Romans 14
14
1As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. 2One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. 3#Col 2.16. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. 4Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Master is able to make him stand.
5 #
Gal 4.10. One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7#Gal 2.20; 2 Cor 5.15. None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8#Phil 1.20. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 #
2 Cor 5.10. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11#Is 45.23; Phil 2.10-11. for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise#14.11 Or confess to God.”
12So each of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 #
Mt 7.1; 1 Cor 8.13. Then let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean. 15#Rom 14.20; 1 Cor 8.11. If your brother is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. 16#1 Cor 10.30. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit; 18he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19#Mk 9.50; Rom 12.18; 1 Thess 5.11. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20#Rom 14.15; 1 Cor 8.9-12. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for any one to make others fall by what he eats; 21#1 Cor 8.13. it is right not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother stumble.#14.21 Other ancient authorities add or be upset or be weakened 22#Rom 2.1. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God; happy is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves. 23But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, because he does not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.#14.23 Other authorities, some ancient, insert here Ch 16.25-27
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
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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