God alone is the judge. — SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.18.59
Romanos 14:5
At the moment, and without any deeper consideration, it seems to me that this is said about God and man, not about two men. He who judges on alternate days is man, who can judge one way today and another way tomorrow.… But the One whose judgment is the same every day is the Lord.… But let everyone dare to judge only insofar as is granted to human intelligence or at least to his own. — AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 80
Romanos 14:6
When someone observes the day well, he keeps the day for the Lord. To judge the day well means you are not to despair over the future correction of the person whose guilt might appear now to be clean. — AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS
Romanos 14:17
By "the kingdom of God" Paul means the church, in which God reigns. — LETTER 36
Romanos 14:22
This should be read in connection with [verse 16] above.… Let us make good use of what we have, lest we sin against our brothers by creating a stumbling block for the weaker ones. For when we offend the weak we condemn ourselves by the very good by which we approve ourselves when this faith pleases us. — AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 81