Romans 15:1-6 Paul continues in this passage his ongoing discussion of how believers of differing opinions are to get along in the church. Why does he spend so much time on this subject? What is the obligation which those with a strong conscience have towards those whose conscience is weak? What is the burden of the weak? How can a believer with a strong conscience bear the burden of one with a weak conscience? How is it that Paul, who insists in other places that it is wrong to be a pleaser of men, can now in this context insist that it is the believer's obligation to please his or her neighbor? What is the difference between these two kinds of pleasing others? What is the foundational example of pleasing of others. Why does Paul refer to the Old Testament for this instruction? What does Paul mean by having the same mind? What is the end result when Christians learn to all have the same mind? (60 min)

Keywords Strong, Weak, Conscience

Romans 14:19-23 Given that the Kingdom of God is not about eating, but about righteousness, peace, and joy, this calls the believer to act accordingly. What is it that the strong in conscience should pursue? Paul insists that all things are objectively clean, but there are two cases in which they are subjectively evil. What are those two cases? What is the "work of God." How can we destroy the work of God? If our freedom is a right, what is it not? How can someone who is weak in faith grow to understand their freedom if the strong don't push them in that direction? How can the strong help the weak to be built up in their walk with God? What does Paul mean by saying the strong are to have their own conviction before God? How will they be blessed (happy)? To avoid sinning, what must the weak be careful to never do? (48 min)

Keywords Conscience, Faith, Doubt, Strong, Weak

Romans 14:13-18 After restating his admonition to all believers not to judge others in areas of non-essentials, Paul now focuses his admonitions toward those who are strong in conscience. What are the two things about which Paul is fully convinced? How does Paul know that nothing is unclean in itself? What is the connection between Jesus' words in Mark about all foods being clean and Peter's vision in Acts 10? What are the three reasons the strong should not put an obstacle in the way of a weak brother or sister? What does Paul mean by hurting or destroying a brother? Why is a person's conscience so important to God? What are the two ways in which one's conscience can be in error? Is Paul essentially prohibiting the strong from every enjoying their liberty? How do we know? (63 min)

Keywords Conscience, Offense, Love

Romans 14:5-12 Paul now introduces to us another area in which Christians hold to different convictions. This area regards the keeping or not keeping of special days. What is the assumption Paul holds to in the points he makes in these verses? What does Paul mean by being "fully convinced?" Why is this important? How can I know if I am sufficiently convinced about something in which I engage? Is God pleased with someone who holds to scruples which are not really an issue to Him? How do we know if what we are doing we are doing for the Lord? What do Paul's remarks about Jesus being Lord of the living and the dead have to do with this question of the weak and the strong? What are the three things we learn about how believers are to relate to others who hold and practice different convictions? (68 min)

Keywords Essentials, Nonessentials, Weak, Strong