Romans 14
14
Do Not Criticize Other People
1Do not refuse to accept into your group someone who is weak in faith. And do not argue with him about opinions. 2One person believes that he can eat all kinds of food.# The Jewish law said there were some foods Jews should not eat. When Jews became Christians, some of them did not understand they could now eat all foods. But if another man’s faith is weak, then he believes he can eat only vegetables. 3The one who knows that he can eat any kind of food must not feel that he is better than 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. God has accepted him. 4You cannot judge another man’s servant. His own master decides if he is doing well or not. And the Lord’s servant will do well because the Lord helps him do well.
5One person thinks that one day is more important than another. And someone else thinks that every day is the same. Each one should be sure in his own mind. 6The person who thinks one day is more important than other days is doing that for the Lord. And the one who eats all kinds of food is doing that for the Lord. Yes, he gives thanks to God for that food. And the man who refuses to eat some foods does that for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. 7For we 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.
9That is why Christ died and rose from death to live again. He did this so that he would be Lord over both the dead and the living. 10So why do you judge your brother in Christ? And why do you think that you are better than he is? We will all stand before God, and he will judge us all. 11Yes, it is written in the Scriptures:
“Everyone will bow before me;
everyone will say that I am God.
As surely as I live, these things will happen, says the Lord.” Isaiah 45:23
12So each of us will have to answer to God for what he has done.
Do Not Cause Others to Sin
13So we should stop judging each other. We must make up our minds not to do anything that will make a Christian brother 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 that something is wrong, then that thing is wrong for him. 15If you hurt your brother’s faith because of something you eat, then you are not really following the way of love. Do not destroy his faith by eating food that he thinks is wrong. 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 to sin.
22Your beliefs about these things should be kept secret between you and God. A person is blessed if he can do what he thinks is right without feeling guilty. 23But if he eats something without being sure that it is right, then he is wrong because he did not believe that it was right. And if he does anything without believing that it is right, then it is a sin.
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Romans 14: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Romans 14
14
Romans 14
1¶ Bear with the one who is sick in the faith, but not unto doubtful discernment.
2For one believes that he may eat all things; another, who is sick, eats vegetables.
3Let not him that eats despise him that does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him that eats; for God has raised him up.
4Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? By his own master he stands or falls; and if he falls, he shall be made to stand, for God is powerful to make him stand.
5Also, some make a difference between one day and another; others esteem every day alike. Let each one be fully persuaded in his own soul.
6He that observes the day, let him observe it unto the Lord; and he that does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He that eats, eats unto the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that does not eat, unto the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
7For none of us live for ourselves, and no one dies for himself.
8For if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
9For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived: to thus exercise lordship over the dead as well as over the living.
10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou belittle thy brother? for we shall all stand before the tribunal of the Christ.
11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13Let us, therefore, not judge one another any more, but judge this rather: that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
14I know and trust in the Lord Jesus that for his sake there is nothing unclean, but to him that esteems any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15But if thy brother is grieved because of thy food, now thou dost not walk in charity. Do not destroy him with thy food, for whom Christ died.
16Let not then your good be evil spoken of;
17for the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18For he that in these things serves the Christ is well pleasing unto God and approved of men.
19Let us, therefore, follow after the things which make for peace and the edification of each one to the others.
20Because of food, do not destroy the work of God. All things indeed are clean, but it is evil for that man who eats with offense.
21 It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor do any thing by which thy brother stumbles or is offended or is sick.
22Thou hast faith; have it to thyself before God. Blessed is he that does not condemn himself with that thing which he allows.
23And he that makes a difference is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat by faith; and whatsoever is not out of faith is sin.
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The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International