Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Romans » Chapter 14 » Verse 1-23

Romans 14:1-23 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 Him that is weak G770 in the faith G4102 receive ye, G4355 but G1161 not G3361 to G1519 doubtful G1261 disputations. G1253

2 For G3303 one G3739 believeth G4100 that he may eat G5315 all things: G3956 another, G1161 who is weak, G770 eateth G2068 herbs. G3001

3 Let G1848 not G3361 him that eateth G2068 despise G1848 him that eateth G2068 not; G3361 and G2532 let G2068 not G3361 him which eateth G2068 not G3361 judge G2919 him that eateth: G2068 for G1063 God G2316 hath received G4355 him. G846

4 Who G5101 art G1488 thou G4771 that judgest G2919 another man's G245 servant? G3610 to his own G2398 master G2962 he standeth G4739 or G2228 falleth. G4098 Yea, G1161 he shall be holden up: G2476 for G1063 God G2316 is G2076 able G1415 to make G2476 him G846 stand. G2476

5 One G3303 man G3739 esteemeth G2919 one day G2250 above G3844 another: G2250 G1161 another G3739 esteemeth G2919 every G3956 day G2250 alike. Let G4135 every man G1538 be fully persuaded G4135 in G1722 his own G2398 mind. G3563

6 He that regardeth G5426 the day, G2250 regardeth G5426 it unto the Lord; G2962 and G2532 he that regardeth G5426 not G3361 the day, G2250 to the Lord G2962 he doth G5426 not G3756 regard G5426 it. He that eateth, G2068 eateth G2068 to the Lord, G2962 for G1063 he giveth God G2316 thanks; G2168 and G2532 he that eateth G2068 not, G3361 to the Lord G2962 he eateth G2068 not, G3756 and G2532 giveth God G2316 thanks. G2168

7 For G1063 none G3762 of us G2257 liveth G2198 to himself, G1438 and G2532 no man G3762 dieth G599 to himself. G1438

8 For G1063 whether G1437 G5037 we live, G2198 we live G2198 unto the Lord; G2962 and whether G1437 G5037 we die, G599 we die G599 unto the Lord: G2962 whether G1437 G5037 we live G2198 therefore, G3767 or G1437 G5037 die, G599 we are G2070 the Lord's. G2962

9 For G1063 to G1519 this G5124 end Christ G5547 both G2532 died, G599 and G2532 rose, G450 and G2532 revived, G326 that G2443 he might be Lord G2961 both G2532 of the dead G3498 and G2532 living. G2198

10 But G1161 why G5101 dost G2919 thou G4771 judge G2919 thy G4675 brother? G80 or G2228 G2532 why G5101 dost G1848 thou G4771 set at nought G1848 thy G4675 brother? G80 for G1063 we shall G3936 all G3956 stand before G3936 the judgment seat G968 of Christ. G5547

11 For G1063 it is written, G1125 As I G1473 live, G2198 saith G3004 the Lord, G2962 G3754 every G3956 knee G1119 shall bow G2578 to me, G1698 and G2532 every G3956 tongue G1100 shall confess G1843 to God. G2316

12 So G3767 then G686 every one G1538 of us G2257 shall give G1325 account G3056 of G4012 himself G1438 to God. G2316

13 Let us G2919 not therefore G3767 judge G2919 one another G240 any more: G3371 but G235 judge G2919 this G5124 rather, G3123 that no man G3361 put G5087 a stumblingblock G4348 or G2228 an occasion to fall G4625 in his brother's way. G80

14 I know, G1492 and G2532 am persuaded G3982 by G1722 the Lord G2962 Jesus, G2424 that G3754 there is nothing G3762 unclean G2839 of G1223 itself: G1438 but G1508 to him that esteemeth G3049 any thing G5100 to be G1511 unclean, G2839 to him G1565 it is unclean. G2839

