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Romans 14: 13-22.
C2 | 14: 13-22. MEATS, ETC., AND THE ESTIMATE OF FAITH.
a4 | a | Judge no more.
b | Judge this rather.
a | No stumbling-block.
b | Nor occasion to fall.
b4 | NOTHING UNCLEAN OF ITSELF.
BUT TO HIM THAT ESTEEMETH IT.
a5 | a | Brother grieved with thy meat.
b | Walk not in love.
a | Destroy not with thy meat.
b | One for whom Christ died.
b5 | LET NOT YOUR GOOD BE EVIL SPOKEN OF.
a6 | a | Kingdom of God.
b | Not meat and drink.
b | But righteousness, joy, peace in the holy spirit.
a | Acceptable . . . . . approved.
b6 | LET US FOLLOW PEACE AND EDIFYING.
a7 | a | For meat destroy not.
b | Work of God.
b7 | ALL THINGS PURE. EVIL TO HIM THAT OFFENDS.
a8 | a | Good, neither to eat flesh . . . . . or anything.
b | To cause stumbling, offence, or make weak.
b8 | HAVE FAITH THYSELF BEFORE GOD.
HAPPY IS HE THAT CONDEMNETH NOT HIMSELF
THAT WHICH HE ALLOWETH
The Apostle's principles here are so important, and so often lost sight of, that at the
risk of seeming repetition we propose to take the sections labeled b4 to b8 and put
them together by themselves:
The Principles of Romans 14: 13-22.
A |
b4. Nothing is unclean of itself. It becomes unclean to the one that so esteems it.
B
| b5. Let not your good be evil spoken of.
B
| b6. Let us follow after the things that make for peace, and which edify.
A |
b7. All things are pure, but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
B
| b8. Happy is he who condemns not himself in those things which he allows.
The first of these references is introduced by the words:
"I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus."
There must be some good reason for introducing the name of the Lord here. It cannot
simply mean that Paul was speaking by inspiration for that would be equally true of any
verse in the epistle. The reader may remember that in Acts 20: the Apostle uses the
same title: