THE WEAK AND THE STRONG

Romans 14:1-23

Accept him whose Faith is weak,

Without passing judgment on disputable matters.

2 One man's Faith allows him to eat everything,

But another man, whose Faith is weak,

Eats only vegetables.

3 The man who eats everything

Must not look down on him who does not,

And the man who does not eat everything

Must not condemn the man who does,

FOR GOD HAS ACCEPTED HIM.

4 Who are you to Judge someone else's servant?

TO HIS OWN MASTER HE STANDS OF FALLS.

And he will Stand,

For the Lord is able to make him Stand.

5 One man considers one day more sacred than another;

Another man considers every day alike.

EACH ONE SHOULD BE FULLY CONVINCED IN HIS OWN MIND.

6 He who regards on day as special,

DOES SO TO THE LORD.

He who eats meat, eats to the Lord,

For he gives thanks to God;

And he who abstains, does so to the Lord

And gives thanks to God.

7 FOR NONE OF US LIVES TO HIMSELF ALONE

AND NONE OF US DIES TO HIMSELF ALONE.

8 IF WE LIVE, WE LIVE TO THE LORD;

AND IF WE DIE, WE DIE TO THE LORD.

SO, WHETHER WE LIVE OR DIE,

WE BELONG TO THE LORD.

9 For this very reason,

Christ Died and returned to life

So that He might be the Lord

Of both the Dead and the Living.

10 You, then, why do you Judge your brother?

Or why do you look down on your brother?

FOR WE WILL ALL STAND BEFORE GOD'S JUDGMENT SEAT.

11 It is written:

'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,

'Every knee will bow before Me;

Every tongue will confess to God.'

12 SO THEN, EACH OF US

WILL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF TO GOD.

13 THEREFORE LET US STOP PASSING JUDGMENT

ON ONE ANOTHER.

INSTEAD, MAKE UP YOUR MIND

NOT TO PUT ANY STUMBLING BLOCK OR OBSTACLE

IN YOUR BROTHER'S WAY.

14 AS ONE WHO IS IN THE LORD JESUS,

I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself.

But if anyone regards something as unclean,

Then for him it is unclean.

15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat,

You are no longer acting in love.

Do not by your eating Destroy your brother

For whom Christ Died.

16 Do not allow what you consider good

To be spoken of as Evil.

17 FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD

IS NOT A MATTER OF EATING AND DRINKING,

BUT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE AND JOY

IN THE HOLY SPIRIT,

18 BECAUSE ANYONE WHO SERVES CHRIST IN THIS WAY

IS PLEASING TO GOD AND APPROVED BY MEN.

19 Let us therefore make every effort

To do what leads to Peace

And to mutual Edification.

20 Do not Destroy the Work of God

For the sake of food.

ALL FOOD IS CLEAN,

But it is Wrong for a man to eat anything

That causes someone else to Stumble.

21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine

Or to do anything else

That will cause your brother to Fall.

22 So whatever you believe about these things

Keep between yourself and God.

Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself

By what he approves.

23 But the man who has doubts is condemned

If he eats, because his eating is not from Faith;

AND EVERYTHING

THAT DOES NOT COME FROM FAITH IS SIN.

(Romans 14)