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day a Christian may act piously, and in declining to regard it, another Christian may act piously, with a a sincere intent to please the Lord in his employment of time. - He that regardeth the day, etc.; he that regardeth the day regards it out of respect to the Lord's will; and he that regards it not, he too, in like manner, declines to regard it out of respect to the Lord's will. The same truly religious motive may actuate one in observing the day, and the other in not observing it: both may equally cherish a pious regard to the will of the Lord. The apostle now returns to the case of food as coming under the same rule, and as the two cases are alike in the principle which should regulate a Christian's conduct, he speaks in the subsequent verses only of the question pertaining to food. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, etc. He that eateth animal food, as well as vegetable, eateth it with a religious acknowledgment of the Lord; for he thanks God who has appointed it for man's use: on the other hand, he

who doth not eat it declines to use it out of regard, in like manner, to his convictions of the Lord's will, and religiously thanks God for the provision which he has made for man's necessities. Both the one and the other have a regard to the Lord's will.

7, 8. For none of us liveth to himself, etc. This regard to the will of Christ in whatever we do is eminently proper; for we are not our own, we belong to Christ: by the fact of our being Christians, no one of us lives, or dies, as being his own, but as belonging to Christ, both in living and in dying; that is, in the whole of our existence, whether in this world or the other, we belong to Christ.

9. For to this end Christ both died and rose, etc. Christ is the Lord of Christians, both the dead and the living; and it was in order that he might become such, that he died and rose again.

10. Since, then, Christ is the common Lord of all Christians, and as such, is to be our Judge, let both the weak-minded and the strong-minded take caution.—Why dost thou judge— why dost thou set at naught? Why dost thou, who scrupulously abstainest from animal food, condemn thy brother? or, why, on the other hand, dost thou, who eatest animal food, despise thy brother? See verse 3. For we are all to stand at the tribunal of Christ. See 2: 16. 2 Cor. 5: 10. John 5: 22, 27. Matt. 25: 31-46.

11. For it is written: Is. 45: 23. The idea of the quoted passage is, that every one shall bow before God, the sovereign Judge.

12. So then every one of us shall give account, etc. It follows, then, that every one of us is to give account of himself to God: no one can avoid giving this account; no one will give account for another, but each for himself.

13. Let us not therefore judge one another, etc. Since, then, each one is to give account of himself, let us not pass judgment on one another; but decide, rather, not to put any hindrance, or any occasion of sin, in our brother's way.

14. I know, etc. As strengthening the determination not to put any occasion of sin in a brother's way, the apostle avows his own clear conviction, which, he was fully persuaded, was according to the mind of Christ, that no article of food is unclean in itself, or capable of defiling the soul, Mark 7: 15. Acts 10: 15; yet, if a person honestly regard it as unclean, that is, forbidden and unlawful, to him it is unclean, and it would be wrong for him to use it, because by so doing he would violate his conscience and thus contract guilt: consequently, we ought to avoid occasions of leading him thus to sin.

15. The case being so, Christian love requires a person to abstain from such an article of food who might innocently use it so far as himself alone is concerned, but who by using it might endanger another's integrity and salvation.-If thy brother be grieved with

Be

thy meat, etc. If on account of food used by thee thy Christian brother is aggrieved, thou dost not act charitably; that is, according to love. || Destroy not, etc.; do not cause to perish. Compare 1 Cor. 8: 11. not accessory, by thy food, which pertains merely to the perishable body and to brief gratification, and is hence of very small consideration, to the perdition of him whom Christ so loved as to die for his sake. The natural consequence of sin is here had in view, the loss of the soul. Sin, whether in a believer or an unbeliever, exposes to perdition; it is only by abiding in holiness that we can be saved. Heb. 4: 1. 12: 14. Col. 1: 22, 23.

16. Let not then your good be evil spoken of. Let not that which you justly esteem so great a good, namely, your Christian freedom from the yoke of the Mosaic law, be reviled in consequence of the mischiefs which would result from an undue assertion and indulgence of it; rather be willing to waive your right and prefer a brother's peace of conscience to your own gratification. The reason for this immediately follows; namely, true piety consists in other things than carefulness, on one side or on the other, about food.

17. For the kingdom of God, etc. For the religion of Christ, designed to establish the reign of God in men's souls, that is to say, genuine piety,

18 in the Holy Ghost.

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does not consist in food and drink, as though a man's piety depended on what he eats or declines to eat; but in righteousness of heart and life, in peace towards God and men, and in spiritual joy, such joy of soul as the Holy Spirit produces.

18. For he that in these things serveth Christ, etc. The sure way to commend your Christian liberty is, to act as servants of Christ in these things which constitute the reign of God in the heart. He that serves Christ in these things, namely, righteousness, peace, and spiritual joy; he, who in his professed subjection to Christ exemplifies these things, will be acceptable to God and approved among men, and even among those who are weak in their consciences.

