Chapter 14
The Law of Liberty
1
- Accept him whose faith is weak, without… passing judgment on [his] opinions.
δὲ προσλαμβάνεσθε Τὸν τῇ πίστει ἀσθενοῦντα μὴ εἰς διακρίσεις διαλογισμῶν de proslambanesthe Ton tē pistei asthenounta mē eis diakriseis dialogismōn — NA/TR · 1
2
For one [person] has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats [only] vegetables.
μὲν ὃς πιστεύει φαγεῖν πάντα δὲ ὁ ἀσθενῶν ἐσθίει λάχανα men hos pisteuei phagein panta de ho asthenōn esthiei lachana — NA/TR · 2
3
The [one who] eats [everything] vvv must not belittle the [one who] vvv [does not], and the [one who] vvv does not eat [everything] vvv must not judge the [one who] [does], for God has accepted him.
ὁ ἐσθίων μὴ ἐξουθενείτω τὸν μὴ ἐσθίοντα δὲ ὁ μὴ ἐσθίων μὴ κρινέτω τὸν ἐσθίοντα γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς προσελάβετο αὐτὸν ho esthiōn mē exoutheneitō ton mē esthionta de ho mē esthiōn mē krinetō ton esthionta gar ho Theos proselabeto auton — NA/TR · 3
4
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To [his] own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able vvv to make him stand.
τίς εἶ σὺ ὁ κρίνων ἀλλότριον οἰκέτην τῷ ἰδίῳ κυρίῳ στήκει ἢ πίπτει δέ σταθήσεται γὰρ ὁ Κύριος δυνατεῖ αὐτόν στῆσαι tis ei sy ho krinōn allotrion oiketēn tō idiō kyriō stēkei ē piptei de stathēsetai gar ho Kyrios dynatei auton stēsai — NA/TR · 4
5
- One [person] regards [a certain] day above [the others], while someone [else] considers every day [alike]. Each [one] should be fully convinced in [his] own mind.
γὰρ μὲν Ὃς κρίνει ἡμέραν παρ’ ἡμέραν δὲ ὃς κρίνει πᾶσαν ἡμέραν ἕκαστος πληροφορείσθω ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ νοῒ gar men Hos krinei hēmeran par’ hēmeran de hos krinei pasan hēmeran hekastos plērophoreisthō en tō idiō noi — NA/TR · 5
6
He who observes [a special] day [does so] to [the] Lord; he who eats [does so] to [the] Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who vvv abstains vvv [does so] to [the] Lord and gives thanks to God.
ὁ φρονῶν τὴν ἡμέραν φρονεῖ Κυρίῳ ὁ ἐσθίων ἐσθίει Κυρίῳ γὰρ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ὁ μὴ ἐσθίων οὐκ ἐσθίει Κυρίῳ καὶ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ Θεῷ ho phronōn tēn hēmeran phronei Kyriō ho esthiōn esthiei Kyriō gar eucharistei tō Theō kai ho mē esthiōn ouk esthiei Kyriō kai eucharistei tō Theō — NA/TR · 6
7
For none of us lives to himself [alone], and none [ of us ] dies to himself [alone].
γὰρ Οὐδεὶς ἡμῶν ζῇ ἑαυτῷ καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀποθνῄσκει ἑαυτῷ gar Oudeis hēmōn zē heautō kai oudeis apothnēskei heautō — NA/TR · 7
8
- If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live [or] die, we belong to the Lord.
γὰρ τε ἐάν ζῶμεν ζῶμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ τε ἐάν ἀποθνήσκωμεν ἀποθνήσκομεν τῷ Κυρίῳ οὖν τε ἐάν ζῶμεν τε ἐάν ἀποθνήσκωμεν ἐσμέν τοῦ Κυρίου gar te ean zōmen zōmen tō Kyriō te ean apothnēskōmen apothnēskomen tō Kyriō oun te ean zōmen te ean apothnēskōmen esmen tou Kyriou — NA/TR · 8
9
For this reason… Christ died and returned to life, that He might be the Lord of both [the] dead and [the] living.
εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν καὶ ἔζησεν ἵνα κυριεύσῃ καὶ νεκρῶν καὶ ζώντων eis touto gar Christos apethanen kai ezēsen hina kyrieusē kai nekrōn kai zōntōn — NA/TR · 9
10
Why, then, {do} you judge your brother? Or why {do} you belittle your brother? For vvv we will all stand before vvv God’s judgment seat.
τί δὲ Σὺ κρίνεις σου τὸν ἀδελφόν ἢ τί καὶ σὺ ἐξουθενεῖς σου τὸν ἀδελφόν γὰρ πάντες παραστησόμεθα τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ βήματι ti de Sy krineis sou ton adelphon ē ti kai sy exoutheneis sou ton adelphon gar pantes parastēsometha tou Theou tō bēmati — NA/TR · 10
11
- It is written: “[As surely as] I live, says [the] Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.”
