There is an assumption, with no evidence, the weekly Sabbath and Holy Days are the days to which Paul refers to in Romans chapter 14—even though the Sabbath is not mentioned in the entire epistle. Many people assume Paul is saying whatever day one chooses to rest and worship is irrelevant so long as one is “fully convinced in his own mind” and “observes it to the Lord” and that the Fourth Commandment, telling us to remember the seventh-day Sabbath day and keep it holy, is no longer necessary for Christians.
The Sabbath is nowhere mentioned here. In fact, the word Sabbath or references to Sabbath-keeping are not found anywhere in the book of Romans. The reference here is simply to “day(s),” not the Sabbath or any other days of rest and worship commanded by God. Paul, earlier in this same epistle, had written, “The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12), (See also Romans 2:13).
Romans 14:2-6 also refers to eating meat, vegetarianism and fasting. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary explains “the close contextual association with eating suggests that Paul has in mind a special day set apart for observance as a time for feasting or as a time for fasting” (Everett Harrison, 1976, Vol. 10, p. 146). It is apparent that Paul wasn’t discussing the Sabbath, but rather other days during which fasting or abstaining from certain foods was practised.
Possibly members of the church at Rome were trying to enforce fasting on particular days for Christians there, prompting Paul’s pointed question: “Who are you to judge another’s servant?” (Romans 14:4). Paul appears to be setting the record straight by emphasizing fasting is a voluntary exercise of worship not limited to a particular day except, of course, for the annual holy day of Atonement on which fasting is commanded.(See issue 347 of Bible Insights Weekly “The Day Of Atonement”.)
Most scholars agree Paul wrote this epistle to the Romans while visiting the Greek city of Corinth in or around A.D. 56. The book of Acts tells us that, while in Corinth, he “reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:1-4). If Paul did write to the church members in Rome to tell them Sabbath-keeping was irrelevant, it would mean he did this while simultaneously teaching Jews and gentiles “every Sabbath” in Corinth. As the book of Acts shows, regardless of what city Paul was in, Sabbath-keeping was his “custom” according to God’s commandments (Acts 17:2).
Paul also exhorts the Corinthians to keep the annual biblical Feast of Unleavened Bread in the proper manner, understanding its spiritual intent (1 Corinthians 5:7-8); instructs them on how to keep the New Testament Passover as a commemoration of Jesus Christ’s death (1 Corinthians 11:23-30), and that “Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). He also writes he intends to come to them, but he will first stay in Ephesus until after the biblical Feast of Pentecost (1 Corinthians 16:8).
If you accept the common misinterpretation of the book of Romans, you would have to conclude Paul instructed the Corinthians in properly observing the Passover, and to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as well as noting he was staying in Ephesus until after the Feast of Pentecost—and the very next year taught the Romans that these observances were unnecessary.