15 But G1161 if G1487 thy G4675 brother G80 be grieved G3076 with G1223 thy meat, G1033 now G3765 walkest thou G4043 not G3765 charitably. G26 G2596 Destroy G622 not G3361 him G1565 with thy G4675 meat, G1033 for G5228 whom G3739 Christ G5547 died. G599

16 Let G987 not G3361 then G3767 your G5216 good G18 be evil spoken of: G987

17 For G1063 the kingdom G932 of God G2316 is G2076 not G3756 meat G1035 and G2532 drink; G4213 but G235 righteousness, G1343 and G2532 peace, G1515 and G2532 joy G5479 in G1722 the Holy G40 Ghost. G4151

18 For G1063 he that in G1722 these things G5125 serveth G1398 Christ G5547 is acceptable G2101 to God, G2316 and G2532 approved G1384 of men. G444

19 Let us G1377 therefore G686 G3767 follow after G1377 the things which make for G3588 peace, G1515 and G2532 things wherewith G1519 one G240 may edify G3619 another. G240

20 For G1752 meat G1033 destroy G2647 not G3361 the work G2041 of God. G2316 All things G3956 indeed G3303 are pure; G2513 but G235 it is evil G2556 for that man G444 who eateth G2068 with G1223 offence. G4348

21 It is good G2570 neither G3361 to eat G5315 flesh, G2907 nor G3366 to drink G4095 wine, G3631 nor G3366 any thing whereby G1722 G3739 thy G4675 brother G80 stumbleth, G4350 or G2228 is offended, G4624 or G2228 is made weak. G770

22 Hast G2192 thou G4771 faith? G4102 have G2192 it to G2596 thyself G4572 before G1799 God. G2316 Happy G3107 is he that condemneth G2919 not G3361 himself G1438 in G1722 that thing which G3739 he alloweth. G1381

23 And G1161 he that doubteth G1252 is damned G2632 if G1437 he eat, G5315 because G3754 he eateth not G3756 of G1537 faith: G4102 for G1161 whatsoever G3739 G3956 is not G3756 of G1537 faith G4102 is G2076 sin. G266

Commentary on Romans 14 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 14

Ro 14:1-23. Same Subject ContinuedChristian Forbearance.

The subject here, and on to Ro 15:13, is the consideration due from stronger Christians to their weaker brethren; which is but the great law of love (treated of in the thirteenth chapter) in one particular form.

1. Him that is weak in the faith—rather, "in faith"; that is, not "him that is weak in the truth believed" [Calvin, Beza, Alford, &c.], but (as most interpreters agree), "him whose faith wants that firmness and breadth which would raise him above small scruples." (See on Ro 14:22, 23).

receive ye—to cordial Christian fellowship.

but not to doubtful disputations—rather, perhaps, "not to the deciding of doubts," or "scruples;" that is, not for the purpose of arguing him out of them: which indeed usually does the reverse; whereas to receive him to full brotherly confidence and cordial interchange of Christian affection is the most effectual way of drawing them off. Two examples of such scruples are here specified, touching Jewish meats and days. "The strong," it will be observed, are those who knew these to be abolished under the Gospel; "the weak" are those who had scruples on this point.

2. one believeth that he may eat all things—See Ac 10:16.

another, who is weak, eateth herbs—restricting himself probably to a vegetable diet, for fear of eating what might have been offered to idols, and so would be unclean. (See 1Co 8:1-13).

3. Let not him that eateth despise—look down superciliously upon "him that eateth not."

and let not him that eateth not judge—sit in judgment censoriously upon "him that eateth."

for God hath received him—as one of His dear children, who in this matter acts not from laxity, but religious principle.

4. Who art thou that judges another man's—rather, "another's"

servant?—that is, Christ's, as the whole context shows, especially Ro 14:8, 9.

Yea, &c.—"But he shall be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand"; that is, to make good his standing, not at the day of judgment, of which the apostle treats in Ro 14:10, but in the true fellowship of the Church here, in spite of thy censures.

5. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day—The supplement "alike" should be omitted, as injuring the sense.

Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind—be guided in such matters by conscientious conviction.

6. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it to the Lord—the Lord Christ, as before.

and he … not, to the Lord he doth not—each doing what he believes to be the Lord's will.

He that earth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks—The one gave thanks to God for the flesh which the other scrupled to use; the other did the same for the herbs to which, for conscience' sake, he restricted himself. From this passage about the observance of days, Alford unhappily infers that such language could not have been used if the sabbath law had been in force under the Gospel in any form. Certainly it could not, if the sabbath were merely one of the Jewish festival days; but it will not do to take this for granted merely because it was observed under the Mosaic economy. And certainly, if the sabbath was more ancient than Judaism; if, even under Judaism, it was enshrined among the eternal sanctities of the Decalogue, uttered, as no other parts of Judaism were, amidst the terrors of Sinai; and if the Lawgiver Himself said of it when on earth, "The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day" (see Mr 2:28)—it will be hard to show that the apostle must have meant it to be ranked by his readers among those vanished Jewish festival days, which only "weakness" could imagine to be still in force—a weakness which those who had more light ought, out of love, merely to bear with.

7, 8. For none of us—Christians

liveth to himself—(See 2Co 5:14, 15), to dispose of himself or shape his conduct after his own ideas and inclinations.

and no man—"and none" of us Christians "dieth to himself."

8. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord—the Lord Christ; see Ro 14:9.

and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's—Nothing but the most vivid explanation of these remarkable words could make them endurable to any Christian ear, if Christ were a mere creature. For Christ is here—in the most emphatic terms, and yet in the most unimpassioned tone—held up as the supreme Object of the Christian's life, and of his death too; and that by the man whose horror of creature worship was such, that when the poor Lycaonians would have worshipped him, he rushed forth to arrest the deed, directing them to "the living God," as the only legitimate Object of worship (Ac 14:15). Nor does Paul teach this here, but rather appeals to it as a known and recognized fact, of which he had only to remind his readers. And since the apostle, when he wrote these words, had never been at Rome, he could only know that the Roman Christians would assent to this view of Christ, because it was the common teaching of all the accredited preachers of Christianity, and the common faith of all Christians.

9. For to this end Christ both, &c.—The true reading here is, To this end Christ died and lived ("again").

that he might be Lord both of the dead and—"and of the"

living—The grand object of His death was to acquire this absolute Lordship over His redeemed, both in their living and in their dying, as His of right.

10. But why, &c.—The original is more lively:—"But thou (the weaker believer), why judgest thou thy brother? And thou again (the stronger), why despisest thou thy brother?"

for we shall all—the strong and the weak together.

stand before the judgment-seat of Christ—All the most ancient and best manuscripts read here, "the judgment-seat of God." The present reading doubtless crept in from 2Co 5:10, where "the judgment-seat of Christ" occurs. But here "the judgment-seat of God" seems to have been used, with reference to the quotation and the inference in Ro 14:11, 12.

11, 12. For it is written—(Isa 45:23).

As I live, saith the Lord—Hebrew, Jehovah.

every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God—consequently, shall bow to the award of God upon their character and actions.

12. So then—infers the apostle.

every one of us shall give account of himself to God—Now, if it be remembered that all this is adduced quite incidentally, to show that Christ is the absolute Master of all Christians, to rule their judgments and feelings towards each other while "living," and to dispose of them "dying," the testimony which it bears to the absolute Divinity of Christ will appear remarkable. On any other view, the quotation to show that we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God would be a strange proof that Christians are all amenable to Christ.

13. Let us not therefore judge—"assume the office of judge over"

one another; but judge this rather, &c.—a beautiful sort of play upon the word "judge," meaning, "But let this be your judgment, not to put a stumbling-block," &c.

