Romans 14:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

NIV: The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.

NASB: The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.

CSB: One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him.

NLT: Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.

Paul has defined two different groups of Christians in the early church. In the context of actions not clearly labeled as sinful or righteous by Scripture, Paul considers those of "weak faith" in contrast to those who are more secure in their faith. Those in both groups were true believers in Jesus. The difference was found in their opinions about what Christians should be free to participate in versus what they should stay away from. In the previous verse, Paul identified an example: those who refuse to eat meat for religious reasons, being weak in faith. Those of stronger faith felt free to eat anything at all, because they were convinced that Christ has freed them from all the requirements of the law and they were fully accepted by God's grace through faith in Christ.

Paul, though, does not condemn the religious vegetarians for their opinion. Instead, he forbids both groups from despising or passing judgment on each other. God has welcomed all who are in Christ, whether they live in the full freedom of God's grace or not. As such, both groups should welcome each other.

This statement is a crucial part of the context of chapter 14. It coordinates with Paul's other remarks on Christian liberty (1 Corinthians 10:23–33; 1 Timothy 4:4). Those who feel free to partake in certain things should not look down on those who are not comfortable with that same activity. At the same time, those who feel a personal conviction about something ought not judge those who do not share their conviction.

In short, both sides need to respect and tolerate each other (Colossians 2:16–23).

Romans 14:1–12 describes how Christians with opposing views on matters of freedom and sin should treat each other. First, strong-faith Christians who understand that all things are clean for those in Christ should welcome and not try to change weaker-faith Christians who believe some things, like eating certain meats, to be sinful. Each should act on their convictions and honor the Lord in doing so. Neither should judge the other, for the real day of judgment is coming when we will all stand before Christ and give an account of our lives.

In Romans 14, Paul tackles the question of how Christians with different convictions about disputable matters should treat each other in the church. Strong-faith Christians who feel free to eat and drink what was formerly forbidden under the law of Moses should not flaunt their freedoms in front of weaker-faith Christians who are not convinced it is right to participate in those things. Neither group should judge the other. Those strong in their faith should rather yield than lead those weaker in faith to violate their conscience, which is a sin.

Paul turns from the black-and-white instructions about light and darkness in Romans 13 to the issue of disputable matters with the potential to divide the church. Paul instructs those who feel free to participate in activities formally forbidden under the law not to flaunt their freedom in front of those who, by conscience, still believe those actions to be wrong. Those strong-faith Christians should be willing to set aside their freedom to keep from leading their weaker brothers and sisters into sin by violating their convictions. Paul addresses this topic with additional comments in 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.