The Weak and the Strong

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak,^(A) without quarreling over disputable matters. ² One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.^{(B) 3} The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt^(C) the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge^(D) the one who does, for God has accepted them. ⁴ Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?^(E) To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

⁵ One person considers one day more sacred than another;^(F) another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. ⁶ Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God;^(G) and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

¹⁴ I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.^(A) But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.^{(B) 15} If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.^(C) Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.^{(D) 16} Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.^{(E) 17} For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,^(F) but of righteousness, peace^(G) and joy in the Holy Spirit,^{(H) 18} because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.^(I)

¹⁹ Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace^(J) and to mutual edification.^{(K) 20} Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.^(L) All food is clean,^(M) but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.^(N)