Chapter 14

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.