Q: What does Paul mean when he says that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin?
But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Rom 14:23).
A: We know that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17). The Word of God through Paul says that we can eat all things (1 Tim 4:4), but he who is "weak in faith" (Rom 14:1) doubts this and limits himself to eating "vegetables" (Rom 14:2). His faith has not yet matured to believe Paul when he says he can eat meant, so "whoever has doubts...if he eats...does not proceed from faith..."
But if he wouldn't eat it "of faith," why would he eat it? Well, in this passage he might eat meat trying to follow the example of his stronger brother. This is why Paul encourages strong believers not to eat meat in front of weaker believers (Rom 14:15), which might embolden the weaker believer's conscience to go ahead and eat it (cf. 1 Cor 8:10)? If he eats meat to try to walk in the footsteps of his stronger brother, rather than eating it because of faith in God's Word, it will cause him to stumble (Rom 14:13, 21) by doing something that bothers his conscience.
So back to the question: How come "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin"? It's because "it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean" (Rom 14:14). God actually adjusts the definition of what is unclean to agree with the weaker brother's conscience. Since his faith does not yet believe that he can eat meat, his "eating is not from faith," and "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" to him.
But why would a weaker brother be "condemned if he eats"? Well, the word "condemned" doesn't always refer to eternal condemnation in Hell. The word "condemned" simply means judgement of any kind. So when a weaker brother eats meat that he believes is unclean, it is sin for him, and he is condemned by his own conscience, since he judges what he has done to be sinful.
But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Rom 14:23).
A: We know that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17). The Word of God through Paul says that we can eat all things (1 Tim 4:4), but he who is "weak in faith" (Rom 14:1) doubts this and limits himself to eating "vegetables" (Rom 14:2). His faith has not yet matured to believe Paul when he says he can eat meant, so "whoever has doubts...if he eats...does not proceed from faith..."
But if he wouldn't eat it "of faith," why would he eat it? Well, in this passage he might eat meat trying to follow the example of his stronger brother. This is why Paul encourages strong believers not to eat meat in front of weaker believers (Rom 14:15), which might embolden the weaker believer's conscience to go ahead and eat it (cf. 1 Cor 8:10)? If he eats meat to try to walk in the footsteps of his stronger brother, rather than eating it because of faith in God's Word, it will cause him to stumble (Rom 14:13, 21) by doing something that bothers his conscience.
So back to the question: How come "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin"? It's because "it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean" (Rom 14:14). God actually adjusts the definition of what is unclean to agree with the weaker brother's conscience. Since his faith does not yet believe that he can eat meat, his "eating is not from faith," and "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" to him.
But why would a weaker brother be "condemned if he eats"? Well, the word "condemned" doesn't always refer to eternal condemnation in Hell. The word "condemned" simply means judgement of any kind. So when a weaker brother eats meat that he believes is unclean, it is sin for him, and he is condemned by his own conscience, since he judges what he has done to be sinful.
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