Commentary of the Book of the Romans
By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins
Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible
Bible Study Romans 14: 1-23
Text:
Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another
14 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions. 2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats must not view the one who does not eat with contempt, and the one who does not eat must not judge the one who eats, for God accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge the [a]servant of another? To his own [b]master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person judges one day above another, another judges every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards the day, regards it for the Lord, and he who eats, eats for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat, for the Lord he does not eat and gives thanks to God. 7 For not one of us lives 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 whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you view your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,
“As I live, says the [c]Lord, to Me every knee shall bow,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather judge this—not to put a stumbling block or offense before a brother. 14 I know and am convinced [d]in the Lord Jesus that nothing is defiled in itself; but to him who considers anything to be defiled, to him it is defiled. 15 For if because of food your brother is grieved, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be [e]slandered; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is pleasing to God and approved by men. 19 So then [f]let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats [g]and gives offense. 21 It 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 [h]as your own conviction before God. Blessed is he who does not judge himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
Verse by verse commentary:
Verse 1: “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions.”
Christians should welcome and accept fellow believers, mirroring God's acceptance of us through Christ. This includes showing charity toward those considered "weak" in faith, whose consciences are still burdened by their individual beliefs about nonessentials. Many times, religious groups create a set of “club rules” and then judge others by those rules. Your notions are acceptable to you but should not be the basis of judging others. The Apostle Paul considered questions of food, drink, and the religious observance of days to be "opinions" that should not lead to judgment. While he didn't see these controversies as permanently unresolved, he prioritized the unity of the church's fellowship over their immediate resolution. These issues were not central to the gospel itself, but rather reflected the relative strength or weakness of an individual's faith in the gospel. When essential matters of the gospel were at stake, Paul's response would have been fundamentally different.
Verse 2: “One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.”
A person with strong faith feels free in Christ to eat the inexpensive meat from pagan markets, which was cheap because it had first been offered to a pagan deity as a sacrifice. Conversely, the person who "eats vegetables only" has a weaker, more restrictive diet. This strictness was observed by some Jewish and Gentile believers to avoid potentially eating meat that was considered unclean or had been sacrificed to idols.
Verse 3: “The one who eats must not view the one who does not eat with contempt, and the one who does not eat must not judge the one who eats, for God accepted him.”
Those who fully grasp the gospel may be inclined to view the beliefs of the "weak" as mere legalism and become impatient with them. Conversely, the "weak" may be tempted to judge the "strong," seeing their actions as lawless license. Both of these misguided reactions must be replaced by the understanding of God's grace, which accepts both the "weak" and the "strong." We must recognize that a fellow-believer is God's servant, answerable only to Him, not to us. The key point is that such disagreements revolve around issues that are morally indifferent, not matters of true morality.
Verse 4: “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
What truly matters is how Christ judges each believer, and His evaluation is independent of religious tradition or individual preference. It is based on the Word of God. Why do you, as a fellow Christian, feel entitled to judge another believer's actions in matters that are not clearly defined? You are not God, and that person is not accountable to you. As Paul states, "He is accountable to God—his own Master—before whom he will stand."
Verse 5: “One person judges one day above another, another judges every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.”
The text explains how believers handle non-essential practices based on their conscience.
Differences in Conscience:
Weak Jewish Believer: Felt obligated to keep the Sabbath and other Jewish special days, even though they were no longer required by God.
Weak Gentile Believer: Wished to avoid special days and festivities linked to former paganism due to associated immorality and idolatry.
Mature Believers: Were not troubled by these specific concerns.
The Principle of Conscience:
The phrase "Each person must be fully convinced" emphasizes that Christians should follow their own conscience when dealing with matters not explicitly commanded or forbidden in Scripture. Conscience is a God-given warning mechanism that responds to the highest moral standard in the mind. Therefore, it is unwise to ignore its promptings. Instead, a Christian should heed the conscience's warnings and, through spiritual maturity and increased knowledge, the mind will cease to flag those things that are not truly essential.
Verse 6: “He who regards the day, regards it for the Lord, and he who eats, eats for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat, for the Lord he does not eat and gives thanks to God.”
Regardless of whether a believer is "strong" (eating freely) or "weak" (observing a ceremonial diet), the ultimate goal remains the same: to please the Lord. Both the one who eats whatever they want and the one who restricts their diet are motivated by thankfulness to God. Therefore, in matters of conscience, the governing motive behind every believer's decision must be to honor and satisfy the Lord.
