Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister?  Romans 14:10

Paul says that when there is an argument between Christians over an opinion (the Jewish Christians had opinions about eating meat v. 2 and drinking wine v. 21 vs. the Gentile Christians who did not) then do not pass judgment about those folks’ faith, don’t try to push each other out.  When an scruple’s issue arises there are those who may clique together.  Here Paul is clairifying for us that we are to focus on what we do agree on and get on with faith loving and discipleship.

Paul’s cites an opinionated situation between the old guard an the new-comers.   Regretably, believers do not always blend well with each other.   At one of my Church’s pot-luck suppers everyone brought beans; I’ve never seen so many varieties of bean dishes.  There was a lot of laughter at the supper and it was at that event that the multi-opinionated old guard and new-comers in my Church realized something:  that they finally did have something they all agreed upon– everyone enjoyed bean dishes and laughter.

Laughter is healing– God’s gift of laughter helps.  Christians are not exempt from being opinionated yet we are not to hold our scruples so as to injure the unity of community as participants in the Kingdom of Heaven.