Romans 14:20

Romans 14:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
• New International Version (NIV)Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.

Context of Romans 14:20

18If anyone serves Christ in that way, they will make God happy. And other people will respect them. 19So then, we should try to live in a way that brings peace. We should try to help each other so that we become stronger as God's people. Do not bring trouble to someone because of the food that you eat. Do not destroy what God has done in the life of another believer. God lets us eat all kinds of food. But do not eat anything that will cause another believer to do something wrong. 21It is good not to do anything that might cause another believer to do something wrong. That includes if you eat meat or if you drink wine. 22What you believe about these things should be a secret between yourself and God. You should do what you have decided is right for you. Do not feel guilty about what you eat. Then God will bless you.

Romans 14:20 word by word

μὴ ἕνεκεν βρώματος κατάλυε τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ. πάντα μὲν καθαρὰ ἀλλὰ κακὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ διὰ προσκόμματος ἐσθίοντι·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forἕνεκαheneka heneken heineken · because ofG1752
• meatβρῶμαbrōma · foodG1033
• destroyκαταλύωkataluō · to destroy/lodgeG2647
• notμήmē · notG3361
• the workἔργονergon · workG2041
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• All thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
• indeedμένmen · on the other handG3303
• pureκαθαρόςkatharos · cleanG2513
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• evilκακόςkakos · evil/harm: evilG2556
• for that manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• who eatethἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068
• withδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• offenceπρόσκομμαproskomma · stumbling blockG4348

Cross-references for Romans 14:20

• Romans 14:15You should not cause another believer to be sad because of what you eat. If you do make him sad, then you are not really loving him. Remember that Christ died on behalf of that person. So do not let your food make him turn away from God.
• Matthew 18:6Jesus said, ‘A person who believes in me may not seem important. But you should never make that person do wrong things. Do not do that! It would be better for you if someone tied a big stone round your neck. Then you would sink deep down into the sea and die.
• 1 Corinthians 6:12Some of you believers may say, ‘I am free to do anything that I want to do.’ That may be true, but not everything will help you. I could say, ‘I am free to do the things that I want to do.’ Yes, but I will not let anything rule over me.
• 1 Corinthians 8:8But the food that we eat will not help us to please God. If we do not eat certain food, that will not make us worse. If we do eat that food, it will not make us better.
• 1 Corinthians 10:31Whatever you are doing, show that God is great. When you eat anything, or you drink anything, do it all in a way that praises God.
• Ephesians 2:10It is God who has worked in us to make us what we are. He has given us a new life because we are united with Christ Jesus. He saved us so that now we can do good things in our lives. Those are good things that he has already prepared for us to do.
• Philippians 1:6I know that God has begun to do good things in you. And I am sure that he will continue to work in you. Then, on the day when Jesus Christ returns, his work in you will be finished.
• Romans 14:14As for me, I am sure that we may eat any kind of food. God does not think that any food is unclean. The Lord Jesus has shown me that that is true. But someone else may believe that it is wrong to eat certain food. For that person, it would be wrong to eat that kind of food.
• Matthew 15:11It is not food that goes into people's mouths that makes them unclean. Instead, what comes out of people's mouths is important. It may show that what is inside them is unclean.’
• Acts 10:15Then, for the second time, the voice said to Peter, ‘God has made these animals good for people to eat. So you must not say that it is not right to eat them.’
• 1 Timothy 4:3They say that it is wrong for anyone to marry. They tell people not to eat certain kinds of food. But God made those foods for people to eat! We should understand God's true message and trust him. Then we will receive the food that he has given us and we will thank him for it.
• 1 Corinthians 8:9You are free to eat any kind of food. You understand that. But other Christians do not understand so well. So you must be careful. Do not cause them to do something that they think is wrong.
• 1 Corinthians 10:32Do not cause problems for other people. Whether they are Jews or Gentiles, or people who belong to God's church, live in a way that does not cause problems for them.

Commentaries on Romans 14:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20For meat destroy not the work of God - Do not hinder the progress of the Gospel either in your own souls or in those of others, by contending about lawful or unlawful meats. And do not destroy the soul of thy Christian brother, Romans 14:15, by offending him so as to induce him to apostatize. All things indeed are pure - This is a repetition of the sentiment delivered, Romans 14:14, in different words. Nothing that is proper for aliment is unlawful to be…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20For meat - By your obstinate, pertinacious attachment to your own opinions about the distinctions of meat and drinks, do not pursue such a course as to lead a brother into sin, and ruin his soul. Here is a new argument presented why Christians should pursue a course of charity - that the opposite would tend to the ruin of the brother‘s soul. Destroy not - The word here is what properly is applied to pulling down an edifice; and the apostle continues the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-23Verses 19-23 Many wish for peace, and talk loudly for it, who do not follow the things that make for peace. Meekness, humility, self-denial, and love, make for peace. We cannot edify one another, while quarrelling and contending. Many, for meat and drink, destroy the work of God in themselves; nothing more destroys the soul than pampering and pleasing the flesh, and fulfilling the lusts of it; so others are hurt, by wilful offence given. Lawful things may…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20The work of God involves both the spiritual life of other Christians and to the Christian community itself (14:15, 19). When the strong insist on doing whatever they want, they cause division. This behavior goes against God’s purpose to build a healthy and united community of believers.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. For--"For the sake of" meat destroy not the work of God--(See on Ro 14:15). The apostle sees in whatever tends to violate a brother's conscience the incipient destruction of God's work (for every converted man is such)--on the same principle as "he that hateth his brother is a murderer" (1Jo 3:15). All things indeed are pure--"clean"; the ritual distinctions being at an end. but it is evil to that man--there is criminality in the man who eateth with…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 14:20

• Charitableness
• Commandments
• Conscience
• Evil
• Expediency
• Fellowship
• Self-Denial

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Esteem
• Faith
• Receive
• Regard
• Revive
• Unclean
• Bible, the
• Defile; Defilement

Commentaries on Romans 14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings