Principles of Conscience

1 Now aaccept the one who is bweak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.

2 aOne person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is bweak eats vegetables only.

3 The one who eats is not to aregard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to bjudge the one who eats, for God has caccepted him.

4 aWho are you to judge the 1servant of another? To his own 2master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 aOne person 1regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be bfully convinced in his own mind.

6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, 1does so for the Lord, for he agives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.

7 For not one of us alives for himself, and not one dies for himself;

8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore awhether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

9 For to this end aChrist died and lived again, that He might be bLord both of the dead and of the living.

10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you aregard your brother with contempt? For bwe will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

11 For it is written,

“aAs I live, says the Lord, bevery knee shall bow to Me,

And every tongue shall 1give praise to God.”

12 So then aeach one of us will give an account of himself to God.

13 Therefore let us not ajudge one another anymore, but rather determine this—bnot to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.

14 I know and am convinced 1in the Lord Jesus that anothing is unclean in itself; but to him who bthinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer awalking according to love. bDo not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.

16 Therefore ado not let what is for you a good thing be 1spoken of as evil;

17 for the kingdom of God ais not eating and drinking, but righteousness and bpeace and bjoy in the Holy Spirit.

18 For he who in this way aserves Christ is bacceptable to God and approved by men.

19 So then 1we apursue the things which make for peace and the bbuilding up of one another.

20 aDo not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. bAll things indeed are clean, but cthey are evil for the man who eats 1and gives offense.

21 aIt is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.

22 The faith which you have, have 1as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who adoes not condemn himself in what he approves.

23 But ahe who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Chapter 15

Self-denial on Behalf of Others

1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of athose without strength and not just please ourselves.

2 Each of us is to aplease his neighbor 1for his good, to his bedification.

3 For even aChrist did not please Himself; but as it is written, “bThe reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

4 For awhatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

5 Now may the aGod 1who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you bto be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,

6 so that with one accord you may with one 1voice glorify athe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Therefore, aaccept one another, just as Christ also accepted 1us to the glory of God.

8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to athe circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm bthe promises given to the fathers,

9 and for athe Gentiles to bglorify God for His mercy; as it is written,

“cTherefore I will 1give praise to You among the Gentiles,

And I will sing to Your name.”

10 Again he says,

“aRejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

11 And again,

“aPraise the Lord all you Gentiles,

And let all the peoples praise Him.”

12 Again Isaiah says,

“aThere shall come bthe root of Jesse,

And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,

cIn Him shall the Gentiles hope.”

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

14 And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of agoodness, filled with ball knowledge and able also to admonish one another.

15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of athe grace that was given me 1from God,

16 to be aa minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the bgospel of God, so that my coffering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found areason for boasting in bthings pertaining to God.

18 For I will not presume to speak of anything 1except what aChrist has accomplished through me, 2resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,

19 in the power of 1asigns and wonders, bin the power of the Spirit; so that cfrom Jerusalem and round about as dfar as Illyricum I have 2fully preached the gospel of Christ.

20 And thus I aspired to apreach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, bso that I would not build on another man’s foundation;

21 but as it is written,

“aThey who had no news of Him shall see,

And they who have not heard shall understand.”