Romans Chapter 14
Showing all 23 verses for Romans Chapter 14.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. "
"Welcome someone whose faith is more fragile or uncertain, but don't get into arguments with them over their opinions on debatable matters."
When someone's convictions look different from yours - more cautious, more restrictive - welcome them anyway, rather than dragging them into a debate you're determined to win. Belonging shouldn't depend on everyone agreeing on every detail.
"For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. "
"One person's faith lets them eat anything, while someone else, whose faith is more cautious, eats only vegetables."
People land in different places on things that genuinely aren't essential, and that's alright. The question isn't "who's technically correct about vegetables" - it's whether you can still walk together despite disagreeing.
"Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. "
"The person who eats everything shouldn't look down on the one who doesn't, and the one who abstains shouldn't condemn the one who eats - because God has accepted both of them."
Don't look down on people who are more cautious than you, and don't condemn people who are more free than you - if I've already welcomed someone, who are you to withhold what I've already given?
"Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. "
"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? Whether they stand firm or fall is a matter between them and their own master - and they will stand, because God is able to make them stand."
It's not your job to be someone else's judge - that's between them and me. And trust me on this: I'm well able to hold people up, even the ones you're worried are getting it wrong.
"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. "
"One person thinks a particular day is more important than others, while another thinks every day is the same - each person should be fully convinced in their own mind about it."
You don't have to adopt someone else's exact convictions to respect them, and neither do they need to adopt yours. What matters is that you've actually thought it through honestly, not just gone along with the crowd either way.
"He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. "
"Whoever treats a day as special does it for the Lord's sake; whoever eats everything does it for the Lord, giving thanks; and whoever abstains also does it for the Lord, and also gives thanks."
Before assuming someone's different choice means they don't care about doing right, consider that they might be trying just as hard as you are, in their own way. Give people the same benefit of the doubt you'd want for yourself.
"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. "
"None of us lives only for ourselves, and none of us dies only for ourselves."
Nothing you do exists in total isolation - you're connected to something bigger than just your own preferences. That's not a burden; it means you're never really alone in any of it.
"For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. "
"If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord - so whether we're alive or dead, we belong to him."
Whatever happens to you - living well, struggling, even dying - none of it puts you outside my care. You belong to me through all of it, not just the good parts.
"For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. "
"This is exactly why Christ died and came back to life - so that he would be Lord over both the dead and the living."
I didn't go through death and come back just to save you from something - I did it so I could be with you through everything, whatever state you're in. That claim on your life is bigger than any disagreement you'll ever have with another believer.
"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. "
"So why do you judge your fellow believer, or treat them with contempt? All of us will stand before God to be evaluated."
You don't need to be anyone's judge - that day belongs to me, not you. Spend your energy on your own account, and leave other people's accounts where they belong.
"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. "
"As Scripture says, "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will openly acknowledge God.""
One day everything will be plain and every person will acknowledge the truth openly - you don't need to force that recognition out of anyone today. Let go of needing to be proven right right now.
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. "
"So each of us will have to give an account of ourselves to God."
Focus on your own account before me rather than auditing everyone else's. That's not avoidance of responsibility - it's actually taking your own seriously enough to leave other people's alone.
"Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. "
"So let's stop judging each other - and instead, decide this: not to put anything in a fellow believer's way that would trip them up or cause them to stumble."
Redirect all that energy you spend judging others into something useful - asking whether your own freedom is quietly damaging someone else's walk. That's a far better use of your attention.
"I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. "
"I know, and I'm convinced by the Lord Jesus, that nothing is inherently impure in itself - but if someone genuinely believes a thing is impure, then for that person, it is impure."
Your conscience matters, even when it's more restrictive than it strictly needs to be - acting against your own honest convictions damages you, so don't push yourself, or let anyone push you, past what you can do in good faith.
"But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. "
"But if your fellow believer is hurt because of what you eat, you're no longer acting out of love. Don't let something as small as food destroy someone Christ died for."
I gave everything for that person you're currently annoying with your freedom - don't let something this small undo something that mattered that much to me. Love outranks being right.
"Let not then your good be evil spoken of: "
"Don't let something good that you're free to do end up being spoken of as evil, because of how it affects others."
Something good, used thoughtlessly, can end up looking bad to the very people watching you - think about how your freedom lands on others, not just whether you're technically allowed it.
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. "
"Because God's kingdom isn't about food and drink - it's about doing right, living at peace, and having genuine joy, given by the Holy Spirit."
Don't confuse the small print with the main point - what I actually care about is whether you're living rightly, keeping peace, and finding real joy. Arguments over the small print can quietly crowd out all three.
"For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. "
"Anyone who serves Christ in this way - through righteousness, peace, and joy - is pleasing to God and respected by people too."
Live by what actually matters - goodness, peace, joy - and you'll find it wins respect even from people who don't share your convictions. Arguing over small things rarely does the same.
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. "
"So let's pursue the things that build peace and that help strengthen each other."
Don't just avoid causing harm - actively look for ways to build people up and create peace. That's a much bigger, more generous goal than simply staying out of trouble.
"For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. "
"Don't tear down what God has built just for the sake of food. Everything is technically fine to eat, but it's wrong for someone to eat something that causes another person to stumble."
Don't let something as small as what's on your plate wreck something as significant as what I'm building in someone's life. Weigh the cost, not just your right to do it.
"It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. "
"It's better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that would cause your fellow believer to stumble, be offended, or be weakened."
Sometimes love means giving up something you're completely entitled to, not because it's wrong, but because someone else's wellbeing matters more to you than your own comfort. That's not a loss - it's generosity.
"Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. "
"Whatever confidence you have about this, keep it between yourself and God. The person who doesn't feel guilty about the choices they've made is genuinely fortunate."
You don't need to broadcast every freedom you've worked out for yourself - some convictions are better kept quietly between you and me. A peaceful conscience is worth more than winning the argument in public.
"And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. "
"But someone who has doubts is condemned if they go ahead and eat anyway, because they're not acting out of genuine conviction - and anything not done out of genuine conviction is sin."
Don't do something just because others are doing it if your own conscience is still unsure - acting against your own honest doubt is what actually harms you, whatever the thing itself is. Wait until you're genuinely convinced.