Do Not Judge One Another
Study note
Paul addresses tension between believers with different convictions about food and sacred days. Those with stronger faith who eat all things must not look down on those who abstain, and those who abstain must not judge those who eat freely. Each person is accountable to the Lord, not to one another, in these matters. Whether in life or in death, believers belong to the Lord. Everyone will stand before God's judgment seat to give a personal account.
1 Welcome anyone whose faith is still growing. Do not argue with them about different opinions. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
2 One person's faith lets them eat anything. Another person, whose faith is still young, only eats vegetables. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
3 If you eat everything, do not look down on the person who does not. And if you only eat certain foods, do not judge the person who eats everything. God has already welcomed them. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
4 Who gave you the right to judge someone else's servant? It is their own master who will decide if they pass or fail. And they will pass, because the Lord has the power to hold them up. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
5 Some people think certain days are more special than others. Other people think every day is the same. Each person should make up their own mind about it. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 If someone treats a day as special, they do it for the Lord. If someone eats freely, they do it for the Lord and thank God for it. If someone holds back from eating, they do that for the Lord too, and they also thank God. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
7 None of us lives for ourselves, and none of us dies for ourselves. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8 When we are alive, we are living for the Lord. When we die, we are dying for the Lord. Either way, alive or dead, we belong to the Lord. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
9 That is the whole reason Christ died and came back to life -- so he could be Lord over both the living and the dead. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
10 So why do you look down on your fellow believer? And why do you judge them? Every one of us will stand before Christ and give an account. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 The scriptures say, "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me. Every tongue will openly praise God." For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So each of us will have to explain our own life to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Do Not Cause a Brother to Stumble
Study note
Paul urges believers to stop passing judgment and instead to be careful not to place obstacles in a brother's path. Though nothing is unclean in itself, if eating certain food causes a fellow believer to stumble, love requires restraint. The kingdom of God is not about food and drink but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Believers should pursue what builds others up. Whatever cannot be done from faith is sin.
13 Let us stop pointing fingers at each other. Instead, make a firm decision never to do anything that would make a fellow believer trip and fall. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
14 I am sure of this because of my relationship with the Lord Jesus: nothing is unclean all by itself. But if a person believes something is wrong for them, then for that person, it is wrong. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 If what you eat upsets your fellow believer, you are not acting out of love anymore. Do not let your food choices ruin someone that Christ died for. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
16 Do not let something you think is perfectly fine get a bad reputation. Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
17 After all, God's kingdom is not about what you eat and drink. It is about living right, living at peace, and being filled with joy through the Holy Spirit. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18 Anyone who serves Christ this way makes God happy and earns the respect of other people. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
19 So let us go after the things that bring peace and that help each other grow stronger. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
20 Do not tear down what God has built because of food. Yes, all food is fine to eat. But it becomes wrong when eating it trips up someone else. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
21 The loving thing is to skip the meat, skip the wine, or skip anything else that would cause a fellow believer to stumble. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
22 Keep what you believe about these things between you and God. You are in a good place when your own conscience does not bother you about the choices you make. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
23 But if someone has doubts about what they are eating and eats anyway, they are in the wrong, because they are not acting out of faith. Anything that does not come from faith is sin. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.