Romans 14–16

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

14Now receive the one who is weak in faith, but not for quarrels about opinions. ²One believes he may eat all things, but the one who is weak eats only vegetables. ³The one who eats must not despise the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat must not judge the one who eats, because God has accepted him. ⁴Who are you, who passes judgment on the domestic slave belonging to someone else? To his own master he stands or falls, and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

⁵One person^a prefers one day over another day, and another person regards every day alike. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶The one who is intent on the day is intent on it for the Lord, and the one who eats eats for the Lord, because he is thankful to God, and the one who does not eat does not eat for the Lord, and he is thankful to God. ⁷For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. ⁸For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For Christ died and became alive again for this reason, in order that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

¹⁰But why do you judge your brother? Or also, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me,

and every tongue will praise God.”^b

¹²So^c each one of us will give an account concerning himself.^d

¹³Therefore, let us no longer pass judgment on one another, but rather decide this: not to place a cause for stumbling or a temptation before a brother. ¹⁴I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself, except to the one who considers something to be unclean; to that person it is unclean. ¹⁵For if because of food, your brother is grieved, you are no longer living according to love. Do not destroy by your food that person for whom Christ died. ¹⁶Therefore do not let your good be slandered. ¹⁷For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸For the one who serves Christ in this way is well-pleasing to God and approved by people.

¹⁹So then, let us pursue what promotes peace^e and what edifies one another^f. ²⁰Do not destroy the work of God on account of food. All things are clean, but it is wrong for the person who eats and stumbles in the process^g. ²¹It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine or to do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is weakened.^{h 22}The faith that you have, have with respect to yourself before God. Blessed is the one who does not pass judgment on himself by what he approves. ²³But the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not do so from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin.

Accept One Another according to Christ’s Example

15But we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ²Let each one of us please his neighbor for his good, for the purpose of edification. ³For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”^{a 4}For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. ⁵Now may the God of patient endurance and of encouragement grant you to be in agreement^b with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, ⁶so that with one mind you may glorify with one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷Therefore accept one another, just as Christ also has accepted you, to the glory of God.

⁸For I say, Christ has become a servant of the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God, in order to confirm the promises to the fathers, ⁹and that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, just as it is written,

“Because of this, I will praise you among the Gentiles,

and I will sing praise to your name.”^c

¹⁰And again it says,

“Rejoice, Gentiles, with his people.”^d

¹¹And again,

“Praise the Lord, all the Gentiles,

and let all the peoples praise him.”^e

¹²And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,

even the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles;

in him the Gentiles will put their hope.”^f

¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles

¹⁴Now I myself also am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to instruct one another. ¹⁵But I have written to you more boldly on some points, so as to remind you again because of the grace that has been given to me by God, ¹⁶with the result that I am a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving the gospel of God as a priest, in order that the offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷Therefore I have a reason for boasting in Christ Jesus regarding the things concerning God. ¹⁸For I will not dare to speak about anything except that which Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, ¹⁹by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit,^g so that from Jerusalem and traveling around as far as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. ²⁰And so, having as my ambition to proclaim the gospel where Christ has not been named, in order that I will not build on the foundation belonging to someone else, ²¹but just as it is written,

“Those to whom it was not announced concerning him will see,

and those who have not heard will understand.”^h

Paul’s Travel Plans

²²For this reason also I was hindered many times from coming to you, ²³and now, no longer having a place in these regions, but having a desire for many years to come to you ²⁴whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope while I^* am passing through to see you and to be sent on my way by you, whenever I have first enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵But now I am traveling to Jerusalem, serving the saints. ²⁶For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷For they were pleased to do so, and they are obligated to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they ought also to serve them in material things. ²⁸Therefore, after I^* have accomplished this and sealed this fruit for delivery to them, I will depart by way of you for Spain, ²⁹and I know that when I^* come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰Now I exhort you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to contend along with me in your prayers on my behalf to God, ³¹that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ³²so that, coming to you with joy by the will of God, I may rest with you. ³³Now may the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

Many Personal Greetings

16Now I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is also a servant^a of the church in Cenchrea, ²in order that you may welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever task she may have need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, even me myself.

³Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴who risked their own necks for my life, for which not only I am thankful, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; ⁵also greet^b the church in their house. Greet Epenetus my dear friend, who is the first convert^c of Asia for Christ. ⁶Greet Mary, who has worked hard^d for you. ⁷Greet Andronicus and Junia,^e my compatriots^f and my fellow prisoners, who are well known to^g the apostles, who were also in Christ before me. ⁸Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. ⁹Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. ¹⁰Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those of the household of Aristobulus. ¹¹Greet Herodion my compatriot.^h Greet those of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. ¹²Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, the laborers in the Lord. Greet Persis, the dear friend who has worked hardⁱ in the Lord. ¹³Greet Rufus, the chosen one in the Lord, and his mother and mine. ¹⁴Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers with them. ¹⁵Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ¹⁶Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Concluding Exhortations

¹⁷Now I exhort you, brothers, to look out for those who cause dissensions and temptations contrary to the teaching which you learned, and stay away from them. ¹⁸For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own stomach, and by smooth speech and flattery they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. ¹⁹For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, and I want you to be wise toward what is good, but innocent toward what is evil. ²⁰And in a short time the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ^j be with you.

Greetings from Paul’s Associates

²¹Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my compatriots.^k

²²I, Tertius, the one who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

²³Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus the brother.

Benediction

²⁴The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen.^l