A divided, pride-filled church where some felt superior to others and others didn't feel welcome would have been a disaster for the gospel in Rome. For this reason Paul spent over a chapter in his letter to the church at Rome instructing believers there on how to think about and act toward fellow Christians who had scruples they didn't share.

Paul closes his instruction by giving specific responsibilities to 'the strong', whom we today might call 'the mature'. It would be up to them to assure the health of every believer in the church and to be sure the reputation of the church helped and did not hinder the spread of the gospel.

Mature believers must accept the responsibilities Paul lays out in this passage as he concludes this important instruction. It's a message for mature Christians today.

Interactive note for this sermon can be found here.