The Law of Liberty

14 Receive^(A) one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. ² For one believes he ^(B)may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and ^(C)let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. ^4 (D)Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

^5 (E)One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who ^(F)observes the day, observes it to the Lord; ^[a]and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for ^(G)he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. ⁷ For ^(H)none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. ⁸ For if we ^(I)live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For ^(J)to this end Christ died ^[b]and rose and lived again, that He might be ^(K)Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰ But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For ^(L)we shall all stand before the judgment seat of ^[c]Christ. ¹¹ For it is written:

¹² So then ^(N)each of us shall give account of himself to God. ¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another ^[d]anymore, but rather resolve this, ^(O)not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

The Law of Love

¹⁴ I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus ^(P)that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵ Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. ^(Q)Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. ^16 (R)Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; ^17 (S)for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and ^(T)peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Be Sensitive to Conscience

8 Now ^(A)concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have ^(B)knowledge. ^(C)Knowledge ^[a]puffs up, but love ^[b]edifies. ² And ^(D)if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. ³ But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

⁴ Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that ^(E)an idol is nothing in the world, ^(F)and that there is no other God but one. ⁵ For even if there are ^(G)so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), ⁶ yet ^(H)for us there is one God, the Father, ^(I)of whom are all things, and we for Him; and ^(J)one Lord Jesus Christ, ^(K)through whom are all things, and ^(L)through whom we live.

⁷ However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, ^(M)with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is ^(N)defiled. ⁸ But ^(O)food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

⁹ But ^(P)beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become ^(Q)a ^[c]stumbling block to those who are weak. ¹⁰ For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not ^(R)the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? ¹¹ And ^(S)because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? ¹² But ^(T)when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, ^(U)if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.