Romans 14
1 Accept those who are still struggling to trust in God, and don't get into arguments over personal opinions.
Receive someone who is weak in the faith, but not for disputes over arguables.
2 One person may believe they can eat anything, while another whose trust is weak only eats vegetables.
One man has faith to eat everything, while the weak one eats only vegetables.
3 Those who eat anything must not look down on those who won't, and those who won't eat must not criticize those who do—for God has accepted them both.
One who eats must not look down on one who does not, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him.
4 What right do you have to judge someone else's servant? It's their own master who decides whether they are right or wrong. With the Lord's help they will be able to take their stand for right.
Who are you to judge someone else's household servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And stand he will, for God has the power to make him stand.
5 Some people consider some days more important than others, while others consider each day the same. Everyone should be completely convinced in their own minds.
One man esteems one day above another; another esteems everyday alike. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 Those who respect a special day do so for the Lord; and those who eat without worrying do so for the Lord since they give thanks to God; while those who avoid eating certain things do so for the Lord, and they also give thanks to God.
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. And he who eats, eats to the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, also giving thanks to God.
7 None of us live for ourselves, or die for ourselves.
You see, none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
8 If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord—so whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
Because if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.
9 This was the reason Christ died and came back to life—so that he could be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
For this very reason Christ both died and rose, and lived, so as to rule both dead and living.
10 So why do you criticize your fellow-believer? Why do you despise your fellow-believer? For all of us will stand before God's throne of judgment.
But you, why do you judge your brother? And you too, why do you look down on your brother? Because we will all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
11 For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I am alive,’ the Lord says, ‘Every knee shall bow before me, and every tongue will declare that I am God.’”
For it is written: “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall acknowledge God.’”
12 So every one of us will have to explain ourselves to God.
So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let's not judge each other anymore, but decide to do this instead—we won't put obstacles in the way of fellow-believers, or cause them to fall.
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another, but rather resolve this: not to put a stumbling block or pitfall in a brother's way.
14 I'm certain—persuaded by the Lord Jesus—that nothing in itself is ceremonially unclean. But if someone considers it to be unclean, to them it is unclean.
I know and have been convinced by Sovereign Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself (still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean),
15 If your fellow-believer is hurt by you over matters of food, then you're no longer behaving in a loving way. Don't destroy someone for whom Christ died by the food you choose to eat.
but if your brother is offended because of food, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not, with your food, ruin someone for whom Christ died.
16 Don't let the good things you do be misrepresented—
So do not let your good be slandered;
17 for God's kingdom is not about eating and drinking, but about living right, having peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
because the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in Holy Spirit.
18 Anyone who serves Christ in this way pleases God, and is appreciated by others.
For whoever serves the Christ in these things is satisfying to God and approved by men.
19 So let's pursue the path of peace, and find ways to encourage each other.
So then, let us pursue the things that promote peace and the things by which one may edify another.
20 Don't destroy the work of God with arguments over food. Everything is clean—but it would be wrong to eat and offend others.
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are ‘clean’; however it is wrong for the man who gives offence by eating.
21 It's better not to eat meat or drink wine or anything else that would cause your fellow-believer to stumble.
It is good not to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is weakened.
22 What you personally believe is between you and God. Happy are those who don't condemn themselves for doing what they think is right!
Do you have faith? Have it privately before God. Happy is he who does not judge himself in what he approves.
23 But if you have doubts whether it's right or wrong to eat something, then you shouldn't, because you're not convinced it's right. Whatever isn't based on conviction is sin.
But he who eats with doubt stands condemned, because it is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
