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Romans 14
Worldwide English (New Testament)
Romans 14
Worldwide English (New Testament)
14 Be ready to take a person into the church even if he does not know and believe all you believe. Do not judge what he thinks about things.
2 One person believes he may eat anything. Another person, who does not believe that, eats only things that grow in the garden.
3 The one who eats anything must not despise the one who does not eat everything. And the one who does not eat must not judge the person who does. God has accepted him as he is.
4 Why do you judge another person's servant? He stands or he falls before his own master. But he will stand because the Lord can give him power to stand.
5 One man thinks, `This day is better than that day.' But another man thinks, `All days are alike.' Every man should be sure in his own mind what he believes.
6 One man honours the day to honour the Lord; another man does not honour the day to honour the Lord. The person who eats everything, eats it because he honours the Lord. And he thanks God. And the person who will not eat every kind of food also does so to honour the Lord. And he still gives thanks to God.
7 Not one of us lives for himself. And not one of us dies for himself.
8 If we live, we live for the Lord. And if we die, we die for the Lord. So then, if we live or if we die we belong to the Lord.
9 Christ wanted to be Lord, both of dead people and of living people. That is why he died and lived again.
10 Why do you judge your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? We shall all stand before God to be judged.
11 The holy writings say, `The Lord says, "As sure as I live, every knee will bow to me. Every tongue will praise God." '
12 So each of us will tell God about what he has done.
13 So we must not judge each other any longer. But it is better for us to judge this. Never put anything in a brother's way that will hurt him or that will make him fall down.
14 As a Christian, I know and believe that nothing in itself is not right to eat. But it is not right for anyone to eat who thinks it is not right to eat.
15 Does what you eat trouble your brother? If it does, you are no longer living in love. Do not destroy the faith of someone because of what you eat. Christ died for him.
16 What is good for you must not be something that other people say is wrong.
17 The kingdom of God is not about what a person eats and drinks. But it is about living in a way which is right with God. It is peace. It is joy because a person has the Holy Spirit.
18 A person who does the work of Christ in this way pleases God. And people like him.
19 But we must do the things that make peace and that help each other to do better.
20 Do not spoil what God has done because you want some food. Everything is right. But it is wrong for anyone to eat anything if that will make his brother fall.
21 The right thing is to eat no meat, and drink no wine, and not do anything that makes your brother fall.
22 Keep to yourself and God what you believe about these things. God blesses a man who does not feel he has done wrong when he did what he thought was right.
23 But a man who is not sure that he should eat something, does wrong if he eats it. That is because he does not believe the thing he is doing is right to do. And it is wrong to do what you do not believe is right.
Romans 14
New International Version
Romans 14
New International Version
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. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone,(H) and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 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) 9 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
- 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.
- Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23
- Romans 14:23 Some manuscripts place 16:25-27 here; others after 15:33.
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