γάρ γέγραπται ἐγώ Ζῶ λέγει Κύριος ὅτι πᾶν γόνυ κάμψει ἐμοὶ καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ Θεῷ gar gegraptai egō Zō legei Kyrios hoti pan gony kampsei emoi kai pasa glōssa exomologēsetai tō Theō — NA/TR · 11
12
So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Ἄρα οὖν ἕκαστος ἡμῶν δώσει λόγον περὶ ἑαυτοῦ τῷ Θεῷ Ara oun hekastos hēmōn dōsei logon peri heautou tō Theō — NA/TR · 12
The Law of Love
13
Therefore vvv let us stop judging one another. Instead…, make up your mind not to put [any] stumbling block or obstacle vvv in your brother’s way.
οὖν Μηκέτι κρίνωμεν ἀλλήλους ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κρίνατε τοῦτο μὴ τὸ τιθέναι πρόσκομμα ἢ σκάνδαλον τῷ ἀδελφῷ oun Mēketi krinōmen allēlous alla mallon krinate touto mē to tithenai proskomma ē skandalon tō adelphō — NA/TR · 13
14
I am convinced and fully persuaded in [the] Lord Jesus that nothing [is] unclean in itself. But if… [anyone] regards something as unclean, [then] for him [it is] unclean.
Οἶδα καὶ πέπεισμαι ἐν Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ ὅτι οὐδὲν κοινὸν δι’ ἑαυτοῦ εἰ μὴ τῷ λογιζομένῳ τι εἶναι κοινὸν ἐκείνῳ κοινόν Oida kai pepeismai en Kyriō Iēsou hoti ouden koinon di’ heautou ei mē tō logizomenō ti einai koinon ekeinō koinon — NA/TR · 14
15
- If your brother is distressed by [what you eat], vvv you are no longer acting in love. {Do} not by [your eating] destroy your [brother], for whom Christ died.
γὰρ εἰ σου ὁ ἀδελφός λυπεῖται διὰ βρῶμα οὐκέτι περιπατεῖς κατὰ ἀγάπην μὴ τῷ βρώματί ἀπόλλυε σου ἐκεῖνον ὑπὲρ οὗ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν gar ei sou ho adelphos lypeitai dia brōma ouketi peripateis kata agapēn mē tō brōmati apollye sou ekeinon hyper hou Christos apethanen — NA/TR · 15
16
{Do} not {allow} what you [consider] good, then, to be spoken of as evil.
Μὴ τὸ ὑμῶν ἀγαθόν οὖν βλασφημείσθω Mē to hymōn agathon oun blasphēmeisthō — NA/TR · 16
17
For the kingdom of God is not [a matter of] eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in [the] Holy Spirit.
γάρ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν οὐ βρῶσις καὶ πόσις ἀλλὰ δικαιοσύνη καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ χαρὰ ἐν Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι gar hē basileia tou Theou estin ou brōsis kai posis alla dikaiosynē kai eirēnē kai chara en Hagiō Pneumati — NA/TR · 17
18
For whoever serves Christ in this way [is] pleasing to God and approved by men.
γὰρ ὁ δουλεύων τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τούτῳ εὐάρεστος τῷ Θεῷ καὶ δόκιμος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις gar ho douleuōn tō Christō en toutō euarestos tō Theō kai dokimos tois anthrōpois — NA/TR · 18
19
So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to vvv mutual edification.
Ἄρα οὖν διώκωμεν τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τὰ τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους τῆς οἰκοδομῆς Ara oun diōkōmen ta tēs eirēnēs kai ta tēs eis allēlous tēs oikodomēs — NA/TR · 19
20
{Do} not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All [food is] clean, but [it is] wrong for a man vvv to let his eating be a stumbling block.
μὴ κατάλυε τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕνεκεν βρώματος μὲν πάντα καθαρά ἀλλὰ κακὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ διὰ ἐσθίοντι προσκόμματος mē katalye to ergon tou Theou heneken brōmatos men panta kathara alla kakon tō anthrōpō tō dia esthionti proskommatos — NA/TR · 20
21
[It is] better not to eat meat [or] drink wine [or to do anything] vvv [to cause] your brother to stumble.
καλὸν μὴ τὸ φαγεῖν κρέα μηδὲ πιεῖν οἶνον μηδὲ ἐν ᾧ σου ὁ ἀδελφός προσκόπτει kalon mē to phagein krea mēde piein oinon mēde en hō sou ho adelphos proskoptei — NA/TR · 21
22
Keep your belief [about such matters]… between yourself [and] God. Blessed [is] the [one who] vvv does not condemn himself by what he approves.
ἔχε Σὺ πίστιν ἣν ἔχεις κατὰ σεαυτὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ μακάριος ὁ μὴ κρίνων ἑαυτὸν ἐν ᾧ δοκιμάζει eche Sy pistin hēn echeis kata seauton enōpion tou Theou makarios ho mē krinōn heauton en hō dokimazei — NA/TR · 22
23
But the [one who] has doubts is condemned if he eats, because [his eating is] not from faith; and everything that [is] not from faith is sin.
δὲ ὁ διακρινόμενος κατακέκριται ἐὰν φάγῃ ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως δὲ πᾶν ὃ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως ἐστίν ἁμαρτία de ho diakrinomenos katakekritai ean phagē hoti ouk ek pisteōs de pan ho ouk ek pisteōs estin hamartia — NA/TR · 23