Jews, Gentiles, and the Roman congregation

Says Romans 14 tells believers to accept the one who is weak in faith, without passing judgment on opinions, and forbids the eater to belittle the abstainer and the abstainer to judge the eater. The chapter does not name Jews or Gentiles. Acts 18:2 states that Aquila, a Jew, and Priscilla had left Italy “because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome” (BSB).

Suetonius writes: “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome” (Claud. 25.4, trans. Rolfe). Cassius Dio says Claudius did not drive the Jews out, given their numbers, but ordered them not to hold meetings, while continuing their traditional mode of life (Roman History 60.6.6, trans. Cary). The notices differ. Neither mentions vegetables, special days, meat, or wine. See the Romans 1 and 9 historical notes.

Uncertain Whether an expulsion, a later return, or the name Chrestus explains the practices in Romans 14. No lean is taken here. These reports do not identify the weak or the strong and do not fix the exhortations.

Implies The letter’s address to believers in Rome (Rom 1:7), and the grounding of mutual acceptance in Christ’s reception of Jews and Gentiles in Romans 15:7–12, make a mixed congregation a relevant setting. That does not collapse every weak person in this chapter into a Jewish Christian.