Principles of Conscience

14 Now ^(A)accept the one who is ^(B)weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. ^2 (C)One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is ^(D)weak eats vegetables only. ³ The one who eats is not to ^(E)regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to ^(F)judge the one who eats, for God has ^(G)accepted him. ^4 (H)Who are you to judge the ^[a]servant of another? To his own ^[b]master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

^5 (I)One person ^[c]regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be ^(J)fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, ^[d]does so for the Lord, for he ^(K)gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. ⁷ For not one of us ^(L)lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; ⁸ for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore ^(M)whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For to this end ^(N)Christ died and lived again, that He might be ^(O)Lord both of the dead and of the living.

¹⁰ But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you ^(P)regard your brother with contempt? For ^(Q)we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹ For it is written,

¹² So then ^(T)each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

¹³ Therefore let us not ^(U)judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—^(V)not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. ¹⁴ I know and am convinced ^[f]in the Lord Jesus that ^(W)nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who ^(X)thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵ For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer ^(Y)walking according to love. ^(Z)Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Therefore ^(AA)do not let what is for you a good thing be ^[g]spoken of as evil; ¹⁷ for the kingdom of God ^(AB)is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and ^(AC)peace and ^(AD)joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ For he who in this way ^(AE)serves Christ is ^(AF)acceptable to God and approved by men. ¹⁹ So then ^[h]we ^(AG)pursue the things which make for peace and the ^(AH)building up of one another. ^20 (AI)Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. ^(AJ)All things indeed are clean, but ^(AK)they are evil for the man who eats ^[i]and gives offense. ^21 (AL)It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. ²² The faith which you have, have ^[j]as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who ^(AM)does not condemn himself in what he approves. ²³ But ^(AN)he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

⁷ However not all men ^(A)have this knowledge; but ^(B)some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. ⁸ But ^(C)food will not ^[a]commend us to God; we are neither ^[b]the worse if we do not eat, nor ^[c]the better if we do eat. ⁹ But ^(D)take care that this ^[d]liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the ^(E)weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, who have ^(F)knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat ^(G)things sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ For through ^(H)your knowledge he who is weak ^(I)is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. ^12 (J)And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin ^(K)against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, ^(L)if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

Self-denial on Behalf of Others

15 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of ^(A)those without strength and not just please ourselves.