Welcome Each Other

We’ve just completed an exposition of Romans 14:1-15:12. That section, written by the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to believers in Rome, addresses fractures between believers over matters of opinion, preference, and tradition. At the outset, Paul identifies two groups of believers. The strong were likely Gentiles who came to faith in Christ and understood the liberty granted to them in salvation. The weak were Jewish believers who also came to faith in Christ but had a difficult time leaving behind traditions and practices ingrained since childhood. The problem, however, wasn’t the differences themselves but how they viewed each other because of those differences.

Paul noted that the strong came to despise the weak, while the weak condemned the strong for engaging in permissible practices. The solution to the division in the church wasn’t for both groups to begin tolerating each other, but for all believers to welcome one another. We know this because Paul begins his instruction on this topic with a command directed specifically to the strong believers in 14:1 and ends it with a command addressed to both strong and weak believers in 15:7. Both commands are in the present tense and use the middle voice. This means believers must never fail to welcome one another, and each must take personal responsibility for welcoming others. In other words, every believer has a personal duty to consistently welcome his or her Christian brothers and sisters, regardless of their position on disputable issues. 

The Meaning of Welcome

What does it mean to welcome one another? Does it mean we must greet each other with a smile, shake hands, and then congregate with fellow believers who hold similar convictions and opinions about questionable things?  Can believers follow the spirit of Paul’s commands by simply being cordial to those who hold different views?

The word “welcome” is also rendered as “accept” and “receive” in other translations.  It conveys the sense of inviting someone into your presence, home, or circle of acquaintances and fully accepting them despite differences of opinion on disputable matters.  It’s a word that requires action.  In Rome, believers were commanded to invite other believers they disagreed with into their lives without despising or condemning them. Paul’s use of this word reveals a problem within the church: like-minded believers were huddling together and criticizing those with different opinions, thereby dissolving God-glorifying unity in the body.

The Practice of Welcoming

God gives unity to His church as a good gift from His hand. Unity glorifies God by making the church distinct from other institutions. This was part of God’s design and one of the requests Jesus made to the Father in the moments leading to His arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and subsequent resurrection. He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (Jn.17:20-21). To honor our Savior’s desire, we must not divide ourselves along lines of opinion, preference, tradition, or heritage. We must intentionally invite those with whom we disagree into our circles, not for any other reason than to love them and demonstrate to a watching world that unity is possible despite glaring differences. 

When we believe that God, not each other, will judge us, we are free to enjoy fellowship with other Christians despite our differences.

Now, this does not mean that welcoming Christians excuses or overlooks sin. Scripture is clear that we must confront sin and call our brothers and sisters to repentance when necessary. Nor does this mean that we abandon truth for the sake of relational peace. Every Christian is obligated to fully align their thinking with God’s Word. The Bible, not our reasoning or desires, is objectively true. Therefore, we submit to its authority in all matters of faith and practice.   

But regarding issues not prohibited or prescribed by Scripture, we must understand that God grants liberty, and each believer can follow their conscience so long as it is calibrated by Scripture. When we believe that God, not each other, will judge us, we are free to enjoy fellowship with other Christians despite our differences. When you understand this, you can go to dinner with another believer and not question their salvation when they order a glass of wine or a beer to enjoy with their meal. You can build a close friendship with a fellow believer who just got a new tattoo without questioning their spiritual maturity or commitment to Christ. To be clear, you may never drink a glass of wine or get a tattoo, but you will not ostracize fellow believers who exercise liberties you cannot, in good conscience, exercise. 

None of this is easy, but it’s necessary to maintain unity in the church.  So ask yourself whether you’re welcoming other believers or contributing to division that weakens the church and strains relationships.  There is only one right response to Paul’s instruction in Romans 14 and 15.  We must acknowledge that Scripture is right and submit to its authority so that God will be glorified in your life and in His church.