Romans 14
1 Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions.
As for those whose faith is weak, always receive them as friends, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on their scruples.
2 One man has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
One person’s faith permits them to eat food of all kinds, while another whose faith is weak eats only vegetable food.
3 Do not let him who eats despise him who does not eat. Do not let him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him.
The person who eats meat must not despise the person who abstains from it; nor must the person who abstains from eating meat pass judgment on the one who eats it, for God himself has received them.
4 Who are you who judge another’s servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand.
Who are you, that you should pass judgment on the servant of another? Their standing or falling concerns their own master. And stand they will, for their Master can enable them to stand.
5 One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind.
Again, one person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another considers all days to be alike. Everyone ought to be fully convinced in their own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
The person who observes a day, observes it to the Master’s honour. They, again, who eat meat eat it to the Master’s honour, for they give thanks to God; while the person who abstains from it abstains from it to the Master’s honour, and also gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself.
There is not one of us whose life concerns ourselves alone, and not one of us whose death concerns ourself alone;
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
for, if we live, our life is for the Master, and, if we die, our death is for the Master. Whether, then, we live or die we belong to the Master.
9 For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
The purpose for which Christ died and came back to life was this – that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
I would ask the one “Why do you judge other followers of the Lord?” And I would ask the other “Why do you despise them?” For we will all stand before the court of God.
11 For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’”
For scripture says – “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend before me and every tongue will praise God.’”
12 So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.
So, then, each one of us will have to render account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling.
Let us, then, cease to judge one another. Rather let this be your resolve – never to place a stumbling-block or an obstacle in the way of a fellow follower of the Lord.
14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Through my union with the Lord Jesus, I know and am persuaded that nothing is defiling in itself. A thing is “defiling” only to the person who holds it to be so.
15 Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
If, for the sake of what you eat, you wound your fellow follower’s feelings, your life has ceased to be ruled by love. Do not, by what you eat, ruin someone for whom Christ died!
16 Then do not let your good be slandered,
Do not let what is right for you become a matter of reproach.
17 for God’s Kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For the kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and gladness through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
The person who serves the Christ in this way pleases God, and wins the approval of their fellows.
19 So then, let’s follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up.
Therefore our efforts should be directed towards all that makes for peace and the mutual building up of character.
20 Do not overthrow God’s work for food’s sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating.
Do not undo God’s work for the sake of what you eat. Though everything is “clean,” yet, if a person eats so as to put a stumbling-block in the way of others, they do wrong.
21 It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak.
The right course is to abstain from meat or wine or, indeed, anything that is a stumbling-block to your fellow follower of the Lord.
22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not judge himself in that which he approves.
As for yourself – keep this conviction of yours to yourself, as in the presence of God. Happy the person who never has to condemn themselves in regard to something they think right!
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it is not of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.
The person, however, who has misgivings stands condemned if they still eat, because their doing so is not the result of faith. And anything not done as the result of faith is a sin.
