Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Obey the Government

13 Every person should obey the government in power. No government would exist if it hadn’t been established by God. The governments which exist have been put in place by God. ² Therefore, whoever resists the government opposes what God has established. Those who resist will bring punishment on themselves.

³ People who do what is right don’t have to be afraid of the government. But people who do what is wrong should be afraid of it. Would you like to live without being afraid of the government? Do what is right, and it will praise you. ⁴ The government is God’s servant working for your good.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid. The government has the right to carry out the death sentence. It is God’s servant, an avenger to execute God’s anger on anyone who does what is wrong. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary for you to obey, not only because you’re afraid of God’s anger but also because of your own conscience.

⁶ That is also why you pay your taxes. People in the government are God’s servants while they do the work he has given them. ⁷ Pay everyone whatever you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay them. If you owe tolls, pay them. If you owe someone respect, respect that person. If you owe someone honor, honor that person.

Love One Another

⁸ Pay your debts as they come due. However, one debt you can never finish paying is the debt of love that you owe each other. The one who loves another person has fulfilled Moses’ Teachings. ⁹ The commandments, “Never commit adultery; never murder; never steal; never have wrong desires,” and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” ¹⁰ Love never does anything that is harmful to a neighbor. Therefore, love fulfills Moses’ Teachings.

¹¹ You know the times in which we are living. It’s time for you to wake up. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first became believers. ¹² The night is almost over, and the day is near. So we should get rid of the things that belong to the dark and take up the weapons that belong to the light. ¹³ We should live decently, as people who live in the light of day. Wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, rivalry, and jealousy cannot be part of our lives. ¹⁴ Instead, live like the Lord Yeshua Christ did, and forget about satisfying the desires of your corrupt nature.

How to Treat Christians Who Are Weak in Faith

14 Welcome people who are weak in faith, but don’t get into an argument over differences of opinion. ² Some people believe that they can eat all kinds of food. Other people with weak faith believe that they can eat only vegetables. ³ People who eat all foods should not despise people who eat only vegetables. In the same way, the vegetarians should not criticize people who eat all foods, because God has accepted those people. ⁴ Who are you to criticize someone else’s servant? The Lord will determine whether his servant has been successful. The servant will be successful because the Lord makes him successful.

⁵ One person decides that one day is holier than another. Another person decides that all days are the same. Every person must make his own decision. ⁶ When people observe a special day, they observe it to honor the Lord. When people eat all kinds of foods, they honor the Lord as they eat, since they give thanks to God. Vegetarians also honor the Lord when they eat, and they, too, give thanks to God. ⁷ It’s clear that we don’t live to honor ourselves, and we don’t die to honor ourselves. ⁸ If we live, we honor the Lord, and if we die, we honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this reason Christ died and came back to life so that he would be the Lord of both the living and the dead.

¹⁰ Why do you criticize or despise other Christians? Everyone will stand in front of God to be judged. ¹¹ Scripture says,

¹² All of us will have to give an account of ourselves to God.

¹³ So let’s stop criticizing each other. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make other Christians have doubts or lose their faith.

¹⁴ The Lord Yeshua has given me the knowledge and conviction that no food is unacceptable in and of itself. But it is unacceptable to a person who thinks it is. ¹⁵ So if what you eat hurts another Christian, you are no longer living by love. Don’t destroy anyone by what you eat. Christ died for that person. ¹⁶ Don’t allow anyone to say that what you consider good is evil.

¹⁷ God’s kingdom does not consist of what a person eats or drinks. Rather, God’s kingdom consists of God’s approval and peace, as well as the joy that the Holy Spirit gives. ¹⁸ The person who serves Christ with this in mind is pleasing to God and respected by people.

¹⁹ So let’s pursue those things which bring peace and which are good for each other. ²⁰ Don’t ruin God’s work because of what you eat. All food is acceptable, but it’s wrong for a person to eat something if it causes someone else to have doubts. ²¹ The right thing to do is to avoid eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that causes another Christian to have doubts. ²² So whatever you believe about these things, keep it between yourself and God. The person who does what he knows is right shouldn’t feel guilty. He is blessed. ²³ But if a person has doubts and still eats, he is condemned because he didn’t act in faith. Anything that is not done in faith is sin.