Peace and Edification

The passage before us contains much that is “old” and something that is “new.”

The “old” constitutes reminders of earlier truths or exhortations Paul has communicated to the Romans as he has developed this section on Christian relationships. “All things indeed are pure” (14:20), he writes, but anything can be evil (in a way) to one who eats with the conviction that he is giving offense to God. If a Christian eats or drinks something that he believes should not be consumed, he is truly sinning (v. 23). Therefore, those who have no qualms about eating certain foods must consider the scruples of these “weaker” brothers and sisters, and should refrain from eating if the sight of them partaking of a “forbidden” food would cause the weaker believer to stumble, take offense, or be made weaker in his faith (v. 21). The strong believer must hold his or her liberty as a gift from God (v. 22) and refuse to do anything that would “destroy” the work of God in another believer (v. 20). Simply put, he or she must sometimes refrain from pleasing himself in order to “bear with … the weak” (15:1).

This is the path by which we “pursue the things that make for peace.” We do our best to give no offense, no cause for another brother to question our commitment to Christ, and so we prevent divisions arising in the church. But we must not stop there, and that brings us to the new element Paul introduces in this passage—edification. Today’s passage both begins and ends with this concept. It is a key idea in Paul’s writings, but not one we have encountered in Romans to this point. Simply put, the word edify means “to build up,” and that is precisely how The New International Version translates the Greek in 15:2. When used in the context of Christian relationships, it refers to strengthening or encouraging other believers, helping them on to maturity. Edification is a duty all Christians are called upon to perform for one another.

Therefore, Paul is telling us in this passage that it is not enough merely to do no harm to another believer. That is the minimum requirement. But we have a positive responsibility to press on to do good to one another. We are our brothers’ keepers, and we should do all we can to help them grow toward Christlikeness.