Romans 14:20
18 For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19 So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.
22 Keep your belief about such matters between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.
- KJV
- For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
- WEB
- Don’t overthrow God’s work for food’s sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating.
- ASV
- Overthrow not for meat`s sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
- DARBY
- For the sake of meat do not destroy the work of God. All things indeed [are] pure; but [it is] evil to that man who eats while stumbling [in doing so].
- BLB
- Do not demolish the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed [are] clean, but [it is] evil to the man eating through a stumbling block.
- ÅB
- Riv ikke ned Guds verk for matens skyld. Alt er rent, men det er ondt for det mennesket som spiser med samvittighetsanstøt.
- OTB
- Ikke ødelegg Guds verk for matens skyld. All mat er ren, men det er galt for en person å spise noe som får noen andre til å snuble.
- B1930
- Nedbryt ikke Guds verk for mats skyld! Alt er vel rent, men det er ondt for det menneske som eter med samvittighets-anstøt;
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Romans 14:14–15
I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
Read in contextMatthew 18:6
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Read in contextTitus 1:15
To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
Read in contextActs 10:15
The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
Read in context1 Corinthians 10:31–33
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
Read in context1 Corinthians 6:12–13
“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.
Read in contextRomans 14:21
It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.
Read in contextMatthew 15:11
A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”
Read in context