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Romans 14:20

God is bringing people into his family, but if you eat something that upsets another Christian, so that they go away, you will mess up God’s work. So don’t do that. You know that there is nothing wrong with the food itself, but it is wrong for you to make another person stop believing.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

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

In Context

19So we have to do everything we can to help each other. We have to try to agree with each other and to help each other get strong.

21So if another Christian will get upset and go wrong because you eat meat or drink wine, then don’t eat any meat, and don’t drink any wine.

Read all of Romans 14

Cross References

Acts 10:15Then the voice said to Peter, “If God says that something is good, don’t say it is no good.”

Romans 14:21So if another Christian will get upset and go wrong because you eat meat or drink wine, then don’t eat any meat, and don’t drink any wine.

1 Corinthians 8:8But really, it doesn’t matter if we eat that food or not. If we eat it, we will not get anything special, and if we don’t eat it, we will not miss out on anything. You see, no food can help us be close friends with God.

Ephesians 2:10God is the one that made us what we are, and he wants us to do good things. He already has those good things ready for us to do. He turned us into new people, and he joined us to Jesus Christ, so now we can do those good things.

1 Timothy 4:3They tell people, “You can’t marry anyone. It is wrong.” And they tell people, “There are some sorts of food you can’t eat. You just have to leave it alone.” Those things that they say are not true. God tells us in his book that he made everything good. That means that he made all food good. We believe that word and know it is true, so we don’t have to leave any sort of food alone. Instead, we can just thank him for it and eat it. God’s word says that all food is good, so we pray to him and thank him for it, and then it is all right for us to eat it.

Matthew Henry on Romans 14:2-23

Exhortations to Candour; The Dominion of Christ. ( a. d. 58.) 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… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

King James VersionBíblia Almeida (Português)Luther Bibel (Deutsch)Bible Louis Segond (Français)Библия (Русский)聖經 (中文)성경 (한국어)聖書 (日本語)الكتاب المقدس (العربية)बाइबल (हिन्दी)Biblia (Kiswahili)Bibbia Diodati (Italiano)Alkitab (Bahasa Indonesia)

Study Romans 14:20

Matthew HenryJamieson-Fausset-BrownAdam ClarkeAlbert BarnesJohn WesleyJohn CalvinScofieldWilliam BurkittFamily Bible NotesJohn LightfootGeneva Bible Notes (1599)
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