Romans 14

Principles of Conscience

1Now 1accept the one who is 2weak 3in faith, but not 4to have quarrels over opinions. 25One person has faith that he may eat all things, but the one who is 6weak eats only vegetables. 3The one who eats is not to 7regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to 8judge the one who eats, for God has 9accepted him. 410Who are you to judge the 11servant of another? To his own 12master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

513One person 14values one day over another, another 15values every day the same. Each person must be 16fully convinced in his own mind. 6The one who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and the one who eats, 17does so with regard to the Lord, for he 18gives thanks to God; and the one who does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat, and he gives thanks to God. 7For not one of us 19lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore 20whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end 21Christ died and lived again, that He might be 22Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10But as for you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you as well, why do you 23regard your brother or sister with contempt? For 24we will all appear before the judgment seat of God. 11For it is written: “25As I live, says the Lord, 26to Me every knee will bow, And every tongue will 27give praise to God.” 12So then 28each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

13Therefore let’s not 29judge one another anymore, but rather 30determine this: 31not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s or sister’s way. 14I know and am convinced 32in the Lord Jesus that 33nothing is 34unclean in itself; but to the one who 35thinks something is 36unclean, to that person it is 37unclean. 15For if because of food your brother or sister is hurt, you are no longer 38walking in accordance with love. 39Do not destroy with your choice of food that person for whom Christ died. 16Therefore 40do not let what is for you a good thing be 41spoken of as evil; 17for the kingdom of God 42is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and 43peace and 44joy in the Holy Spirit. 18For the one who 45serves Christ in this way is 46acceptable to God and approved by other people. 19So then we 47pursue the things 48which make for peace and the 49building up of one another. 2050Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. 51All things indeed are clean, but 52they are evil for the person who eats 53and causes offense. 2154It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother or sister stumbles. 22The faith which you have, have 55as your own conviction before God. Happy is the one who 56does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23But 57the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.