Romans 14

must not
“Must not” better indicates the sense of this third person imperative, which, unlike many commands, is not issued directly to another (e.g. “you”), but is issued indirectly to a kind of person (e.g. “the one who…”). In doing this, Paul provides commands that are relative to different kinds of people in the church. Of course, while no single command here encompasses the whole church in the same way, it is possible for one person to be strong in one matter and weak in another, and so this form of command is extremely wise. It allows the application of God’s design to be tailored to each and every individual in the way that they need it.

must not view…with contempt
The translation “must not view…with contempt” provides a greater consistency with the use of the term in Luke 18:9, a better match to the word order of the Greek, and a better sense of the third person imperative, which highlights what the actions of this person ought to be. Paul is commanding a specific kind of person in the church not to look down upon another whose conscience is not calibrated in the same way (cf. same verb in v. 10).

accepted
Several translations render this verb in the perfect tense (e.g. “has accepted”), but Paul portrays it with a simple aorist tense (“accepted”). The distinction is a matter of emphasis. With the perfect tense, the emphasis lands more strongly upon the resultant state of an action (i.e. this person, having been accepted in the past, is now in a state of being accepted in the present). The aorist tense, on the other hand, portrays a past action simply and without such nuance. The emphasis of the aorist tense in this context is on the fact that God is the one who accepted the stronger brother in the past, despite the weaker brother’s possible inclination to judge him as unfaithful, or even an unbeliever. With God’s acceptance of this man having been sealed in the past, the entire context of conscience issues is clarified as being an in-house discussion. While such conscience issues may flow out of one’s understanding of the gospel, they are firmly secondary to it, and remembering that God accepted the brother with whom one disagrees is key to navigating this kind of disagreement in a godly way. Both the stronger brother and the weaker brother will be in heaven together.

judges
“Judges” maintains a consistent translation of the Greek verb κρίνω (krinō), which also appears in verses 3, 4, 10, and 13 in reference to “judging” another person. The consistency in translation highlights Paul’s focus on the discernment of believers. Within the process of sanctification, believers may differ from each other in dramatic ways when it comes to what they believe honors God, but what Paul is eager to protect and preserve is that “each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.” While there may be friction between believers when they find that they believe differently about various issues, Paul wants to protect each person’s faith in the process of sanctification, helping people avoid unseemly conflict and guarding them from being “bullied” into another view by peer pressure and not by a faith-filled awareness of Christ.

regards
“Regards” translates the Greek word φρονέω (phroneō), which refers to setting one’s mind on something. Some translations render this verb as “observes,” but the cognitive aspect of the verb is better achieved in the language of “regarding.” Throughout the whole section, Paul is shepherding the thought processes of believers when it comes to personal worship in a community where everyone is a work in progress.

view…with contempt
Refer to the discussion on verse 3 above. Paul is commanding a specific kind of person in the church not to look down upon another whose conscience is not calibrated in the same way. Paul is asking what reason there is either for “judging” or for “viewing others with contempt” in light of the fact that each and every believer will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of his or her own actions to God (cf. v. 12).

TO ME EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW
The word order of this phrase better matches that of the Greek, which places “to Me” ahead of the subject (“every knee”) and verb (“shall bow”) for the sake of emphasis. Such an emphasis on God is appropriate in the context. It helps to highlight how Paul’s main concern is not how one believer’s convictions are seen by another believer, but rather how one believer’s convictions will be seen in the eyes of God Himself (cf. v. 12). His primary concern is not how men relate laterally but how men relate vertically to their Maker.

CONFESS
Some translations render this verb as “give praise,” but the nuance of the Greek term is better translated as “confess.” While the ideas behind praise and confession overlap with one another in the context of worship, the word used here (ἐξομολογέω; exomologeō) carries the nuance, in context, of an outward declaration that matches what God says. So this is not simply a declaration that a man finds fitting in his own eyes. It is a declaration that God Himself agrees with. For that reason, “confess” (which means “to say the same thing as”) has been maintained here (cf. Phil 2:11). The point is that every man will have to give an account of their own actions that God agrees with (cf. v. 12). Because every believer will stand before God, it is no wonder why Paul lifts the eyes of his readers above the “skirmishes” and disagreements that can occur among them on a human level and turns their primary focus to their own relationship with God. As he says in 1 Corinthians 4:3–4, “But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court…But the one who examines me is the Lord.”

judge
Several translations give a distinct term here like “resolve” or “decide” or “determine,” but the Greek term is the same as “judge” earlier in the verse. For that reason, κρίνω (krinō) appears consistently as “judge.” Paul is saying that believers ought not judge and condemn one another, but they ought rather to judge to love one another and not do anything to hinder the faith of another.

stumbling block or offense
“Stumbling block” is from πρόσκομμα (proskomma) and “offense” is from σκάνδαλον (skandalon). These words are often used in parallel to one another (e.g. Rom 9:32; 1 Cor 8:9–13; 1 Pet 2:8) and can be synoynmous. Therefore, when these words occur separately, this translation renders them both as “stumbling block.” But when they occur in the same context, σκάνδαλον (skandalon) is translated as “offense,” since it can mean that, while πρόσκομμα (proskomma) means “stumbling” and often connects with a wordplay. Paul almost exclusively uses πρόσκομμα (proskomma), and he does so to refer to the stumbling of the Jews. The Jews stumbled on Christ who is the rock of stumbling (Rom 9:32–33) and when we are dealing with stumbling of a believer—the usage of πρόσκομμα (proskomma) refers to stumbling Jews (because of their concern for food; cf. Rom 14:21 and 1 Cor 8:9). Hence, the combination of “stumbling” and “offense” here might actually refer to a determination not to stumble either Gentiles or Jews.

