The Epistles · Chapter 14 of 16
Romans 14
Paul addresses tensions between strong and weak believers over food and sacred days. Each answers to the Lord, so believers must stop despising and judging one another. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's, and all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Rather than wounding a brother for whom Christ died, believers should pursue peace, for the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
What happens in Romans 14
Paul urges the church to receive the one weak in faith without quarreling over disputable matters. One believer eats anything, another eats only herbs; one esteems certain days, another treats all alike. Paul refuses to let either despise or judge the other, because God has received them both and each stands or falls to his own Master. He grounds this in the lordship of Christ: none of us lives or dies to himself, for Christ died and rose to be Lord of the dead and the living.
Since all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, believers should stop judging one another and never put a stumbling block in a brother's way. Nothing is unclean in itself, yet love limits liberty for a brother's conscience. The kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Paul calls them to pursue peace and edification, since whatever is not of faith is sin.
Romans 14 in context
In the practical section of Romans, Paul turns to a live conflict in a mixed congregation of Jewish and Gentile believers over dietary scruples and the observance of special days. Some, likely with Jewish backgrounds, kept restrictions; others felt free from them.
Chapter fourteen gives Paul's principles for unity amid genuine differences of conscience without either side despising the other.
Main themes of Romans 14
Romans 14 (KJV)
1Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 2For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 4Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. 14I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. 22Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Verses to carry from Romans 14
“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”Romans 14:8
“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”Romans 14:10
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”Romans 14:17
Thematic connection
How Romans 14 points to Jesus
Christ is the center around which Paul resolves the conflict. Believers belong to Him in life and death, because He died and rose again for the very purpose of being Lord of both the living and the dead. The judgment that believers must not usurp belongs to Him, for all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give account to God. The weak brother is described tenderly as one for whom Christ died, so that to wound his conscience is to trample on the value Christ placed on him at the cross.
Paul's whole ethic of forbearance flows from the lordship and love of Jesus: because He owns us, we cannot condemn each other, and because He died for the weak, we will not destroy them. Unity is grounded not in agreement but in a shared Lord.
Questions about Romans 14
How should Christians handle disagreements over disputable matters?
Paul teaches that on matters of conscience like food and special days, believers should stop despising and judging one another, since each answers to the Lord who is able to make him stand. He calls each person to be fully persuaded in his own mind, to pursue what makes for peace and edifies others, and to let love rather than personal liberty guide behavior toward a weaker brother.
What does Romans 14 mean that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink?
Paul says the kingdom is not about food and drink but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. He is redirecting the church away from fighting over secondary matters toward the deeper realities of the Spirit's work. Serving Christ in these things is what pleases God, so believers should pursue peace and building one another up rather than insisting on their own preferences.
Reflection
It is easy to make our personal convictions the measure of everyone else's faith. Paul asks whether we are ready to receive a brother God has already received, and to lay down a freedom rather than wound a conscience. Where has your certainty become contempt, and what would it mean to pursue peace instead?
A prayer from Romans 14
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