1 Accept those who are still struggling to trust in God, and don't get into arguments over personal opinions. 2 One person may believe they can eat anything, while another whose trust is weak only eats vegetables. 3 Those who eat anything must not look down on those who won't, and those who won't eat must not criticize those who do—for God has accepted them both. 4 What right do you have to judge someone else's servant? It's their own master who decides whether they are right or wrong. With the Lord's help they will be able to take their stand for right. 5 Some people consider some days more important than others, while others consider each day the same. Everyone should be completely convinced in their own minds. 6 Those who respect a special day do so for the Lord; and those who eat without worrying do so for the Lord since they give thanks to God; while those who avoid eating certain things do so for the Lord, and they also give thanks to God. 7 None of us live for ourselves, or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord—so whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 This was the reason Christ died and came back to life—so that he could be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 So why do you criticize your fellow-believer? Why do you despise your fellow-believer? For all of us will stand before God's throne of judgment. 11 For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I am alive,’ the Lord says, ‘Every knee shall bow before me, and every tongue will declare that I am God.’” 12 So every one of us will have to explain ourselves to God. 13 Therefore let's not judge each other anymore, but decide to do this instead—we won't put obstacles in the way of fellow-believers, or cause them to fall. 14 I'm certain—persuaded by the Lord Jesus—that nothing in itself is ceremonially unclean. But if someone considers it to be unclean, to them it is unclean. 15 If your fellow-believer is hurt by you over matters of food, then you're no longer behaving in a loving way. Don't destroy someone for whom Christ died by the food you choose to eat. 16 Don't let the good things you do be misrepresented— 17 for God's kingdom is not about eating and drinking, but about living right, having peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Anyone who serves Christ in this way pleases God, and is appreciated by others. 19 So let's pursue the path of peace, and find ways to encourage each other. 20 Don't destroy the work of God with arguments over food. Everything is clean—but it would be wrong to eat and offend others. 21 It's better not to eat meat or drink wine or anything else that would cause your fellow-believer to stumble. 22 What you personally believe is between you and God. Happy are those who don't condemn themselves for doing what they think is right! 23 But if you have doubts whether it's right or wrong to eat something, then you shouldn't, because you're not convinced it's right. Whatever isn't based on conviction is sin.
Romans 14 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (23)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Romans 15:1; 1 Corinthians 8:7–13; 1 Corinthians 9:22; Romans 15:7; Romans 14:21
- 2 1 Timothy 4:4; Proverbs 15:17; Romans 14:14; Galatians 2:12; Romans 14:22–23
- 3 Romans 14:10; Colossians 2:16–17; Luke 18:9; Romans 14:13; 1 Corinthians 10:29–30
- 4 James 4:11–12; Romans 9:20; Romans 8:31–39; Jude 24; 1 Corinthians 4:4–5
- 5 Colossians 2:16–17; Galatians 4:9–10; Romans 14:23; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 John 3:19–21
- 6 1 Corinthians 10:30–31; 1 Timothy 4:3–5; John 6:28; Matthew 14:19; Isaiah 58:5
- 7 1 Peter 4:2; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Titus 2:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:10
- 8 Philippians 1:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; Acts 21:13; 1 Corinthians 15:23; Revelation 14:13
- 9 Revelation 1:18; Luke 24:26; Hebrews 12:2; John 5:22–23; Ephesians 1:20–23
- 10 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ecclesiastes 12:14; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Romans 2:16; Romans 14:3–4
- 11 Isaiah 45:22–25; Philippians 2:10–11; Psalm 72:11; Romans 10:9; Matthew 10:32
- 12 Matthew 12:36; 1 Peter 4:5; Matthew 16:27; Galatians 6:5; Ecclesiastes 11:9
- 13 2 Corinthians 6:3; 1 Corinthians 8:9–13; James 4:11; Luke 17:2; Romans 16:17
- 14 Titus 1:15; 1 Timothy 4:4; Romans 14:2; 1 Corinthians 8:7; Acts 10:14–15
- 15 1 Corinthians 8:11–12; Galatians 5:13; Philippians 2:2–4; Romans 14:20; 1 Corinthians 8:1
- 16 1 Corinthians 10:29–30; Romans 12:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; 2 Corinthians 8:20–21
- 17 Matthew 6:33; Romans 15:13; 1 Corinthians 4:20; 1 Corinthians 8:8; Galatians 5:22
- 18 2 Corinthians 8:21; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:3–4
- 19 Romans 12:18; Ephesians 4:29; Psalm 34:14; Romans 15:2; Hebrews 12:14
- 20 Romans 14:14–15; Matthew 18:6; Titus 1:15; Acts 10:15; 1 Corinthians 10:31–33
- 21 1 Corinthians 8:13; Romans 14:13; Romans 15:1–2; Luke 17:1–2; Matthew 16:23
- 22 1 John 3:21; Romans 14:5; James 3:13; Galatians 6:1; Romans 14:23
- 23 Hebrews 11:6; Titus 1:15; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 11:29–31; Romans 14:5
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
I Am aware that to most what is here said is a difficulty. And therefore I must first give the subject of the whole of this passage, and what he wishes to correct in writing this. What does he wish to correct then?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
If then we entreat the Lord to forgive us, we ought also ourselves to forgive; for we are before the eyes of our Lord and God, and "we must all appear at the judgment-seat of Christ, and must every one give an account of himself." Let us then serve Him in fear, and with all reverence, even as He Himself …
… hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved." And he renders the reason why the Son of God did these things, saying, "For to this end Christ both lived, and died, and revived, that He might rule over the living and the dead." And again, writing to the Corinthians, he declares, "But we preach Christ Jesus crucified;" and …
This it was, verily, "Him that is weak in the faith, receive ye;" which he applied to himself, and discovered to me.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Because Paul also saith this selfsame thing: or rather, there too it is Christ, speaking by Paul, and saying, "Why dost thou judge thy brother?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)