Romans 14:7-12
Chapter 14
7
We Belong to the Lord
None of us lives for himself, or dies for himself.8
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.
9
For this is why Christ died and came to life,
to be Lord both of the dead and the living.
10
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.
11
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.
12
So each of us will account for himself before God.
Commentaries
We Belong to the Lord.
Paul’s exhortation now turns into a prayer. It’s like he’s inviting everyone to recite the liturgical hymn of faith that was used in the communities at that time (7-9), to show that the only thing that matters in a Christian’s life is the Lord: “if we live, we live for Him; if we die, we die for Him… in life and in death we belong to the Lord” (8). The idea of Christ’s lordship stays constant in the Apostle’s thoughts and teachings. If He is the Lord, then the final judgment belongs to Him.