Romans 14:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

NIV: For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

NASB: For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

CSB: Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.

NLT: Christ died and rose again for this very purpose — to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

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

NKJV: For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

This verse concludes the thought begun in the previous two verses. Paul has written that as Christians, we do not live or die to ourselves. Instead, we live and die to the Lord. We are His both in this life and in the life to come. This supports Paul's instructions about those of "weak faith" versus those who have a stronger faith. Those "weak in faith" who feel conviction over unclear issues, such as eating meat, are not to judge those who disagree. Those who recognize that God has given all things for a good purpose (1 Timothy 4:4) should not look down on those with a more restricted conscience. Neither is master of the other: Christ is the Lord of all.

Now Paul uses poetic language to show this is why Christ died for our sins and was resurrected. In doing so, He became Lord of the living and those who have died and will exist forever. He has experienced both life and death and now holds ultimate authority over those who live and those who have died and entered eternity.

In light of that ultimate truth, Paul will ask again in the following verses why any of us would ever think it is our job to judge other Christians who belong to the Lord (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.