吃肉還是吃素？
羅馬書十四章1至12節
1信心軟弱的，你們要接納，但不要辯論所疑惑的事。
2有人信百物都可吃，但那軟弱的，只吃蔬菜。
3吃的人不可輕看不吃的人，不吃的人不可論斷吃的人，因為神已經收納他了。
4你是誰，竟論斷別人的僕人呢？他或站住，或跌倒，自有他的主人在；而且他也必要站住，因為主能使他站住。
5有人看這日比那日強，有人看日日都是一樣，只是各人心裡要意見堅定。
6守日的人，是為主守的；吃的人，是為主吃的，因他感謝神；不吃的人，是為主不吃的，也感謝神。
7我們沒有一個人為自己活，也沒有一個人為自己死。
8我們若活著，是為主而活；若死了，是為主而死。所以我們或活或死，總是主的人。
9因此基督死了，又活了，為要作死人並活人的主。
10你這個人，為甚麼論斷弟兄呢？又為甚麼輕看弟兄呢？因我們都要站在神的台前。
11經上寫著：“主說：‘我憑著我的永生起誓，萬膝必向我跪拜，萬口必向我承認。’”
12這樣看來，我們各人必要將自己的事在神面前說明。
信息分享
還有另一類信徒對吃肉感到疑慮。在當時的羅馬世界，幾乎所有肉類都先用來祭祀偶像，然後再將主要部份送到市場出售。基督徒該不該吃這些祭過偶像的肉呢？也許在當時的異教社會別無選擇，那麼只可以吃素嗎？
有些信徒說：「只管吃吧，沒問題！」但另一些基督徒卻認為：「不，祭過偶像的肉，我們不要碰。」
我們今天也會出現類似情況。有些基督徒列出一張「可行與不可行的清單」；另一些卻百無禁忌，做出很多行為令前類基督徒深感不滿。還有一些中立者觀望著，卻很困惑。
保羅指出一套疏解這類難題的上策：
1．不要批評其他信徒的行為；
2．你的行為若是一個壞榜樣，就要立即改正；
3．每個人都要自行判別對錯；
4．我們每個人都要向主交待自己的行為，無論是活著的此刻（9節），還是將來在基督的審判台前（10至12節）。
我們中間出現爭論的時候，可否參照保羅給予羅馬信徒的指示呢？我們能否以成熟的屬靈態度來處理這些問題，並接受聖靈的帶領和保守主內的合一呢？這豈不是處理爭論的正確方法嗎？
牢記經文：「用和平彼此聯絡，竭力保守聖靈所賜合而為一的心。」（弗四3）
MEAT OR VEGETABLES?
Romans 14: 1-12
1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord;[a] and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
9 For to this end Christ died and rose[b] and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.[c]
11 For it is written:
“ As I live, says the LORD,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”[d]
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Message
The other group also had a problem. Almost all meat when butchered was offered to an idol and a large share then found its way into the butcher's shops. Was it right to eat that kind of meat? May be in that heathen city there wasn't any other meat. Should one then only eat vegetables?
Some Christians said, “Go ahead and eat. It won't hurt you.” Others said, “No, it's been offered to idols. Don't touch it.”
It is not much different today. Some Christians have lists of “do's and don’ts”. Others do all kinds of things which are frowned on by the first group. Still others, looking on, are confused.
Paul was saying that the best ways to resolve these problems are:
1. Stop criticizing your fellow Christians.
2. If your actions are a bad example, change your actions.
3. Each one has to make up his/her mind on what is right or wrong.
4. We are accountable to the Lord, both now (v.9) and at the Judgment Seat of Christ (vv.10 & 12).
When conflict or tension arises, can't we look at Paul's commands to the church at Rome? Can't we show spiritual maturity in handling the matter and let the Holy Spirit guide us and keep us united in Christ? Isn't that the right way to handle conflict?
A VERSE FOR TODAY: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)