< Romans 14 >
1 To him who is feeble in the faith, reach forth the hand. And be not divided in your thoughts.
2 For one man believeth, that he may eat every thing: and he that is feeble, eateth herbs.
3 And he that eateth, should not despise him that eateth not; and he that eateth not, should not judge him that eateth, for God hath received him.
4 Who art thou, that thou judgest a servant not thine; and who, if he standeth, he standeth to his Lord; and if he falleth, he falleth to his Lord? But he will assuredly stand; for his Lord hath power to establish him.
5 One man discriminateth between days; and another judgeth all days alike. But let every one be sure, in regard to his knowledge.
6 He that esteemeth a day, esteemeth it for his Lord: and he that esteemeth not a day, for his Lord, he doth not esteem it. And he that eateth, eateth to his Lord, and giveth thanks to God: and he that eateth not, to his Lord he eateth not, and giveth thanks to God.
7 For there is not one of us, who liveth for himself: and there is not one, who dieth for himself.
8 Because, if we live, to our Lord it is we live; or if we die, to our Lord it is we die. Whether we live, therefore, or whether we die, we are our Lord's.
9 Moreover, for this cause Messiah died, and revived, and arose; that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living.
10 But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or, why dost thou despise thy brother? For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah,
11 as it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow; and to me every tongue shall give praise.
12 So then, every one of us must give account of himself to God.
13 Henceforth, judge ye not one another; but rather, judge ye this, that thou erect not a stumbling-block for thy brother.
14 I know indeed, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing which is unclean in itself; but to him who thinketh any thing to be unclean, to him only it is defiled.
15 But if thou grievest thy brother, because of food, thou walkest not in love. On account of food, destroy not him for whom Messiah died.
16 And let not our good thing be matter of reproach.
17 For the kingdom of God, is not food and drink; but is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who is in these things a servant of Messiah, is pleasing to God, and approved before men.
19 Now let us strive after peace, and after the edification of one another.
20 And let us not, on account of food, destroy the work of God. For every thing is, indeed, pure; yet it is evil, to the man who eateth with stumbling.
21 It is proper, that we neither eat flesh, nor drink wine, nor do any thing, whereby our brother is stumbled.
22 Thou art one in whom there is faith; keep it to thyself, before God. Blessed is he, who doth not condemn himself, in that thing which he alloweth.
23 For he who eateth and doubteth, is condemned; because he eateth not in faith. For every thing which is not of faith, is sin.