Rom 14 | BSB | STEP | Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on [his] opinions.

‏ Romans 14

The Law of Liberty

1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on [his] opinions. 2 For one [man] has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats [only] vegetables. 3 The [one who] eats [everything] must not belittle the [one who] [does not] , and the [one who] does not eat [everything] must not judge the [one who] [does] , for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To [his] own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One [man] regards [a certain] day above [the others] , while someone [else] considers every day [alike] . Each [one] should be fully convinced in [his] own mind. 6 He who observes [a special] day [does so] to [the] Lord; ^{▼▼BYZ and TR include and he who does not regard the day, to the Lord he does not regard it} he who eats [does so] to [the] Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains [does so] to [the] Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself [alone] , and none [ of us ] dies to himself [alone] . 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live [or] die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that He might be the Lord of both [the] dead and [the] living. 10 Why, then, {do} you judge your brother? Or why {do} you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written: “ [As surely as] I live, says [the] Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess ^{▼▼Or will give praise} to God.” ^{▼▼Isaiah 45:23} 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

The Law of Love

13 Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put [any] stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. 14 I am convinced and fully persuaded in [the] Lord Jesus that nothing [is] unclean in itself. But if [anyone] regards something as unclean, [then] for him [it is] unclean. 15 If your brother is distressed by [what you eat] , you are no longer acting in love. {Do} not by [your eating] destroy your [brother] , for whom Christ died. 16 {Do} not {allow} what you [consider] good, then, to be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not [a matter of] eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in [the] Holy Spirit. 18 For whoever serves Christ in this way [is] pleasing to God and approved by men. 19 So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 {Do} not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All [food is] clean, but [it is] wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block. 21 [It is] better not to eat meat [or] drink wine [or to do anything] [to cause] your brother to stumble. ^{▼▼SBL, BYZ, and TR include or to be hindered or weakened} 22 Keep your belief [about such matters] between yourself [and] God. Blessed [is] the [one who] does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But the [one who] has doubts is condemned if he eats, because [his eating is] not from faith; and everything that [is] not from faith is sin. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts place Romans 16:25-27 here, or after Romans 15:33.}