Romans 14
1 Him that is weake in the faith, receiue vnto you, but not for controuersies of disputations.
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 beleeueth that he may eate of all things: and another, which is weake, eateth herbes.
One person’s faith permits them to eat food of all kinds, while another whose faith is weak eats only vegetable food.
3 Let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not: and let not him which eateth not, condemne him that eateth: for God hath receiued 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 art thou that condemnest another mans seruant? hee standeth or falleth to his owne master: yea, he shalbe established: for God is able 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 This man esteemeth one day aboue another day, and another man counteth euery day alike: let euery man be fully perswaded in his minde.
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 that obserueth the day, obserueth it to the Lord: and he that obserueth not the day, obserueth it not to the Lord. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord: for he giueth God thankes: and he that eateth not, eateth not to the Lord, and giueth God thankes.
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 vs liueth to himselfe, neither doeth any die to himselfe.
There is not one of us whose life concerns ourselves alone, and not one of us whose death concerns ourself alone;
8 For whether wee liue, we liue vnto the Lord: or whether we die, we die vnto the Lord: whether we liue therefore, or die, we are the Lords.
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 Christ therefore died and rose againe, and reuiued, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the quicke.
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 why doest thou condemne thy brother? or why doest thou despise thy brother? for we shall all appeare before the iudgement seate 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, I liue, sayth the Lord, and euery knee shall bowe to me, and all tongues shall confesse vnto 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 euery one of vs shall giue accounts of himselfe to God.
So, then, each one of us will have to render account of himself to God.
13 Let vs not therefore iudge one another any more: but vse your iudgement rather in this, that no man put an occasion to fall, or a stumbling blocke before his brother.
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 perswaded through the Lord Iesus, that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe: but vnto him that iudgeth any thing to be vncleane, to him it is vncleane.
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 But if thy brother be grieued for the meate, nowe walkest thou not charitably: destroy not him with thy meate, for whome Christ dyed.
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 Cause not your commoditie to be euill spoken of.
Do not let what is right for you become a matter of reproach.
17 For the kingdome of God, is not meate nor drinke, but righteousnes, and peace, and ioye in the holy Ghost.
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 whosoeuer in these things serueth Christ, is acceptable vnto God, and is approoued of men.
The person who serves the Christ in this way pleases God, and wins the approval of their fellows.
19 Let vs then follow those things which concerne peace, and wherewith one may edifie another.
Therefore our efforts should be directed towards all that makes for peace and the mutual building up of character.
20 Destroy not the worke of God for meates sake: all things in deede are pure: but it is euill for the man which eateth with offence.
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 neither to eate flesh, nor to drinke wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or made weake.
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 Hast thou faith? haue it with thy selfe before God: blessed is hee that condemneth not himselfe in that thing which he aloweth.
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 For he that doubteth, is condemned if he eate, because he eateth not of faith: and whatsoeuer is not of faith, is sinne.
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.