before a brother
The translation “before a brother” translates the Greek phrase τῷ ἀδελφῷ (tō adelphō). The phrase can literally be translated “to the brother,” but in context it can be understood with the nuance of referring to the sphere in which someone would place the metaphorical stumbling block. They would place it “in reference to a brother,” and because of that, it is translated as “before a brother.”

defiled
The term “defiled” is the consistent translation of the Greek term κοινός (koinos; cf. Mark 7:2, 5; Acts 10:14). While some translations have “unclean,” the English word “unclean” is better reserved for the Greek term ἀκάθαρτος (akathartos; Acts 10:14; 1 Cor 7:14; Matt 10:1). The term behind “defiled” is understood to refer to what is common or unholy. In that sense, Paul is saying that there is nothing in creation (food or drink) that is naturally evil or unholy. There is no such thing as evil food or evil drink, only evil people who commit evil actions. However, in the event that a man’s conscience understands something to be unholy from a previous conviction that is not yet informed by the gospel, he is to regard it as unclean until God’s word changes his understanding. Paul is concerned that such a brother not be bullied out of his position by peer pressure or other lesser motivations.

considers
“Considers” is a consistent translation of the Greek term λογίζομαι (logizomai). The term refers to someone’s cognitive evaluation, or how they “account for” something in their thoughts. With this term, Paul is saying that if a brother considers something to be defiled, then he ought not violate his conscience and partake of it. Instead, he is to live with a clean conscience, and if God’s word calibrates his conscience differently, he is to move from faith to faith, rather than disobey his conscience for no good reason.

grieved
“Grieved” translates the passive form of the Greek verb λυπέω (lypeō), which refers to something that causes pain or distress (cf. 1 Thess 4:13). The gloss of “grief” reflects the dominant rendering of the term (cf. Matt 14:9; John 16:20; Eph 4:30; 1 Pet 1:6; etc.), and therefore Paul is understood to be saying that one is not to exploit his own freedoms in such a way that grieves a weaker brother, for such is not an expression of love which seeks to edify.

pleasing
While some translations have “acceptable,” the English gloss “pleasing” better captures the nuance of the Greek term εὐάρεστος (euarestos). The term is comprised of the prefix εὐ (eu) meaning “good” (e.g. “eulogy” for “a good word”), and άρεστος (arestos) which is used for something that satisfies another (cf. John 8:29; Acts 12:3; 1 John 3:22). This is why some understand this to mean “well-pleasing,” but the important point is that the heart of the term refers to the idea of satisfaction. Paul is saying that, to believers who prioritize righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit over and above the acts of eating and drinking, God will look at them and see something satisfying, for He will see a reflection of His own character in those of His creatures. He will see Christ displayed in them. And, to be sure, these higher moral commitments will calibrate how one goes about eating and drinking and enjoying God’s gifts with others.

let us pursue
The translation “let us pursue” brings out the hortatory sense of the subjunctive mood. This verb form effectively functions like an invitation that carries the force of a command. While certain critical Greek texts have an indicative here (“we pursue”), several later manuscripts have the subjunctive. The difference in translation is one letter (indicative: διώκομεν, diōkomen; subjunctive: διώκωμεν, diōkōmen) and the evidence of the context seems to support the use of the subjunctive in light of the other commands present in verses 13 and 20. In light of that, Paul is understood to be calling others to pursue things that build other believers up, rather than the things which will tear them down. Such a command is a fitting conclusion to the argument he has just constructed in verses 13–18.

and gives offense
In this translation, this phrase has a note that says, “Lit through stumbling, cf. 14:3, 21.” In every place in the New Testament, the word “stumbling” (πρόσκομμα; proskomma) is consistently translated, except for here. The reason is that the Greek grammar alone does not specify whether one stumbles himself or causes another to stumble. Thus, this translation gives a neutral translation and avoids providing an interpretive decision. The footnote is for clarification, and phrase’s interpretation is left to the preacher or teacher. This upholds the essence of this translation as one that does not make the interpretive decision for the reader.

Blessed
While some translations say “happy,” which is a fine translation, the consistent translation of this term μακάριος (makarios) in the New Testament is “blessed” (cf. Matt 5:3–11; Luke 1:45; Rom 4:7–8; Jas 1:12; 1 Tim 1:11; etc.). Such consistency helps the reader to recognize this word anywhere it appears. Here Paul is saying that the man who is not hit with guilt and the pangs of his conscience on account of his decisions will be a man who is blessed (i.e., happy).

judge
The word “judge” here, from the term κρίνω (krinō), connects Paul’s arguments about judging in the rest of the chapter. People judge days and foods and unfortunately each other. However, if a believer in his own conscience approves something, he need not judge or condemn himself since he has acted rightly in regard to his conscience. The person who rightly has a clean conscience thus is blessed when he does not add judgment to what is approved.