previous next

Romans 14

1  AS FOR the man who is a weak believer, welcome him [into your fellowship], but not to criticize his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussions.2  One [man’s faith permits him to] believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one [limits his] eating to vegetables.3  Let not him who eats look down on or despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains criticize and pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted and welcomed him.4  Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another’s household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and make him stand.5  One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind.6  He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.7  None of us lives to himself [but to the Lord], and none of us dies to himself [but to the Lord, for]8  If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord.9  For Christ died and lived again for this very purpose, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.10  Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.11  For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God [acknowledge Him to His honor and to His praise]. 12  And so each of us shall give an account of himself [give an answer in reference to judgment] to God.13  Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother.14  I know and am convinced (persuaded) as one in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is [forbidden as] essentially unclean (defiled and unholy in itself). But [none the less] it is unclean (defiled and unholy) to anyone who thinks it is unclean.15  But if your brother is being pained or his feelings hurt or if he is being injured by what you eat, [then] you are no longer walking in love. [You have ceased to be living and conducting yourself by the standard of love toward him.] Do not let what you eat hurt or cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died!16  Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.]17  [After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.18  He who serves Christ in this way is acceptable and pleasing to God and is approved by men.19  So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (edification and development) of one another.20  You must not, for the sake of food, undo and break down and destroy the work of God! Everything is indeed [ceremonially] clean and pure, but it is wrong for anyone to hurt the conscience of others or to make them fall by what he eats.21  The right thing is to eat no meat or drink no wine [at all], or [do anything else] if it makes your brother stumble or hurts his conscience or offends or weakens him.22  Your personal convictions [on such matters]--exercise [them] as in God’s presence, keeping them to yourself [striving only to know the truth and obey His will]. Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do].23  But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful].

Romerne 14

Samhold i menigheten

1 Ta imot den som er svak i troen, uten å gjøre dere til dommere over hans tanker. t 2 Én har tro til å spise alt, den svake spiser bare grønnsaker. t 3 Den som spiser, skal ikke se ned på den som ikke gjør det. Og den som lar være å spise, skal ikke dømme den som gjør det. Gud har jo tatt imot ham. t

4 Hvem er du som dømmer en annens tjener? Om han står eller faller, blir en sak mellom ham og hans herre. Og han skal bli stående, for Herren har makt til å holde ham oppe.t
5 Én holder den ene dagen for å være viktigere enn den andre, en annen mener at alle dager er like. Men enhver skal være fullt overbevist om sitt syn. t 6 Den som legger vekt på bestemte dager, gjør det for Herren, og den som spiser, gjør det for Herren; han takker jo Gud. Og den som ikke spiser, gjør det for Herren og takker Gud. t 7 For ingen av oss lever for seg selv, og ingen dør for seg selv. 8 Om vi lever, så lever vi for Herren, og om vi dør, så dør vi for Herren. Enten vi da lever eller dør, hører vi Herren til. t 9 Derfor døde Kristus og ble levende igjen, for at han skulle være Herre over både levende og døde. 10 Men du, hvorfor dømmer du din bror, eller hvorfor ser du ned på din bror? Vi skal alle fram for Guds domstol, t

11 for det står skrevet:t
Så sant jeg lever, ¬sier Herren,
for meg skal hvert kne ¬bøye seg,
og hver tunge skal love Gud.

12 Så skal altså hver enkelt av oss avlegge regnskap for seg selv.t
13 La oss altså ikke dømme hverandre! Fell heller den dom at ingen må få sin bror til å snuble og falle. t 14 I troen på Herren Jesus vet jeg, ja, er fullt viss på at ingenting er urent i seg selv. Men for den som mener at noe er urent, er det urent. t 15 Og hvis du sårer din bror med det du spiser, handler du ikke i kjærlighet. Den som Kristus døde for, må du ikke føre i fortapelse med det du spiser. t 16 La ikke det gode dere eier, bli utsatt for spott. 17 For Guds rike består ikke i mat og drikke, men i rettferdighet, fred og glede i Den Hellige Ånd. t

18 Den som tjener Kristus på denne måten, er til behag for Gud og aktes av mennesker.
19 Så la oss gjøre det vi kan for å bevare freden og bygge opp fellesskapet. t 20 Ødelegg ikke Guds verk på grunn av mat. Alt er nok rent, men det blir noe ondt for den som spiser og kjenner det som et fall. t 21 Derfor er det riktig ikke å spise kjøtt eller drikke vin eller gjøre andre ting som fører din bror til fall. 22 Den tro du har, skal du ha for deg selv, for Guds ansikt. Salig er den som ikke fører dom over seg selv med det han velger. 23 Men den som er i tvil når han spiser, han er dømt, fordi han ikke gjør det i tro. Alt som ikke skjer i tro, er synd.t