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
To Live and Die for Christ. 1#14:1–15:6] Since Christ spells termination of the law, which included observance of specific days and festivals as well as dietary instruction, the jettisoning of long-practiced customs was traumatic for many Christians brought up under the Mosaic code. Although Paul acknowledges that in principle no food is a source of moral contamination (Rom 14:14), he recommends that the consciences of Christians who are scrupulous in this regard be respected by other Christians (Rom 14:21). On the other hand, those who have scruples are not to sit in judgment on those who know that the gospel has liberated them from such ordinances (Rom 14:10). See 1 Cor 8; 10. Welcome anyone who is weak in faith,#1 Cor 8:1–13. but not for disputes over opinions.#15:1, 7; 1 Cor 9:22. 2One person believes that one may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.#Gn 1:29; 9:3; 1 Cor 8:1–13; 10:14–33. 3The one who eats must not despise the one who abstains, and the one who abstains must not pass judgment on the one who eats; for God has welcomed him.#Col 2:16. 4Who are you to pass judgment on someone else’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.#2:1; Mt 7:11; Jas 4:11–12. 5[For] one person considers one day more important than another, while another person considers all days alike.#Gal 4:10. Let everyone be fully persuaded in his own mind.#Since the problem to be overcome was humanity’s perverted mind or judgment (Rom 1:28), Paul indicates that the mind of the Christian is now able to function with appropriate discrimination (cf. Rom 12:2). 6Whoever observes the day, observes it for the Lord. Also whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while whoever abstains, abstains for the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. 8For if we live, we live for the Lord,#The Lord: Jesus, our Master. The same Greek word, kyrios, was applied to both rulers and holders of slaves. Throughout the Letter to the Romans Paul emphasizes God’s total claim on the believer; see note on Rom 1:1. and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.#Lk 20:38; 2 Cor 5:15; Gal 2:20; 1 Thes 5:10. 9For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.#Acts 10:42. 10Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;#Acts 17:31; 2 Cor 5:10. 11for it is written:
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”#Is 49:18 / Is 45:23; Phil 2:10–11.
12So [then] each of us shall give an account of himself [to God].#Gal 6:5.
Consideration for the Weak Conscience. 13Then let us no longer judge one another, but rather resolve never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.#1 Cor 8:9, 13. 14I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it unclean.#Mk 7:5, 20; Acts 10:15; 1 Cor 10:25–27; 1 Tm 4:4. 15If your brother is being hurt by what you eat, your conduct is no longer in accord with love. Do not because of your food destroy him for whom Christ died.#1 Cor 8:11–13. 16So do not let your good be reviled.#2:24; Ti 2:5. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit;#1 Cor 8:8. 18whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others. 19Let us#Some manuscripts, versions, and church Fathers read, “We then pursue…”; cf. Rom 5:1. then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another.#12:18 / 15:2. 20For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God.#1 Cor 8:11–13; 10:28–29; Ti 1:15. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating; 21it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22Keep the faith [that] you have to yourself in the presence of God; blessed is the one who does not condemn himself for what he approves. 23#Ti 1:15; Jas 4:17. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because this is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.#Whatever is not from faith is sin: Paul does not mean that all the actions of unbelievers are sinful. He addresses himself to the question of intracommunity living. Sin in the singular is the dreadful power described in Rom 5:12–14.
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