The Weak and the Strong

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak,(A) without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.(B) 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. 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.

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. 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. For none of us lives for ourselves alone,(H) and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.(I) For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life(J) so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.(K)

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt?(L) For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.(M) 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’(N) says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”[b](O)

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.(P)

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment(Q) on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.(R) 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.(S) But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.(T) 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.(U) Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.(V) 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.(W) 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,(X) but of righteousness, peace(Y) and joy in the Holy Spirit,(Z) 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.(AA)

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace(AB) and to mutual edification.(AC) 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.(AD) All food is clean,(AE) but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.(AF) 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.(AG)

22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn(AH) himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts(AI) is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.[c]

Footnotes

  1. Romans 14:10 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verses 13, 15 and 21.
  2. Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23
  3. Romans 14:23 Some manuscripts place 16:25-27 here; others after 15:33.

14 But welcome the one who is weak in emunah (faith). But not for the purpose of setting him straight in arguments.

For example, one person has emunah (faith) to eat every potential food; but the weak practice vegetarianism.

Let the one who eats not hold in contempt or despise the one who does not eat, and let not the one who does not eat pass judgment on the one who eats, for Hashem treats him as an oreach ratzuy (welcome guest).

Who are you to condemn the eved (house slave) of someone else? In relation to Ribbono (shel Olam) he stands or falls. And he shall stand, for Ribbono (shel Olam) is able to make him stand.

One person judges one day to be more important than another; another person judges every day to be alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.

The one who holds an opinion on the day does so to Hashem. And the one who eats does so to Hashem, for he does the bentshen (custom of saying grace after meals) of the Birkat Hamazon to Hashem. And the one who does not eat does so to Hashem and gives the hodayah (thanksgiving) to Hashem.

For no one of us lives for himself and no one dies for himself.

For if we live, we live for Hashem; and if we die, we die for Hashem. So whether we live or we die, we belong to Hashem.

For it was for this tachlis (purpose) that Moshiach had his histalkus and came to live again, in order that he might have charge as Moshiach Adoneinu over both the Mesim (dead ones) and the Chayyim (living ones).

10 So you, why do you judge your Ach b’Moshiach? Or you, why do you despise your Ach b’Moshiach? For we shall all stand in the Bet Din (Court of Law) of Hashem (see 2C 5:10) before his Kisse Din (judgment seat), his Kisse Mishpat,

11 For it is written, "As I live, says Hashem, before Me KOL BERECH (every knee) will bow and KOL LASHON (every tongue) shall give praise to Hashem" [Isa 49:18].

12 So then each of us will give account of himself to Hashem.

13 Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but decide this rather: not to put an occasion for michshol (stumbling, offense, downfall 9:32-33) in the way of the Ach b’Moshiach.

14 I have da’as and am convinced in Adoneinu Yehoshua that nothing is tamei beetzem (intrinsically), except that to the one who reckons something profane, to that person it is profane.

15 For if your Ach B’Moshiach is deeply upset on account of [your] okhel (food), you are no longer conducting yourself in a halakhah of ahavah. Do not by your okhel destroy that one for whom Moshiach died.

16 Therefore, do not let HaTov of you be brought into contempt.

17 For the Malchut Hashem is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of tzedek (righteousness, DANIEL 9:24), shalom (peace) and simcha b’Ruach Hakodesh.

18 For he who serves Moshiach in this is pleasing to Hashem and approved by people in general.

19 So then we pursue what makes for shalom and for the building up of one another.

20 Do not for the sake of okhel bring churban to the work of Hashem.

21 It is a fine thing not to eat meat nor drink wine nor anything by which your Ach b’Moshiach stumbles.

22 The emunah that you have, keep beshita (as a matter of conviction or principle) to yourself before G-d. Ashrey is the man who does not condemn himself by the things he approves.

23 But in the man who doubts, there is found in him a dvar ashmah (a thing of guilt, condemnation) if he eats, because it is not of emunah. And whatever is not of emunah is averah (sin).

14 Now as for a person whose trust is weak, welcome him — but not to get into arguments over opinions. One person has the trust that will allow him to eat anything, while another whose trust is weak eats only vegetables. The one who eats anything must not look down on the one who abstains; and the abstainer must not pass judgment on the one who eats anything, because God has accepted him — who are you to pass judgment on someone else’s servant? It is before his own master that he will stand or fall; and the fact is that he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.

One person considers some days more holy than others, while someone else regards them as being all alike. What is important is for each to be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes a day as special does so to honor the Lord. Also he who eats anything, eats to honor the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; likewise the abstainer abstains to honor the Lord, and he too gives thanks to God. For none of us lives only in relation to himself, and none of us dies only in relation to himself; for if we live, we live in relation to the Lord; and if we die, we die in relation to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord — indeed, it was for this very reason that the Messiah died and came back to life, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 You then, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For all of us will stand before God’s judgment seat; 11 since it is written in the Tanakh,

“As I live, says Adonai, every knee will bend before me,
and every tongue will publicly acknowledge God.”[a]

12 So then, every one of us will have to give an account of himself to God.

13 Therefore, let’s stop passing judgment on each other! Instead, make this one judgment — not to put a stumbling block or a snare in a brother’s way. 14 I know — that is, I have been persuaded by the Lord Yeshua the Messiah — that nothing is unclean in itself. But if a person considers something unclean, then for him it is unclean; 15 and if your brother is being upset by the food you eat, your life is no longer one of love. Do not, by your eating habits, destroy someone for whom the Messiah died! 16 Do not let what you know to be good, be spoken of as bad; 17 for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, shalom and joy in the Ruach HaKodesh. 18 Anyone who serves the Messiah in this fashion both pleases God and wins the approval of other people.

19 So then, let us pursue the things that make for shalom and mutual upbuilding. 20 Don’t tear down God’s work for the sake of food. True enough, all things are clean; but it is wrong for anybody by his eating to cause someone to fall away. 21 What is good is not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The belief you hold about such things, keep between yourself and God. Happy the person who is free of self-condemnation when he approves of something! 23 But the doubter comes under condemnation if he eats, because his action is not based on trust. And anything not based on trust is a sin.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23