Does Romans 14 essentially confirm that the Torah had been done away with?
Yeshua (Jesus)'s teaches that not one jot or tittle will pass away from His Torah until Heaven and earth pass away.
Well, Heaven and earth have not passed away, so what is Paul telling us here?
Upon my first reading, I was also confused and wondering if Paul is really telling us to ignore His commands when this would go directly against Yeshua's teachings. So I read it again, and then again.
Then I recognized something -- verse 1 gives us a very important clue as to the purpose of his explanation.
He is explaining how you should interact with those that are weak in the faith, and he's giving us guidance in not judging those that don't eat and condemning those that do.
It would be helpful at this point to determine the theme of this section of Romans. You'll notice that the end of chapter 11 ends with an Amen, as does chapter 15. It appears as though there were a couple of different messages written to this group based on the beginning language of chapters 12 and 16. This isn't a critical issue as much as getting better context for chapter 14.
In order to do this we'll read through chapters 12-15.
Chapter 12 starts by telling the believer that they are to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, and do not be conformed to the world.
Verse 2 tells us not to go by the ways of the world (which are anti-Torah, by the way), but instead that you may be tested in the good and acceptable and perfect will of YHVH (note: instead of “tested” the word in the text could also be “proved” which is dokimazo in the Greek = to recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy).
Abba’s will is to dwell with His people and that requires that we keep His commands. He cannot be in the presence of sin, and He clearly identified sin using the Torah.
And we do have the ability to go and sin no more.
Yeshua would not have commanded the blind man and the Samaritan woman to do this if it weren't possible.
Therefore, by keeping His commands we know that we are in the Will of God.
We should also note that John says that if we love Him we will keep His commandments.
Continuing on in chapter 12 Paul tells us that we are to serve God with our gifts (prophet, servant, teacher, exhorter, giver, ruler, mercy; vv 3-8), then we are given instructions on how we are to carry ourselves while representing the Living God (vv 9-21).
Chapter 13 starts with instructions on submitting to governing officials (vv 1-7), then how to relate to your neighbor (vv 8-10).
Note: Your neighbor isn't necessarily your brother. Your neighbor can be an unbeliever, whereas your brother is a fellow believer.
The second great command is to love your neighbor as yourself.
Love is the fulfillment of the Torah -- keeping His commands because you want to keep them, not because you have to keep them.
The remainder of chapter 13 expresses the urgency of leaving the flesh behind and letting Yeshua take its place.
Chapter 14, in its entirety, gives instructions on dealing with those that are weak in the faith.
The first pass in reading could make you think there are 3 people being addressed: Paul, you (the vegetable eater), and one that eats all things.
However, there are 4 people being discussed: Paul, you that is strong in the faith, and 2 other weak people.
One weak faithed person eats any meat, and the other is vegetarian.
This marks the two extremes of immature believers.
One that is very liberal in his faith, and one that is very legalistic in his faith.
You are not to judge either one.
And you are not to let the one that eats all things despise the vegetarian, and you are not to let the vegetarian judge the one that eats all things.
One that is very liberal in his faith will most likely despise those that are more conservative since it brings a level of conviction that doesn't sit well with them.
On the other hand, one that is legalistic will continually sit in judgment on those that aren't “doing it right” because they think those that are more liberal are doing a disservice to the faith.
But keep in mind, both of these are considered weak or immature in the faith.
If one eats anything and gives thanks to God, then let him do that. If one thinks he must sacrifice and gives thanks to God, then let him do that.
You are not to judge the servant. The Master will do that.
If a person treats one day as holy, then they are doing it to God.
If a person doesn't regard any day as holy, then they are doing that to God.
The point is that we do things to God, not our fellow believer.
Our choices of food, day of worship, lack of worship only matter between the servant and his Master. They will be held accountable for their decisions.
Do not judge them or put a stumbling block before them. They are weak in the faith.
Do not destroy the weak believers with your food, for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking. It is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves the Messiah in righteousness, peace and joy is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Verse 6 in chapter 14 provides great insight.
“Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil.”
What? Your good?
So you, the strong believer that is keeping His commands, are doing good? How?
We are still in the context of food, so there is a “good” in eating. What could that possibly be?
Using Yeshua as our model, what would He have done?
He would have kept Torah.
And of course the Torah gives very clear guidelines for doing “good.” So we just need to determine whether we are weak or strong in the faith and that we will find in chapter 15.
Chapter 15 says that we that are strong are to bear the weaknesses of the weak in the faith.
We are to tolerate their weakness.
Verse 4 tells us that those things written previously were for instruction that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Patience here means steadfastness, constancy, endurance.
Comfort means consolation, comfort, solace; that which affords comfort or refreshment.
His Word was given for instruction, and it is steadfast, constant, comforting and refreshing so we can have hope. We know that He will do all He has promised.
We are to come together, weak and strong, to praise and worship the Father. We are to glorify Him for His mercy.
He allows us time to repent and turn back into the fullness of His covering. His covering is offered to us when we dwell within His tent, and the constitution of His house is the Torah.
1 John 3:24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
John 8:31 Then Yeshua said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
If you abide in His word, you are His disciple.
The strong will keep His commandments.
The weak probably will not. You aren't to judge them for it either. That is between them and their Master.
Paul’s message in this section of Romans is as follows:
Offer yourself as a living sacrifice (12:1)
Get in His will (12:2)
Serve him with your gift (12:3-8)
Learn how to behave (12:3-9)
Submit to government (13:1-7)
Love your neighbor (13:8-10)
Let go of your dark nature (13:11-14)
Do not judge your weak brother and don't cause him to stumble (14)
Bear the infirmities of the weak (15:1-6)
Receive one another and glorify God (15:7-13)