Romans 14
Modern English Version
Do Not Judge Your Brother
14 Welcome him who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of arguing over opinions. 2 For one has faith to eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Do not let him who eats despise him who does not eat, and do not let him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to judge another man’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for God is able to make him stand.
5 One man judges one day above another; another judges every day alike. Let each one be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day observes it for the Lord, and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and the one who does not eat, in honor of the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. 8 For if we live, we live for the Lord. And if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, so that He might be Lord of both the dead and living.
10 So why do you judge your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:
“As I live, says the Lord,
every knee shall bow to Me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”[a]
12 So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God.
Do Not Make Your Brother Stumble
13 Therefore let us no longer pass judgment on one another, but rather determine not to put a stumbling block or an obstacle in a brother’s way. 14 I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 If your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what is good to you be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19 Therefore let us pursue the things which produce peace and the things that build up one another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but it is evil for the man who causes someone to fall by what he eats. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine, nor do anything whereby your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
22 The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it is not from faith, for whatever is not from faith is sin.
Footnotes
Romans 14
Evangelical Heritage Version
Strong and Weak Christians Both Belong to the Lord
14 Accept a person who is weak in faith, and do not pass judgment on things that are just a difference of opinion. 2 One person believes it is right to eat anything. Another person who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything should not look down on the person who does not do so, and the one who does not eat everything should not judge the person who does, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on someone else’s servant? It is up to his master to decide whether that servant stands or falls. And he will stand, because God[a] is able to make him stand.
5 One person values one day above another. Another person values every day the same. Let each person be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The person who honors a certain day does this for the Lord, and the person who eats does this for the Lord, because he gives thanks to God. And the person who does not eat does this for the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 In fact, not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself. 8 Indeed, 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. 9 For this reason he died, rose,[b] and lived, to be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Do Not Cause a Weak Christian to Stumble in Faith
10 But you, why do you pass judgment on your brother? And you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s[c] judgment seat. 11 Indeed, it is written:
As I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow to me,
and every tongue will acknowledge God.[d]
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, resolve never to put an obstacle or a snare in the path of your brother. 14 I know, and I am convinced in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in and of itself, but it becomes unclean for the one who considers it to be unclean. 15 For example, if your brother is offended because of the food you eat, you are no longer walking in line with love. Do not destroy that person for whom Christ died by the food you eat! 16 So do not give others a reason to speak evil about what you consider good.
17 For the kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Certainly a person who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and has the approval of people. 19 Consequently, let us pursue those things that lead to peace and building up one another.
20 Do not tear down God’s work for the sake of food. Everything is pure, but it is wrong for a person to eat if it causes anyone to stumble. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything if it causes your brother to stumble.
22 Keep the conviction that you have in these matters between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because it does not proceed from faith.[e] Everything that does not proceed from faith[f] is sin.
Footnotes
- Romans 14:4 Some witnesses to the text read the Lord.
- Romans 14:9 Some witnesses to the text omit rose.
- Romans 14:10 Some witnesses to the text read Christ’s.
- Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23
- Romans 14:23 Or confidence, or conviction
- Romans 14:23 Or confidence, or conviction
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.