Romans 14:18

Romans 14:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
• New Living Translation (NLT)If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.

Context of Romans 14:18

16Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. 19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do 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.

Romans 14:18 word by word

ὁ γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ δουλεύων τῷ Χριστῷ εὐάρεστος τῷ θεῷ καὶ δόκιμος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• he thatδουλεύωdouleuō · be a slaveG1398
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• these thingsοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• acceptableεὐάρεστοςeuarestos · well-pleasingG2101
• to Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• approvedδόκιμοςdokimos · testedG1384
• of menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444

Cross-references for Romans 14:18

• Romans 14:4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
• Romans 6:22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
• Romans 12:11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
• Romans 16:18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
• Mark 13:34It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
• John 12:26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
• 1 Corinthians 7:22For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.
• Galatians 6:15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.
• Colossians 3:24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
• Romans 12:1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
• Genesis 4:7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
• Ecclesiastes 9:7Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.
• Acts 10:35but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.
• 2 Corinthians 8:21For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
• Philippians 4:18I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
• 1 Timothy 2:3This is good, and pleases God our Savior,

Commentaries on Romans 14:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18For he that in these things - The man, whether Jew or Gentile, who in these things - righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, serveth Christ - acts according to his doctrine, is acceptable to God; for he has not only the form of godliness in thus serving Christ, but he has the power, the very spirit and essence of it, in having righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and therefore the whole frame of his mind, as well as his acts, must…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18In these things - In righteousness, peace, and joy. Serveth Christ - Or obeys Christ, who has commanded them. He receives Christ as his “master” or “teacher” and does his will in regard to them. To do these things is to do honor to Christ, and to show the excellency of his religion. Is acceptable to God - Whether he be converted from the Jews or the Gentiles. And approved of men - That is, people will “approve” of such conduct; they will esteem it to be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 Christ deals gently with those who have true grace, though they are weak in it. Consider the design of Christ's death: also that drawing a soul to sin, threatens the destruction of that soul. Did Christ deny himself for our brethren, so as to die for them, and shall not we deny ourselves for them, so as to keep from any indulgence? We cannot hinder ungoverned tongues from speaking evil; but we must not give them any occasion. We must deny…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-23Paul addresses a specific issue causing conflict in the church at Rome. The church encountered a dispute between those weak in faith and those strong in faith about certain practices (see 15:1). Throughout this section, Paul urges Christians to show patience and tolerance toward one another and their practices. He is convinced that people on both sides are genuine believers. He also believes that the issues they are arguing about are not essential to the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. For he that in these things--"in this," meaning this threefold life. serveth Christ--Here again observe how, though we do these three things as a "kingdom of God," yet it is "Christ" that we serve in so doing; the apostle passing here from God to Christ as naturally as before from Christ to God--in a way to us inconceivable, if Christ had been viewed as a mere creature (compare 2Co 8:21). is acceptable to God, and approved of men--these being the…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 14:18

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

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Christ, Messiah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Esteem
• Faith
• Receive
• Regard
• Revive
• Unclean

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