14, 15. I know, and am persuaded by—or rather, "in"

the Lord Jesus—as "having the mind of Christ" (1Co 2:16).

that there is nothing unclean of itself—Hence it is that he calls those "the strong" who believed in the abolition of all ritual distinctions under the Gospel. (See Ac 10:15).

but—"save that"

to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean—"and therefore, though you can eat of it with out sin, he cannot."

15. But if thy brother be grieved—has his weak conscience hurt

with thy meat—rather, "because of meat." The word "meat" is purposely selected as something contemptible in contrast with the tremendous risk run for its sake. Accordingly, in the next clause, that idea is brought out with great strength.

Destroy not him with—"by"

thy meat for whom Christ died—"The worth of even the poorest and weakest brother cannot be more emphatically expressed than by the words, 'for whom Christ died'" [Olshausen]. The same sentiment is expressed with equal sharpness in 1Co 8:11. Whatever tends to make anyone violate his conscience tends to the destruction of his soul; and he who helps, whether wittingly or no, to bring about the one is guilty of aiding to accomplish the other.

16, 17. Let not then your good—that is, this liberty of yours as to Jewish meats and days, well founded though it be.

be evil spoken of—for the evil it does to others.

17. For the kingdom of God—or, as we should say, Religion; that is, the proper business and blessedness for which Christians are formed into a community of renewed men in thorough subjection to God (compare 1Co 4:20).

is not meat and drink—"eating and drinking"

but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost—a beautiful and comprehensive division of living Christianity. The first—"righteousness"—has respect to God, denoting here "rectitude," in its widest sense (as in Mt 6:33); the second—"peace"—has respect to our neighbors, denoting "concord" among brethren (as is plain from Ro 14:19; compare Eph 4:3; Col 3:14, 15); the third—"joy in the Holy Ghost"—has respect to ourselves. This phrase, "joy in the Holy Ghost," represents Christians as so thinking and feeling under the workings of the Holy Ghost, that their joy may be viewed rather as that of the blessed Agent who inspires it than their own (compare 1Th 1:6).

18. 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 things which God delights in, and men are constrained to approve. (Compare Pr 3:4; Lu 2:52; Ac 2:47; 19:20).

19. the things, &c.—more simply, "the things of peace, and the things of mutual edification."

20. 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 offence—that is, so as to stumble a weak brother.

21. It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing—"nor to do any thing"

whereby—"wherein"

thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak—rather, "is weak." These three words, it has been remarked, are each intentionally weaker than the other:—"Which may cause a brother to stumble, or even be obstructed in his Christian course, nay—though neither of these may follow—wherein he continues weak; unable wholly to disregard the example, and yet unprepared to follow it." But this injunction to abstain from flesh, from wine, and from whatsoever may hurt the conscience of a brother, must be properly understood. Manifestly, the apostle is treating of the regulation of the Christian's conduct with reference simply to the prejudices of the weak in faith; and his directions are to be considered not as prescriptions for one's entire lifetime, even to promote the good of men on a large scale, but simply as cautions against the too free use of Christian liberty in matters where other Christians, through weakness, are not persuaded that such liberty is divinely allowed. How far the principle involved in this may be legitimately extended, we do not inquire here; but ere we consider that question, it is of great importance to fix how far it is here actually expressed, and what is the precise nature of the illustrations given of it.

22. Hast thou faith—on such matters?

have it to thyself—within thine own breast

before God—a most important clause. It is not mere sincerity, or a private opinion, of which the apostle speaks; it is conviction as to what is the truth and will of God. If thou hast formed this conviction in the sight of God, keep thyself in this frame before Him. Of course, this is not to be over-pressed, as if it were wrong to discuss such points at all with our weaker brethren. All that is here condemned is such a zeal for small points as endangers Christian love.

Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth—allows himself to do nothing, about the lawfulness of which he has scruples; does only what he neither knows nor fears to be sinful.

23. And—rather, "But"

he that doubteth is damned—On the word "damnation," see on Ro 13:2.

if he eat, because he eateth not of faith—On the meaning of "faith" here, see on Ro 14:22.

for whatsoever is not of faith is sin—a maxim of unspeakable importance in the Christian life.

