So how did these Jewish believers reach the point of having differing mindsets on the same issue, bearing in mind that all Jewish believers come into the kingdom of God with the same mindset of eating kosher foods and observing the Jewish calendar? The answer to that question is that God had opened the heart of the “stronger” believer to the truth in God’s word that all foods are clean and all days are alike in the kingdom of God, whereas the “weak” believer had not yet seen those truths in scripture. Paul reinforces that explanation to us by giving his own testimony of how the Lord Jesus had convinced him to change his own thinking on the subject, by showing him from scripture that all foods are indeed clean. There can be no doubt that Paul would be considered as one who was “strong” in faith, but he clearly did not start out that way, for until the Lord had convinced him otherwise, Paul would have only eaten “kosher” food and would have strictly observed the Jewish calendar, thus placing himself in the category that he called “weak” in faith. So why does Paul use the term “weak” in faith for those who remain unconvinced about eating all things for example? It is simply because they cannot exercise their faith in that area because their hearts remain hardened to the truth of the gospel on that subject. And so we see from this passage the very clear principle that we all come into the kingdom of God with hardened hearts which must be progressively opened to the various truths in God’s word, so that we can transition from being weak in our faith to becoming stronger in faith as we learn to exercise our faith in more and more of God’s revealed word. As an aside, it is important for us to understand from the illustration that Paul uses, that both categories of believers are still walking in faith. They are just walking in different levels of faith. The reason that both believers are walking in faith is because both are fully convinced in their own minds, based on their knowledge and understanding of God’s word, that they are pleasing God. And we know that without faith it is impossible to please God. And so God honours the faith of both, for God meets each one of us at our level of faith. In this example the one who has weak faith has placed constraints on himself in that he has limited himself to what he can eat, while the other is able to walk in greater liberty, for he can eat all things. This same principle is applicable in every area of the believers walk, i.e. the more God’s word is revealed the more the saints are set free (John 8:31-32).
Michael E.B. Maher
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