Romans 14:12-23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 14:1-23

We have in this chapter, I. An account of the unhappy contention which had broken out in the Christian church. Our Master had foretold that offences would come; and, it seems, so they did, for want of that wisdom and love which would have prevented discord, and kept up union among them. 1. There was a difference among them about the distinction of meats and days; these are the two things specified. There might be other similar occasions of difference, while these made the most noise, and were... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 14:10-12

14:10-12 Who are you to judge your brother in anything? Or, who are you contemptuously to despise your brother? For we shall all stand at God's judgment seat; for it stands written: "As I live, God says, every knee shall bow to me. and every tongue shall confess its faith to God." So, then, each of us shall render account to God for himself. There is one basic reason why we have no right to judge anyone else; and that is that we ourselves are men under judgment. It is the very essence of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 14:13-16

14:13-16 So, then, let us stop passing judgment on each other, and rather let this be our only judgment--the determination not to put any hindrance or stumbling block in our brother's way. I know this, and I am firmly convinced of it in the Lord Jesus Christ that there is nothing in itself which is unclean. All the same, if anyone thinks that anything is unclean, it is unclean to him. If your brother is grieved by something which you eat, you are no longer conducting yourself according to the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 14:17-20

14:17-20 Do not allow that good gift of freedom which you possess to become a thing which gets you into disrepute. For the Kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but of righteousness and peace and joy, which are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For the man who rules his life by this principle, and so becomes the slave of Christ, is well-pleasing to God and approved by men. So, then, let it be the things that make for peace that we pursue, and the things which build up one another. Do... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 14:21-23

14:21-23 It is the fine thing neither to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything which makes the road more difficult for your brother to walk. As far as you yourselves are concerned you have enough faith to know that these things do not matter--well, then, let that be a matter between yourself and God. Happy is the man who never has cause to condemn himself for doing what he has come to the conclusion it was right to do. But he who has doubts about eating something stands condemned if... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 14:12

So then everyone of us ,.... this is the conclusion, drawn from the foregoing account of things, that there will be a general judgment, that Christ will be Judge, and all must appear at his bar; from whence it necessarily follows, that every man, and so every Christian, strong or weak, whatever may be his gifts, talents, and abilities, shall give an account of himself to God ; that is, to Christ, who is God; which is another proof of his deity, for he will be the Judge, the Father will... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 14:13

Let us not therefore judge one another more ,.... With respect to the observance or non-observance of the laws relating to meats and drinks, and days, and times; the apostle means, that they should not judge rashly, nor anything before the time; they should not censure and judge each other's characters and states, on account of these things, but leave all to the decisive day, to Christ the Judge, and to his bar, before which all must stand: but judge this rather ; or reckon this to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 14:14

I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus ,.... As for the apostle's own sense and judgment about the distinction of meats, it was this, that there is nothing unclean of itself ; that every creature, as originally made by God, is good; that what is eatable, or fit for food, may be eaten, whatever the Mosaic laws, being now abrogated, say to the contrary; and that whatever physical or natural difference there may be between the creatures of God, one being naturally fit for food, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 14:15

But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat ,.... The apostle proceeds to give reasons why, though he was so fully persuaded that nothing was unclean of itself, and so he, and any other of the same persuasion, might lawfully eat anything; yet they should forbear, and not make use of this liberty; because if a brother should be grieved by it, that is, either should be concerned and troubled at it inwardly, both because the person that eats is thought by him to have transgressed a command of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 14:16

Let not then your good be evil spoken of. The Vulgate Latin reads it, "our good", and so the Syriac version; the sense is the same, and to be understood either of the Gospel in general, which is good in its author, matter, effects, and consequences; is good tidings of good things, and which might be blasphemed by the men of the world, on account of the divisions and contentions among the professors of it, about such little trivial things, as eating this or the other sort of food; and... read more

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