Sabbath Intersections

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• Introduction
• Sabbath and Colossians 2:14
• Sabbath and Colossians 2:16, 17
• Sabbath and Creation
• Sabbath and End-Time Crisis
• Sabbath and Galatians 4:9-10
• Sabbath and Mark of the Beast
• Sabbath and New Covenant
• Sabbath and Romans 14:5
• Sabbath and Sanctification


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The Sabbath and Romans 14:5

One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind (Romans 14:5).

This text is sometimes used to support the view that the Sabbath is a matter of indifference for Christians. Some take that a step further and say that for Christians all days are holy; thus there is no need to "keep" one day as better than the others. These interpretations have special appeal for those who oppose the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath. What does this verse really mean?

Paul introduces this portion of his letter to the Romans with these words:

"Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions" (Romans 14:1).

The apostle is writing here about what the King James Version calls "doubtful disputations." The New International Version has "disputable matters." These various terms give us a key to understanding verse 5. Paul is talking about "the anxious internal debates of conscience"1 that lead to differences in areas of personal preference. He is advising the Roman Christians not to let their views on such things divide them.

He starts with the example of diet. Some of his readers are vegetarians, others are not. The two groups should not be critical of each other. They all serve the same Master. "Who are you," Paul asks, "to judge the servant of another?" This is the immediate context of the verse we are considering.

• regards
• Some versions of the Bible read "esteems" or "judge." The same Greek word is used on both sides of the comparison that is contained in this verse. Paul uses this word in verse 3, where the NASB translates it with judge:
• Let not him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him.
• one day above another
• A literal translation is a day above a day. With help from verse 6 we understand that this differentiation between days relates to observing one specific day "for the Lord" instead of another day.
• There are several different views on what the one day is. Some scholars think this may be a reference to the "unlucky" days of the pagans or to a syncretistic2 religious calendar that promoted "the peculiar powers of different days of the year."3 However, the first part of verse 6 shows that Paul is referring to days that fall within the Judeo-Christian context:
• He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord.
• Some see the annual festivals of the Jews here. Others think that Paul is talking about days designated for fasting. "The special days of the week referred to in our passage were probably fast days. This suggestion is based on the context itself, in which abstinence is the predominant feature."4 And of course there are those who agree that the reference is to the weekly Sabbath.5
• every day alike
• "Alike" has been added by translators. It does not appear in the original Greek. Thus the comparison Paul sets up reads, more literally, like this: "One man judges (esteems) a day above a day, another judges (esteems) every day." With insight provided by verse six, we could put it this way: "One man observes one day (for the Lord), while another man observes every day (for the Lord)."
• Anglican theologian Handley C. G. Moule seems to agree with that. He comments, "It describes the thought of the man who, less anxious than his neighbor about stated ‘holy days,’ still aims not to ‘level down’ but to ‘level up’ his use of time; to count every day ‘holy,’ equally dedicated to the will and work of God."6
• Some people assume that verse 5 is talking about the Sabbath and come up with something like this: "One man observes the Sabbath once a week (on the seventh day, of course) while another man observes every day as the Sabbath." But as the verse continues it becomes clear that Paul is not talking about the Sabbath.
• Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind
• These words remind us that Paul is giving practical advice at the level of personal opinion—"disputable matters." These are not issues that have been settled by divine revelation through angels, prophets, or apostles. These are things that people can decide for themselves—matters of personal preference or conviction.
• This automatically eliminates from consideration all points of doctrine that are indisputable because they are based on divine injunction or on other authoritative teachings from the Word of God. So observance of the Sabbath cannot be at issue in Romans 14. After all, the Sabbath "was enshrined among the eternal sanctities of the Decalogue, uttered…amidst the terrors of Sinai."7
• The Wesleyan Bible Commentary puts it this way: "Of course this whole discussion concerns matters on which God has not spoken clearly in His word. No such questions can be conscientiously raised concerning the fundamental moral issues that are clarified in the Decalogue, the Sermon on the Mount, or in any other plain statement of Scripture. When God has spoken there is no other legitimate side to the issue."8
• On the other hand, traditional Jewish festivals are not eliminated from consideration since they are part of a figurative ceremonial system that met its fulfillment in the ministry and death of Christ. It’s only natural that a Jewish convert to Christianity—having a tender conscience—would continue to honor those holy days. According to Paul, there is nothing wrong with that as long as it is characterized by sincere worship of the Lord.

This brief look at Romans 14:5 reveals that Paul’s counsel has nothing to do with the observance or non-observance of the seventh-day Sabbath. This conclusion is supported by the fact that neither biblical nor historical records give any indication that Sabbath observance was an issue in Paul’s time.

The days under consideration may be Jewish festival days or other days for feasting or fasting, but—whatever they are—Paul leaves the question of their observance up to the individual. He does the same with dietary preferences. In such matters he teaches that Christians should mind their own business and not make mountains out of molehills. Good advice.

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