Bullet Point Bible

Welcome Believers Without Judgment

¹ Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions.² One person believes in eating everything, but the weak person eats only vegetables.³ The one who eats everything must not despise the one who does not, and the one who abstains must not judge the one who eats everything, for God has accepted him.⁴ Who are you to pass judgment on another's servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Paul addresses internal church conflicts regarding "disputable matters" (adiaphora) – issues not essential to salvation.
"Weak in the faith" refers not to immature faith overall, but to those with overly scrupulous consciences regarding non-essential practices, likely stemming from their background (e.g., Jewish food laws, pagan temple associations).
The "strong" are those whose faith allows them freedom in these matters (like eating meat).
Paul commands mutual acceptance, warning the "strong" against contempt and the "weak" against judgment.
The basis for acceptance is God's prior acceptance of the believer (Romans 14:3).
Judging another believer usurps God's role and ignores the fact that each believer is accountable directly to the Lord.
Paul expresses confidence that God will uphold the believer ("he will stand"), emphasizing God's power and grace.
This section establishes the principle of Christian liberty balanced with mutual respect within the community.

Living and Dying for the Lord

⁵ One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike. Each must be fully convinced in his own mind.⁶ The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God.⁷ For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself.⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.⁹ For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Paul introduces another example of disputable matters: the observance of special days (likely Jewish Sabbaths or festivals).
The key principle is personal conviction ("Each must be fully convinced in his own mind") and motivation ("for the Lord").
Whether observing special days/diets or not, the action should be done with consciousness of God and gratitude.
This highlights that the *attitude* and *intention* behind an action in these non-essential areas are more important than the action itself.
Paul broadens the scope: our entire existence, life and death, belongs to Christ. This transcends disagreements over minor practices.
Christ's death and resurrection established His absolute Lordship over all believers, both living and dead.
This Lordship is the ultimate foundation for unity and the reason why believers should not judge one another but focus on honoring Him.
The focus shifts from individual practices to the universal reality of belonging to Christ.

Accountability Before God's Judgment Seat

¹⁰ But you who eat vegetables only-why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything-why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.¹¹ For it is written, " As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God ."¹² Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Paul uses direct rhetorical questions to challenge the judgmental attitudes of both the "weak" and the "strong".
The term "brother or sister" emphasizes the family relationship within the church, making judgment particularly inappropriate.
The ultimate reason to cease judging is the future reality of God's judgment, where every believer will stand individually.
Paul refers to the "judgment seat of God" (often called the *bema* seat in other contexts), signifying assessment and accountability for believers, not condemnation.
He quotes Isaiah 45:23, applying this Old Testament declaration of God's universal sovereignty and the ultimate submission of all creation to Him. This quote emphasizes God's exclusive right to judge.
The phrase `"{{'As I live,' says the Lord}}"` marks this quote as God's own authoritative word.
The conclusion is stark: personal accountability to God renders judgment of fellow believers illegitimate and unnecessary.
This section serves as a solemn warning against usurping God's prerogative.

Do Not Cause Others to Stumble

¹³ Therefore we must not pass judgment on one another, but rather determine never to place an obstacle or a trap before a brother or sister.¹⁴ I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean in itself; still, it is unclean to the one who considers it unclean.¹⁵ For if your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy by your food someone for whom Christ died.¹⁶ Therefore do not let what you consider good be spoken of as evil.¹⁷ For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.¹⁸ For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people.

Paul shifts from receiving judgment to avoiding causing others spiritual harm.
A "stumbling block" (Greek *proskomma*) or "obstacle" (Greek *skandalon*) refers to something that causes another believer to sin against their conscience or falter in their faith.
Paul affirms his own "strong" conviction ("nothing is unclean in itself"), grounded "in the Lord Jesus," likely reflecting Jesus' teaching (Mark 7:19).
However, he immediately qualifies this: subjective conscience matters. If a "weak" believer considers something unclean, acting against that conscience is sin *for them*.
Love for the brother/sister must take precedence over exercising personal freedom, especially if it causes spiritual distress or potential ruin ("destroy someone for whom Christ died").
The value of the person, redeemed by Christ, far outweighs the value of the food or practice in question.
Paul defines the essence of God's Kingdom: not external practices like diet, but internal realities produced by the Spirit – righteousness, peace, and joy.
Serving Christ by prioritizing these kingdom values (love, peace, edification) pleases God and often earns respect from others.

Pursue Peace and Act in Faith

¹⁹ So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another.²⁰ Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. For although all things are clean, it is wrong to cause anyone to stumble by what you eat.²¹ It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything that causes your brother to stumble.²² The faith you have, keep to yourself before God. Blessed is the one who does not judge himself by what he approves.²³ But the man who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not do so from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Paul concludes with positive exhortations: actively pursue peace and the building up (*oikodomē*) of fellow believers.
He reiterates the warning: don't let something as secondary as food undermine God's work in a person's life.
While affirming again that all food is intrinsically clean (Romans 14:14, 20), exercising this knowledge becomes wrong if it harms another's conscience.
The principle extends beyond food and drink to *any* action that could cause a fellow believer to stumble spiritually. Love may require abstaining from legitimate freedoms.
Personal convictions ("whatever you believe") on disputable matters should be held conscientiously "between yourself and God," not flaunted in ways that harm others.
There is blessing ("Blessed is the one") in having a clear conscience, acting in accordance with one's convictions without self-condemnation.
The final verse provides a crucial principle: acting against one's conscience ("whoever has doubts") is sin because it is not done "from faith" (i.e., out of a conviction that the action is right before God).
The concluding statement, "everything that does not come from faith is sin," underscores the importance of acting according to a biblically informed and clear conscience before God.

The Bullet Point Bible

Romans 14