Romans 14

1 Accept [receive, take in] him whose faith [trust, confidence in God] is weak [feeble, lacking strength], without passing judgment [not to doubtful disputations, without criticism] on his opinions [thoughts, reasonings, personal convictions]. word study 2 For one person has faith [to trust in, believe] to eat [consume, partake of] all things [everything, without restriction], while another, who is weak [feeble, lacking strength], eats [consumes, feeds on] only vegetables [herbs, plants, green food]. word study 3 The one who eats [consumes food without restriction] everything must not belittle [despise, look down on] the one who does not, and the one who does not eat [abstains from certain foods] everything must not judge [condemn, criticize] the one who does, for God [the supreme deity, Creator] has accepted [received, taken to Himself] him. word study 4 Who are you [the judge of another’s soul] to judge someone else’s servant [another’s domestic, a household worker]? To his own master [lord, God] he stands [is established, firm] or falls [collapses, fails]. And he will stand [be upheld, made to stand], for the Lord [God, the supreme authority] is able [powerful, capable] to make him stand [keep him from falling, establish him]. word study 5 One person regards [holds in high esteem, considers special] a certain day [a specific time, a 24-hour period] above the others [more important than the rest], while someone else considers [thinks, judges] every day [all days, each day alike] alike [equal, the same]. Each one [every individual, each person] should be fully convinced [completely assured, persuaded] in his own [private, personal] mind [intellect, understanding]. word study 6 He who observes [regards, honors] a special day [a specific day of the week, a holy day] does so to the Lord [God, the supreme authority]; he who eats [consumes food, participates in a meal] does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks [expresses gratitude, offers praise] to God [the one true deity]; and he who abstains [refrains, fasts] does so to the Lord and gives thanks [offers praise, shows appreciation] to God. word study 7 For none [no one, nobody] of us lives [exists, has life] to himself [independently] alone [solely for himself], and none [no one, nobody] of us dies [passes away, ceases to exist] to himself [for his own sake] alone [without affecting others]. word study 8 If we live [as believers, in the Lord], we live to the Lord [our Master, God], and if we die [physically or spiritually], we die to the Lord [surrendering to His will]. So whether we live [in this life] or die [in this life], we belong to the Lord [as His possession, servants]. word study 9 For this reason [to this end, with this purpose] Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah] died [passed away, stopped living] and returned to life [rose again, was resurrected], that He might be the Lord [have power over, rule] of both the dead [lifeless, spiritually or physically] and the living [those having life, either physically or spiritually]. word study 10 Why, then [at that time, in that situation], do you judge [condemn, criticize] your brother [fellow believer, sibling in Christ]? Or why do you belittle [treat with contempt, despise] your brother [fellow Christian]? For we will all [every one of us, without exception] stand before God’s [the Almighty, Creator] judgment seat [the throne of judgment, tribunal of Christ]. word study 11 It is written [in the Scriptures, as a prophecy]: “As surely as I [the Lord, God] live [am the source of all life], says the Lord [the Master, God], every knee [submission] will bow [in worship, obedience] before Me [in my presence, to my authority]; every tongue [language, voice] will confess [acknowledge, declare] to God [the one true deity, Creator].” word study 12 So then [therefore, as a consequence], each [every one, individually] of us will give [render, provide] an account [a reckoning, a report] of himself [his own actions, his life] to God [the one true deity, our Judge]. word study 13 Therefore [as a consequence, then] let us stop [never again, completely cease] judging [condemning, forming opinions about] one another [each other, fellow believers]. Instead [but, on the contrary], make up your mind [decide, come to a conclusion] not to put [place, set] any [no] stumbling block [obstacle, hindrance] or [possibly, alternatively] obstacle in your brother’s [fellow Christian’s, sibling’s] way [path, journey]. word study 14 I am convinced [fully persuaded, certain] and fully persuaded [convinced, assured] in the Lord [master] Jesus [God is salvation] that nothing [no thing, not anything] is unclean [common, unholy] in itself [by its nature]. But if anyone [a person, someone] regards [considers, thinks] something as unclean [impure, defiled], then for him [that person, to them] it is unclean [unholy, impure]. word study 15 If your brother [fellow believer, sibling in Christ] is distressed [grieved, troubled] by what you eat [consume as food], you are no longer acting [walking, living] in love [unconditional affection, charity]. Do not by your eating [consumption of food] destroy [cause to perish, ruin spiritually] your brother [fellow Christian], for whom Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah] died [gave His life, sacrificed]. word study 16 Do not allow [allow to be misrepresented, let it not be possible for men to say evil about] what you consider [to be beneficial, good] good, then [therefore, as a consequence], to be spoken of [evil spoken of, slandered] as evil [in a bad light, showing disrespect]. word study 17 For the kingdom [reign, dominion] of God [the one true deity] is not a matter of eating [food and drink, physical sustenance] and drinking [consumption of liquids], but of righteousness [living according to God’s will, being in right standing], peace [harmony, prosperity, freedom from war], and joy [deep and lasting happiness] in the Holy [set apart, dedicated to God] Spirit [the vital principle, mental disposition, breath of God]. word study 18 For whoever serves [is a slave to] Christ [the Anointed, Messiah] in this way [in these things, by these actions] is pleasing [well-pleasing, acceptable] to God [the supreme Deity, Creator] and approved [tested, validated] by men [human beings, people]. word study 19 So then [therefore, as a consequence], let us pursue [follow after, eagerly try to live in a way that will cause] what leads to [results in, makes for] peace [harmony, prosperity, freedom from war] and to [toward, for the purpose of] mutual [one another’s, each other’s] edification [building up, spiritual growth, confirmation]. word study 20 Do not [for the sake of, on account of] destroy [tear down, overthrow] the work [task, occupation, act] of God [the one true deity] for the sake of food [meat, victuals]. All [every, everything] food [meat, victuals] is clean [pure, ceremonially pure], but it is wrong [evil, harmful] for a man [a human being, person] to let his eating [consumption, intake] be a stumbling block [offense, hindrance, cause of sin]. word study 21 It is better [more desirable, good] not to eat [consume as food] meat [flesh, animal tissue] or drink [swallow, ingest] wine [fermented grape juice] or to do anything [any action, behavior] to cause your brother [fellow believer, Christian sibling] to stumble. word study 22 Keep your [personal, inner] belief [faith, trust in God] about such matters between [in the presence of, before] yourself and God [the one true deity]. Blessed [happy, supremely fortunate] is the one who does not [in no way] condemn [judge, find guilty] himself by what he approves [allows, considers right]. word study 23 But the one who has doubts [is uncertain, has fears] is condemned [judged, found guilty] if he eats [consumes, partakes], because his eating [consumption, participation] is not from faith [trust, confidence in God]; and everything [all things, every matter] that is not from faith [does not originate from trust] is sin [missing the mark, rebellion against God]. word study