Note, (1) Some points in Christianity are unessential to Christian fellowship; so that though one may be in error upon them, he is not on that account to be excluded either from the communion of the Church or from the full confidence of those who have more light. This distinction between essential and non-essential truths is denied by some who affect more than ordinary zeal for the honor and truth of God. But they must settle the question with our apostle. (2) Acceptance with God is the only proper criterion of right to Christian fellowship. Whom God receives, men cannot lawfully reject (Ro 14:3, 4). (3) As there is much self-pleasing in setting up narrow standards of Christian fellowship, so one of the best preservatives against the temptation to do this will be found in the continual remembrance that Christ is the one Object for whom all Christians live, and to whom all Christians die; this will be such a living and exalted bond of union between the strong and the weak as will overshadow all their lesser differences and gradually absorb them (Ro 14:7-9). (4) The consideration of the common judgment-seat at which the strong and the weak shall stand together will be found another preservative against the unlovely disposition to sit in judgment one on another (Ro 14:10-12). (5) How brightly does the supreme Divinity of Christ shine out in this chapter! The exposition itself supersedes further illustration here. (6) Though forbearance be a great Christian duty, indifference to the distinction between truth and error is not thereby encouraged. The former is, by the tax, made an excuse for the latter. But our apostle, while teaching "the strong" to bear with "the weak," repeatedly intimates in this chapter where the truth really lay on the points in question, and takes care to call those who took the wrong side "the weak" (Ro 14:1, 2, 14). (7) With what holy jealousy ought the purity of the conscience to be guarded, since every deliberate violation of it is incipient perdition (Ro 14:15, 20)! Some, who seem to be more jealous for the honor of certain doctrines than for the souls of men, enervate this terrific truth by asking how it bears upon the "perseverance of the saints"; the advocates of that doctrine thinking it necessary to explain away what is meant by "destroying the work of God" (Ro 14:20), and "destroying him for whom Christ died" (Ro 14:15), for fear of the doctrinal consequences of taking it nakedly; while the opponents of that doctrine are ready to ask, How could the apostle have used such language if he had believed that such a catastrophe was impossible? The true answer to both lies in dismissing the question as impertinent. The apostle is enunciating a great and eternal principle in Christian Ethics—that the wilful violation of conscience contains within itself a seed of destruction; or, to express it otherwise, that the total destruction of the work of God in the renewed soul, and, consequently, the loss of that soul for eternity, needs only the carrying out to its full effect of such violation of the conscience. Whether such effects do take place, in point of fact, the apostle gives not the most distant hint here; and therefore that point must be settled elsewhere. But, beyond all doubt, as the position we have laid down is emphatically expressed by the apostle, so the interests of all who call themselves Christians require to be proclaimed and pressed on every suitable occasion. (8) Zeal for comparatively small points of truth is a poor substitute for the substantial and catholic and abiding realities of the Christian life (Ro 14:17, 18). (9) "Peace" among the followers of Christ is a blessing too precious to themselves, and, as a testimony to them that are without, too important, to be ruptured for trifles, even though some lesser truths be involved in these (Ro 14:19, 20). Nor are those truths themselves disparaged or endangered thereby, but the reverse. (10) Many things which are lawful are not expedient. In the use of any liberty, therefore, our question should be, not simply, Is this lawful? but even if so, Can it be used with safety to a brother's conscience?—How will it affect my brother's soul (Ro 14:21)? It is permitted to no Christian to say with Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Ge 4:9). (11) Whenever we are in doubt as to a point of duty—where abstinence is manifestly sinless, but compliance not clearly lawful—the safe course is ever to be preferred, for to do otherwise is itself sinful. (12) How exalted and beautiful is the Ethics of Christianity—by a few great principles teaching us how to steer our course amidst practical difficulties, with equal regard to Christian liberty, love, and confidence!