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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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Romans 14
14
The Law of Liberty
1Welcome#Ac 28:2; Rm 11:15; 12:3; 15:7 anyone who is weak in faith,#Rm 15:1; 1Co 8:9–11; 9:22 but don’t argue about disputed matters. 2One person believes he may eat anything,#Rm 14:14 while one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat,#Lk 18:9 and one who does not eat must not judge one who does,#Col 2:16 because God has accepted him.#Ac 28:2; Rm 11:15; 15:7 4Who are you to judge#Rm 9:20; Jms 4:12 another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able#14:4 Other mss read For God has the power to make him stand.
5One person judges one day to be more important than another day.#Gl 4:10 Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.#Lk 1:1; Rm 4:21 6Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.#14:6 Other mss add but whoever does not observe the day, it is to the Lord that he does not observe it Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;#Mt 14:19; 1Co 10:30; 1Tm 4:3–4 and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself.#Rm 8:38; 2Co 5:15; Gl 2:20; Php 1:20 8If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.#Lk 20:38; Php 1:20; 1Th 5:10; Rv 14:13 9Christ died and returned to life#Rv 1:18; 2:8 for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.#Mt 28:18; Jn 12:24; Php 2:11; 1Th 5:10 10But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.#14:10 Other mss read of Christ#Rm 2:16; 2Co 5:10 11For it is written,
As I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow to me, #
Php 2:10–11
and every tongue will give praise to God. # 14:11 Is 45:23; 49:18 #
Is 45:23; 49:18
12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.#Mt 12:36; 16:27; 1Pt 4:5
The Law of Love
13Therefore, let us no longer judge one another.#Mt 7:1; Rm 14:3 Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister.#1Co 8:13 14I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.#Ac 10:15; Rm 14:2,20 Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.#1Co 8:7 15For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love.#Eph 5:2 Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died.#1Co 8:11 16Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,#1Co 10:30; Ti 2:5 17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,#1Co 8:8 but righteousness, peace, and joy#Rm 15:13; Gl 5:22 in the Holy Spirit. 18Whoever serves Christ#Rm 16:18 in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.#2Co 8:21; Php 4:8; 1Pt 2:12
19So then, let us pursue what promotes peace#Ps 34:14; Rm 12:18; 1Co 7:15; 2Tm 2:22; Heb 12:14 and what builds up one another.#Rm 15:2; 1Co 10:23; 14:3,26; 2Co 12:19; Eph 4:12,29 20Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make someone fall by what he eats.#1Co 8:9–13 21It is a good thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble.#14:21 Other mss add or offended or weakened 22Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.#1Jn 3:21 23But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats,#Rm 14:5 because his eating is not from faith,#14:23 Or conviction and everything that is not from faith is sin.
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