19. Things wherewith one may edify another; things conducive to our mutual building up in the Christian faith.

20. For meat; for so small a consideration as the kind of food which thou shalt eat. Destroy not; literally, pull not down. The work of God. This may mean the work which God is effecting among men in establishing righteousness; that is, the cause of God on earth: or, since Christians are called, 1 Cor. 3: 9, compare 3: 16, God's building, reference may be made to the Christian community, or to the church of which the parties concerned were members, viewed as a building. The idea here contrasts well with that in the pre

ceding verse: the exhortation there is, to build up one another; here, not to pull down the work of God. || All things indeed are pure, etc. All kinds of food are indeed pure in themselves (compare verse 14), not communicating moral defilement, and therefore lawful to be used; yet to a person who eats with offence, that is, thereby occasioning another to commit sin, the eating is wrong. Compare 1 Cor. 8: 8-11.

21. It is good neither to eat flesh, etc. On the other hand, though a person might use whatever articles of food he chooses without incurring guilt to himself, yet to abstain from such articles when the use of them would occasion sin to another, is good and right. Thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, etc.; falls into sin, or is led astray, or in respect to which his conscience is weak.-From regard to the weak conscience of another and the danger of his being led into acts which in him would be sinful, it is good for a person to deny himself what in other circumstances he might rightfully enjoy. Compare 1 Cor. 8: 13. 10: 29.

22. Hast thou faith, etc. More properly, Thou hast faith; that is, thou, the strong-minded Christian, hast a full belief that what thou doest is right. Very well; make not this belief, however, the standard by which others must judge in regard to themselves. This belief of thine should be held as a matter between

God and thee, and not as emboldening thee to disregard the moral weakness of thy brother. || Happy is he that condemneth not himself, etc. Justly may the man account himself happy, who is free from self-condemnation in the acts which he approves.

23. And he that doubteth, etc.; but he, who doubts the rightfulness of eating flesh, is condemned if he eat it; because his act would not proceed from a belief that it was right: he ate, while conscientiously doubting whether he was doing right; and every act which does not proceed from a belief that it is right, is sinful; it is doing what the person suspects, at least, to be wrong, and thus his conscience is really defiled.

CHAPTER XV.

The subject of the preceding chapter is concluded; vs. 1-13. The apostle expresses his great regard for the Roman Christians, notwithstanding the boldness with which he had

written to them, 14-16; gives a cursory view of his apostolic labors, 17-21; makes known his purpose of visiting Rome after he shall have conveyed to Jerusalem a contribution with which he had been entrusted for the indigent Christians there, 22-29; and requests a remembrance in their prayers, expressing also his interest in their welfare, 30-33.

1. We then that are strong, etc.; we, who have strength of judgment and conscience ought to bear with the weaknesses of our brethren, and not to please ourselves in disregard of their scruples. Compare Gal. 6: 2.

2. Let every one of us please his neighbor, etc. Instead of pleasing himself, each one of us should aim to please his brethren with the design of advancing their spiritual improvement.

3. For even Christ pleased not himself, etc. The example of Christ is produced, to enforce the exhortation: he submitted to reproach and suffer

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ing for the sake of God and his cause among men. As it is written: Ps. 69 9. Compare Phil. 2: 4, 5.

4. Whatsoever things were written aforetime; things written in the Old Testament. For our learning, etc.; for our instruction; that we, through the patience which the scriptures enjoin and the consolation which they impart, might have well grounded and confirmed hope of eternal life.

5, 6. As a fit conclusion to his treatment of the mutual disagreements among the members of the Roman church, the apostle expresses the wish that God may bestow on them the spirit of concord, that with unity of feeling they may glorify God. The God of patience and consolation; the God who bestows patience and consolation, as mentioned in the preceding verse. According to Christ Jesus; according to the will of Christ and to his example.

7. Wherefore receive ye one another, etc.; receive one another to mutual kind regards, as Christ has received us into his favor and thus secured glory to God.

8, 9. Now I say, etc. He now finishes this discussion about the matters in controversy, by affirming that Jesus Christ became a minister of good both to Jews and Gentiles, in order to confirm the veracity of God in his promises to the patriarchs and in his predicted purpose to show mercy to the Gentiles, that they, too, might glorify God. Was a minister of the circumcision. Here, as in 3: 30, the circumcision designates the Jews distinctively.-A minister is one ministering to the good of others, rendering them service. Christ is here represented as one who took on him service for the Jews in accordance with the promises of God, thus acting for the truth of God, establishing his veracity. || And that the Gentiles, etc. He became, also, the medium of mercy to the Gentiles. The apostle may have designed here to awaken the sentiment that both Jews and Gentiles, believing in Christ, form one body and ought to cherish harmony; and that Christ, having come to minister to their common good, is an example which should prompt