Through my ongoing study of Romans 14:5, I recently wrote the following on a post on Sharper Iron about how Acts 2:46-47 and Acts 20:7 help explain Romans 14:5.
Comparing Acts 2:46-47 with Romans 14:5b and Acts 20:6-7 with Romans 14:5a shows the direct correspondence between these passages, respectively. Right after Pentecost, the Church was meeting every day for corporate worship:
Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Romans 14:5b another esteemeth every day alike.
Later, however, we see that their practice was different:
Acts 20:6-7 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. 7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Romans 14:5a One man esteemeth one day above another:
Even though Paul and whoever else “we” in Acts 20:6 refers to were in Troas for seven days, Acts 20:7 reveals that they met on the first day of the week. Here, Scripture plainly shows apostolic practice that points to the special esteem and regard for corporate worship on the first day of the week.
The believers in Rome who held to the “every day alike” position supported their belief on information that they had received about the earliest practice of the Church. The other believers based their “one day above another” position on the later practice of Paul and others.
In such a situation of differing beliefs based on actual biblical information about differing, acceptable apostolic practice, the believers who held these differing positions were to be convinced in their own minds about which position to follow.
This approach is the only understanding [of the differing positions in Romans 14:5] that commends itself to me at this time.
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