Romans 14
14
Do Not Criticize Other People
1Accept into your group someone who is weak in faith, and do not argue about opinions. 2One person believes it is right to eat all kinds of food. But another, who is weak, believes it is right to eat only vegetables. 3The one who knows that it is right to eat any kind of food must not reject the one who eats only vegetables. And the person who eats only vegetables must not think that the one who eats all foods is wrong, because God has accepted that person. 4You cannot judge another person’s servant. The master decides if the servant is doing well or not. And the Lord’s servant will do well because the Lord helps him do well.
5Some think that one day is more important than another, and others think that every day is the same. Let all be sure in their own mind. 6Those who think one day is more important than other days are doing that for the Lord. And those who eat all kinds of food are doing that for the Lord, and they give thanks to God. Others who refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord, and they give thanks to God. 7We do not live or die for ourselves. 8If we live, we are living for the Lord, and if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord.
9The reason Christ died and rose from the dead to live again was so he would be Lord over both the dead and the living. 10So why do you judge your brothers or sisters in Christ? And why do you think you are better than they are? We will all stand before God to be judged, 11because it is written in the Scriptures:
“ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘Everyone will bow before me;
everyone will say that I am God.’ ”#Isaiah 45:23
12So each of us will have to answer to God.
Do Not Cause Others to Sin
13For that reason we should stop judging each other. We must make up our minds not to do anything that will make another Christian sin. 14I am in the Lord Jesus, and I know that there is no food that is wrong to eat. But if a person believes something is wrong, that thing is wrong for him. 15If you hurt your brother’s or sister’s faith because of something you eat, you are not really following the way of love. Do not destroy someone’s faith by eating food he thinks is wrong, because Christ died for him. 16Do not allow what you think is good to become what others say is evil. 17In the kingdom of God, eating and drinking are not important. The important things are living right with God, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18Anyone who serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God and will be accepted by other people.
19So let us try to do what makes peace and helps one another. 20Do not let the eating of food destroy the work of God. All foods are all right to eat, but it is wrong to eat food that causes someone else to sin. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that will cause your brother or sister to sin.
22Your beliefs about these things should be kept secret between you and God. People are happy if they can do what they think is right without feeling guilty. 23But those who eat something without being sure it is right are wrong because they did not believe it was right. Anything that is done without believing it is right is a sin.
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Romans 14: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Romans 14
14
1And him who is weak in the faith receive ye — not to determinations of reasonings;
2one doth believe that he may eat all things — and he who is weak doth eat herbs;
3let not him who is eating despise him who is not eating: and let not him who is not eating judge him who is eating, for God did receive him.
4Thou — who art thou that art judging another's domestic? to his own master he doth stand or fall; and he shall be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
5One doth judge one day above another, and another doth judge every day [alike]; let each in his own mind be fully assured.
6He who is regarding the day, to the Lord he doth regard [it], and he who is not regarding the day, to the Lord he doth not regard [it]. He who is eating, to the Lord he doth eat, for he doth give thanks to God; and he who is not eating, to the Lord he doth not eat, and doth give thanks to God.
7For none of us to himself doth live, and none to himself doth die;
8for both, if we may live, to the Lord we live; if also we may die, to the Lord we die; both then if we may live, also if we may die, we are the Lord's;
9for because of this Christ both died and rose again, and lived again, that both of dead and of living he may be Lord.
10And thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or again, thou, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand at the tribunal of the Christ;
11for it hath been written, ‘I live! saith the Lord — to Me bow shall every knee, and every tongue shall confess to God;’
12so, then, each of us concerning himself shall give reckoning to God;
13no longer, therefore, may we judge one another, but this judge ye rather, not to put a stumbling-stone before the brother, or an offence.
14I have known, and am persuaded, in the Lord Jesus, that nothing [is] unclean of itself, except to him who is reckoning anything to be unclean — to that one [it is] unclean;
15and if through victuals thy brother is grieved, no more dost thou walk according to love; do not with thy victuals destroy that one for whom Christ died.
16Let not, then, your good be evil spoken of,
17for the reign of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit;
18for he who in these things is serving the Christ, [is] acceptable to God and approved of men.
19So, then, the things of peace may we pursue, and the things of building up one another;
20for the sake of victuals cast not down the work of God; all things, indeed, [are] pure, but evil [is] to the man who is eating through stumbling.
21Right [it is] not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to [do anything] in which thy brother doth stumble, or is made to fall, or is weak.
22Thou hast faith! to thyself have [it] before God; happy is he who is not judging himself in what he doth approve,
23and he who is making a difference, if he may eat, hath been condemned, because [it is] not of faith; and all that [is] not of faith is sin.
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