Verse 7: “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;”
Christian living is fundamentally focused on pleasing our Sovereign Lord, not ourselves; everything we do should reflect this priority.
Verse 8: “for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”
As Christians, our lives are completely bound to Christ. We live and die for Him. The true measure of Christian behavior isn't what we eat or drink, but the totality of our lives being presented to Him. This is the crucial point, as we will eventually stand before Him to account for everything we have done.
Verse 9: “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”
Christ's death accomplished more than just our freedom from sin; it also established His Sovereignty over all saints, both those currently in His presence and those still living on earth, thereby making us His servants.
Verse 10: “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you view your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”
Because Christ paid an immense price to be the Lord and Judge of His people, it is inappropriate for believers to judge or look down on their brothers. Again, we are talking about the nonessentials of the faith. The Apostle had a different approach when dealing with the core doctrines of the faith.
Verse 11: “For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”
Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23; 49:18.
Verse 12: “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”
We must recognize that we are each personally accountable to Him.
Verse 13: “ Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather judge this—not to put a stumbling block or offense before a brother.”
Paul's focus shifts to the principle that our actions must be guided by consideration for the brother whose faith is weaker.
Verse 14: “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is defiled in itself; but to him who considers anything to be defiled, to him it is defiled.”
Paul's declaration, "I know and am convinced," signifies that this truth stems from divine revelation, not personal opinion or external teaching. The Greek term for "defiled" originally meant "common" but evolved to signify "impure" or "evil." Crucially, a believer must never engage in an action they believe to be sinful, even if that assessment is objectively incorrect. To do so would violate their conscience, leading to guilt and potentially driving them toward stricter legalism rather than spiritual freedom.
Verse 15: “For if because of food your brother is grieved, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.:
In the Jewish faith, "destroy" signifies exclusion from the covenant community. Therefore, prompting actions that violate the conscience of a weak believer is extremely dangerous, as it encourages them to sin against their own moral conviction.
Verse 16: “Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be slandered;”
When strong Christians abuse their freedom in Christ—a "good thing"—by exercising their Christian liberty, and this action harms a weaker brother, it can lead to negative consequences. If unbelievers witness this, they may "slander" his faith by concluding that Christianity is populated by unloving people, which ultimately damages the Christian faith.
Verse 17: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
This epistle mentions the kingdom of God only once. This kingdom encompasses all of God’s created universe, naturally including the church. Its scope is vast, covering God's rule over all creation. "Righteousness" here aligns with its meaning in chapters 1 and 3: being rightly related to God and living a life that pleases Him. The reference to the "Holy Spirit" seems connected to righteousness and emphasizes our behavior, or "walk," over our theological standing—it is a practical, moral righteousness developed through the Holy Spirit, distinct from righteousness in Christ. "Joy" is the inevitable fruit of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. Although it is frequently missing, believers should possess this joy. This does not demand a perpetually cheerful exterior but signifies a deep, heartfelt sense of gladness.
Verse 18: “For he who in this way serves Christ is pleasing to God and approved by men.”
Being "approved by men" signifies passing a meticulous review, much like a jeweler evaluating a stone for its true worth and quality. Christians are constantly scrutinized by an unbelieving world that is judging them by how they interact with and care for each other.
Verse 19: “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
The passage presents a dual imperative. On the one hand, believers are actively and eagerly urged to "pursue the things which make for peace," meaning they should deliberately avoid using food or any physical thing that might cause a fellow Christian to stumble (the negative focus). On the other hand, the positive emphasis is to strive toward spiritual priorities, such as righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. These spiritual values are what truly contribute to the believer's spiritual growth.
Verse 20: “Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.”
Do not destroy God's work for the sake of food. A believer is free to eat or abstain from meat, and neither choice will make him more acceptable to God. We must not tear down the work God has done in the heart of a weaker believer simply to indulge in a physical desire.
Verse 21: “ It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.”
Paul again addresses the issues of eating and drinking, then broadens his message to include "do anything." His point is that anything considered questionable, or a matter of conscience for a "weak brother," becomes an inappropriate action for a "strong" believer.
Verse 22: “The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed is he who does not judge himself in what he approves.”
The "strong" are encouraged by Paul to privately embrace the freedom of their conscience before God, yet they should avoid openly acting on this liberty in the presence of a “weak” believer.
Verse 23: “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.”
A weak brother sins when they go against their conscience. The principle that "whatever is not from faith is sin" means that any thoughts or actions condemned by our conscience are considered sinful to us.
