Romans 14:5-6 in its Social Setting

Abstract

This article examines the dispute over days and food in Rom 14 in the context of Paul’s pastoral concern to integrate Gentile and Jewish believers into the one body of Christ. Critical to the thesis is the argument that in Rom 14–15, when Paul antithetically contrasts the “strong” and the “weak,” he usually addresses the former before the latter. It is also maintained that the verb krinei has the same positive meaning in the two clauses of v. 5ab. Hence, both the “strong” and the “weak” are observing days; one less and the other more, but neither abandons all the Jewish festive days. It is further argued that the issue over the days is inextricably tied to the dispute over food. Unless the “strong” and the “weak” are eating together on some mutually agreed days, there could be no dispute over the acceptability of the viands being served.