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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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Romans 14
14
Don’t Criticize Others
1Be willing to accept those who still have doubts about what believers can do. And don’t argue with them about their different ideas. 2Some people believe they can eat any kind of food,#14:2 any kind of food The Jewish law said there were some foods that Jews could not eat. When they became followers of Christ, some of them did not understand that they could now eat all foods. but those who have doubts eat only vegetables. 3Those who know they can eat any kind of food must not feel that they are better than those who eat only vegetables. And those who eat only vegetables must not decide that those who eat all foods are wrong. God has accepted them. 4You cannot judge the servants of someone else. Their own master decides if they are doing right or wrong. And the Lord’s servants will be right, because the Lord is able to make them right.
5Some people might believe that one day is more important than another. And others might believe that every day is the same. Everyone should be sure about their beliefs 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. Yes, they give thanks to God for that food. And those who refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord. They also give thanks to God.
7We don’t live or die just 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—so that he could be Lord over those who have died and those who are living.
10So why do you judge your brother or sister in Christ? Or why do you think that you are better than they are? We will all stand before God, and he will judge us all. 11Yes, the Scriptures say,
“‘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 explain to God about the things we do.
Don’t Cause Others to Sin
13So we should stop judging each other. Let’s decide not to do anything that will cause a problem for a brother or sister or hurt their faith. 14I know that there is no food that is wrong to eat. The Lord Jesus is the one who convinced me of that. But if someone believes that something is wrong, then it is wrong for that person.
15If you hurt the faith of your brother or sister because of something you eat, you are not really following the way of love. Don’t destroy anyone’s faith by eating something they think is wrong. Christ died for them. 16Don’t allow what is good for you to become something they say is evil. 17In God’s kingdom, what we eat and drink is not important. Here is what is important: a right way of life, peace, and joy—all from the Holy Spirit. 18Whoever serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God, and they will be accepted by others.
19So let’s try as hard as we can to do what will bring peace. Let’s do whatever will help each other grow stronger in faith. 20Don’t let the eating of food destroy the work of God. All food is right to eat, but it is wrong for anyone to eat something that hurts the faith of another person. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that hurts the faith of your brother or sister.
22You should keep your beliefs about these things a secret between yourself and God. It is a blessing to be able to do what you think is right without feeling guilty. 23But anyone who eats something without being sure it is right is doing wrong. That is because they did not believe it was right. And if you do anything that you believe is not right, it is sin.
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