Romans 14:13-23 - Think of others

First a caveat that "not passing judgement" on each other does manifestly not mean anything goes. If someone is committing adultery it is wrong, if someone is stealing it is wrong, if someone is abusing someone else it is wrong. The context of this verse is clearly relating to secondary (even tertiary?) matters. Even so, the instruction is very poignant.

We very easily get on our high horse about something, losing all sense of proportion and reality. In doing this we can put stumbling blocks in the way of other people. Our consciences are very important. If we do something that goes against our conscience we find it very difficult to live freely. So there are two consequences of this. First we need to be very wary of doing anything that goes against our conscience. Secondly, we need to be even more wary of causing someone else to go against their conscience. This latter part works in two ways. On the one hand we can be making someone else feel guilty about something they have no need to feel guilty about. On the other hand we can be leading someone else to do something that would go against their conscience. We may claim we are leading them into a greater freedom, but what we will actually be doing is leading them to be bound up with guilt.

So we are to use wisdom and concern for the well-being of others. Paul expresses this in terms of eating food, which was an issue at the time. He agreed that there was nothing that was inherently unclean, but if eating meat caused problems for others, then it was generally wise to refrain.

In all this we need to avoid thinking that rules can solve the matter. Guidelines can help, but rigid rules will just replace one problem with another.