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BOOK 45 OF 66 · PAULINE EPISTLES · KING JAMES BIBLE

Romans 14

Romans book home•Chapter 14 of 16•23 verses
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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Romans 14 Overview

Paul addresses disputes between believers over eating and observing particular days. The strong must not despise the weak, and the weak must not judge the strong, because each servant stands before the Lord. Every believer will give account to God, so the priority should be not placing a stumbling block before a brother. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Believers should pursue edification and act from faith rather than violate conscience.

RomansBook
14Chapter
23Verses
Pauline EpistlesDivision

Before you read Romans 14

Coming from

Paul commands believers to be subject to governing authorities because civil power is ordained by God for order and the punishment of wrongdoing. Christians should pay tribute, custom, fear, and honor where due. Paul then says believers should owe no continuing debt except love, because love fulfills the neighbor-directed commandments. Knowing the time, believers should wake from spiritual sleep, cast off works of darkness, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.

In this chapter

Romans 13 called believers to love neighbors and walk honestly. Romans 14 applies love to disagreements inside the church over matters not inherently sinful.

Leads into

Romans 15 continues the strong/weak discussion, points to Christ’s selflessness, celebrates Jew-Gentile unity from Scripture, and explains Paul’s missionary ambition and travel plans.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The chapter concerns disputable practices such as foods and days, not doctrines the apostles identify as gospel essentials or conduct Scripture clearly calls sin. ‘Let every man be fully persuaded’ cannot turn false doctrine or immorality into a private preference.

The weak/strong categories do not mean one side is morally inferior in worth. Paul’s concern is conscience, knowledge, liberty, and love within Christ’s lordship.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Believers belong to the Lord, not to each other as masters

Each Christian stands or falls before his own Master.

Liberty must be governed by love

A permissible practice can become unloving if used to wound another’s conscience.

The kingdom is larger than disputed externals

Righteousness, peace, and joy matter more than winning arguments about food.

Conscience should not be violated casually

What is not of faith is sin when a person acts against conscience.

Every believer will give account to God

Future accountability should reduce arrogant judgment of one another.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

1 Corinthians 8

Paul gives parallel instruction about knowledge, conscience, food, and causing a brother to stumble.

Colossians 2:16–17

Paul tells believers not to be judged over meat, drink, holy days, new moons, or sabbaths as covenant shadows.

Matthew 7:1–5

Jesus warns against hypocritical judgment, while Romans 14 applies restraint to disputable matters.

Romans 15:1–7

The next chapter continues the same issue by calling the strong to bear infirmities and receive one another as Christ received them.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not use Romans 14 to classify clear biblical sin as merely a “disputable matter”

Paul’s examples are foods and days, not adultery, idolatry, false gospel, or other clearly condemned things.

Do not make the stronger conscience a license to flaunt liberty

Love may choose restraint for another believer’s good.

Do not make the weaker conscience the ruler of everyone else

Paul also forbids judging the servant whom the Lord receives.

Do not read “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” as a new condition for eternal salvation

It addresses conscience and conduct among believers.

Read Romans 14 watching for…

The weak and strong examples.

The repeated emphasis on the Lord as Master.

The future account every believer gives.

The command to stop putting stumbling blocks before brethren.

The definition of God’s kingdom in verse 17.

The relationship between liberty, conscience, and faith.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline3 sections
1-12Believers should not judge one another over doubtful matters because each answers to the Lord13-18Liberty should not become a stumblingblock, and the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost19-23Believers should pursue peace and avoid actions that wound another’s conscience
1

Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

2

For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

3

Let 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.

4

Who 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.

5

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

6

He 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.

7

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

8

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.

9

For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

10

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.

11

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

12

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

13

Let 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.

14

I 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.

15

But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

16

Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

17

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

18

For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

19

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

20

For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.

21

It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

22

Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

23

And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.