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
How to Treat Christians Who Are Weak in Faith
1Welcome people who are weak in faith, but don’t get into an argument over differences of opinion. 2Some people believe that they can eat all kinds of food. Other people with weak faith believe that they can eat only vegetables. 3People who eat all foods should not despise people who eat only vegetables. In the same way, the vegetarians should not criticize people who eat all foods, because God has accepted those people. 4Who are you to criticize someone else’s servant? The Lord will determine whether his servant has been successful. The servant will be successful because the Lord makes him successful.
5One person decides that one day is holier than another. Another person decides that all days are the same. Every person must make his own decision. 6When people observe a special day, they observe it to honor the Lord. When people eat all kinds of foods, they honor the Lord as they eat, since they give thanks to God. Vegetarians also honor the Lord when they eat, and they, too, give thanks to God. 7It’s clear that we don’t live to honor ourselves, and we don’t die to honor ourselves. 8If we live, we honor the Lord, and if we die, we honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9For this reason Christ died and came back to life so that he would be the Lord of both the living and the dead.
10Why do you criticize or despise other Christians? Everyone will stand in front of God to be judged. 11Scripture says,
“As certainly as I live, says the Lord,
everyone will worship me,
and everyone will praise God.”
12All of us will have to give an account of ourselves to God.
13So let’s stop criticizing each other. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make other Christians have doubts or lose their faith.
14The Lord Jesus has given me the knowledge and conviction that no food is unacceptable in and of itself. But it is unacceptable to a person who thinks it is. 15So if what you eat hurts another Christian, you are no longer living by love. Don’t destroy anyone by what you eat. Christ died for that person. 16Don’t allow anyone to say that what you consider good is evil.
17God’s kingdom does not consist of what a person eats or drinks. Rather, God’s kingdom consists of God’s approval and peace, as well as the joy that the Holy Spirit gives. 18The person who serves Christ with this in mind is pleasing to God and respected by people.
19So let’s pursue those things which bring peace and which are good for each other. 20Don’t ruin God’s work because of what you eat. All food is acceptable, but it’s wrong for a person to eat something if it causes someone else to have doubts. 21The right thing to do is to avoid eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that causes another Christian to have doubts. 22So whatever you believe about these things, keep it between yourself and God. The person who does what he knows is right shouldn’t feel guilty. He is blessed. 23But if a person has doubts and still eats, he is condemned because he didn’t act in faith. Anything that is not done in faith is sin.
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