Romans 14

Principles of Conscience

14AS FOR the man who is a weak believer, welcome him [into your fellowship], but not to criticize his opinions {or} pass judgment on his scruples {or} perplex him with discussions.G770G4102G4355G1161G3361G1519G1261G12532One [man's faith permits him to] believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one [limits his] eating to vegetables.G3303G3739G4100G5315G3956G1161G770G2068G30013Let not him who eats look down on {or} despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains criticize {and} pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted {and} welcomed him.G1848G3361G2068G1848G2068G3361G2532G2068G3361G2068G3361G2919G2068G1063G2316G4355G8464Who are you to pass judgment on {and} censure another's household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand {and} be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him {and} make him stand.G5101G1488G4771G2919G245G3610G2398G2962G4739G2228G4098G1161G2476G1063G2316G2076G1415G2476G846G24765One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind.G3303G3739G2919G2250G3844G2250G1161G3739G2919G3956G2250G4135G1538G4135G1722G2398G35636He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.G5426G2250G5426G2962G2532G5426G3361G2250G2962G5426G3756G5426G2068G2068G2962G1063G2316G2168G2532G2068G3361G2962G2068G3756G2532G2316G21687None of us lives to himself [but to the Lord], and none of us dies to himself [but to the Lord, for]G1063G3762G2257G2198G1438G2532G3762G599G14388If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord.G1063G1437G5037G2198G2198G2962G1437G5037G599G599G2962G1437G5037G2198G3767G1437G5037G599G2070G29629For Christ died and lived again for this very purpose, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.G1063G1519G5124G5547G2532G599G2532G450G2532G326G2443G2961G2532G3498G2532G219810Why do you criticize {and} pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon {or} despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.G1161G5101G2919G4771G2919G4675G80G2228G2532G5101G1848G4771G1848G4675G80G1063G3936G3956G3936G968G554711For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God [acknowledge Him to His honor and to His praise].G1063G1125G1473G2198G3004G2962G3754G3956G1119G2578G1698G2532G3956G1100G1843G231612And so each of us shall give an account of himself [give an answer in reference to judgment] to God.G3767G686G1538G2257G1325G3056G4012G1438G231613Then let us no more criticize {and} blame {and} pass judgment on one another, but rather decide {and} endeavor never to put a stumbling block {or} an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother.G2919G3767G2919G240G3371G235G2919G5124G3123G3361G5087G4348G2228G4625G8014I know and am convinced (persuaded) as one in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is [forbidden as] essentially unclean (defiled and unholy in itself). But [none the less] it is unclean (defiled and unholy) to anyone who thinks it is unclean.G1492G2532G3982G1722G2962G2424G3754G3762G2839G1223G1438G1508G3049G5100G1511G2839G1565G283915But if your brother is being pained {or} his feelings hurt {or} if he is being injured by what you eat, [then] you are no longer walking in love. [You have ceased to be living and conducting yourself by the standard of love toward him.] Do not let what you eat hurt {or} cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died!G1161G1487G4675G80G3076G1223G1033G3765G4043G3765G26G2596G622G3361G1565G4675G1033G5228G3739G5547G59916Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.]G3361G3767G5216G18G98717[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.G1063G932G2316G2076G3756G1035G2532G4213G235G1343G2532G1515G2532G5479G1722G40G415118He who serves Christ in this way is acceptable {and} pleasing to God and is approved by men.G1063G1722G5125G1398G5547G2101G2316G2532G1384G44419So let us then definitely aim for {and} eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (edification and development) of one another.G1377G686G3767G1377G3588G1515G2532G1519G240G3619G24020You must not, for the sake of food, undo {and} break down and destroy the work of God! Everything is indeed [ceremonially] clean {and} pure, but it is wrong for anyone to hurt the conscience of others {or} to make them fall by what he eats.G1752G1033G2647G3361G2041G2316G3956G3303G2513G235G2556G444G2068G1223G434821The right thing is to eat no meat or drink no wine [at all], or [do anything else] if it makes your brother stumble {or} hurts his conscience {or} offends or weakens him.G2570G3361G5315G2907G3366G4095G3631G3366G1722G3739G4675G80G4350G2228G4624G2228G77022Your personal convictions [on such matters]--exercise [them] as in God's presence, keeping them to yourself [striving only to know the truth and obey His will]. Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do].G2192G4771G4102G2192G2596G4572G1799G2316G3107G2919G3361G1438G1722G3739G138123But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions {and} he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate {and} proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful].G1161G1252G2632G1437G5315G3754G3756G1537G4102G1161G3739G3956G3756G1537G4102G2076G266