Romans

Freedom and Charity

Welcome those who are weak in faith and do not criticize their scruples.

Some believe they can eat any food, while others who are less liberated eat only vegetables.

If you eat, do not look down on those who abstain; if you abstain, do not judge those who eat, for God has accepted them.

Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? Whether he succeeds or fails, his own master is the one responsible. And he will not fail, because his master can keep him standing.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike; let us act according to our own opinion.

The one who distinguishes among days does so for the Lord; and the one who eats, eats for the Lord, and in eating, gives thanks to the Lord. And the one who does not eat does it for the Lord and gives him thanks as well.

We Belong to the Lord

None of us lives for himself,

or dies for himself.

If we live, we live for the Lord,

and if we die, we die for the Lord.

Either in life or in death,

we belong to the Lord.

For this is why Christ died and came to life,

to be Lord both of the dead and the living.

Then you, why do you criticize your brother or sister? And you, why do you despise them? For we will all appear at the tribunal of God.

It is written: I swear by myself—word of the Lord—every knee will bend before me, and every tongue shall give glory to God.

So each of us will account for himself before God.

Do Not Cause Scandal

Therefore, let us stop criticizing each other; instead, let us strive never to place anything in our brother’s or sister’s way that might cause them to stumble or fall.

I know, I am confident in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is inherently unclean; it is only considered unclean by those who view it that way.

But if you hurt your brother or sister because of a particular food, you are no longer walking in love. Let not your eating cause the loss of someone for whom Christ died.

Don’t let your good be spoken of as evil.

The kingdom of God isn’t about food or drink; it’s about justice, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

If you serve Christ this way, you’ll please God and be praised by others.

Let us then explore what promotes peace and makes us better.

Do not ruin God’s work over food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for you to cause others to stumble by what you eat.

And it might be better not to eat meat, drink wine, or do anything else that causes your brother or sister to stumble.

Keep your own belief before God, and you will be happy if you never act against your own belief.

Instead, whoever eats something despite his doubt is condemned by his conscience, because whatever we do against our conscience is sinful.