The Law of Liberty
1 Receiveone who is weak in the faith,butnot to disputes over doubtful things.
2 For one believes hemay eat all things, but he who is weak eatsonlyvegetables.
3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, andlet not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteemsoneday above another; another esteems every dayalike.Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He whoobserves the day, observesitto the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observeit.He who eats, eats to the Lord, forhe gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
7 Fornone of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
8 For if welive, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
9 Forto this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might beLord of both the dead and the living.
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? Forwe shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written:
# “AsI live, says theLord,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So theneach of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this,not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall inourbrother’s way.
The Law of Love
14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesusthatthereisnothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to himitisunclean.
15 Yet if your brother is grieved because ofyourfood, you are no longer walking in love.Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness andpeace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who serves Christ in these thingsisacceptable to God and approved by men.
19 Therefore let us pursue the thingswhichmakefor peace and the things by whichone may edify another.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.All things indeedarepure,butitisevil for the man who eats with offense.
21 Itisgood neither to eatmeat nor drink wine nordoanythingby which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
22 Do you have faith? Haveitto yourself before God.Happyishe who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, becausehedoesnoteatfrom faith; forwhateverisnot from faith is sin.