I bumped into this text (Romans 14:23) during one of the meetings. Yes, most times I find myself drifting away from the meeting into some real bible studying. Do I understand this correctly or is it saying that even good things should be done by faith or else is a sin? Anyone cares to shed some "light" into this (pun certainly intended)
Romans 14:23
by StarTrekAngel 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Honesty
It says that everything that is not from faith is sin.
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Divergent
The understanding which I came to by reading the context is that if we have doubts about our actions that they may stumble another person, it is better for us not to proceed as we do not have full faith that our actions are beyond reproach
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StarTrekAngel
I understand what you express JK. I know such issue over stumbling others is repeated in other parts of the new testament. However, what puzzles me is the change in par 22. (Bolds mine)
The faith that you have, keep it to yourself before God. (Now switches to third person) Happy is the man who does not judge himself for what he approves. But if he has doubts, he is already condemned if he eats, because he does not eat based on faith. Indeed, everything that is not based on faith is sin.
What do they mean by "Happy is the man who does not judge himself for what he approves"? Does it mean that our confidence on our belief set us free from guilt?
The rest, I see it this way. In those time when pork was considered unclean, a man who was converted to "the truth" could now understand that he was ok to eat pork. However, he may not be fully convinced or have faith that he was doing nothing wrong. If he went ahead and ate anyway, doubts and all, then he was comitting a sin. A man who was reassured of his belief and ate without guilt, was therefore a happy person. All of this, off course, so long he did not stumble anyone who saw him by doing so.