Romans Chapter 14 in Simple English

Updated on October 1, 2026

Read Romans Chapter 14

1Welcome the person who is weak in the faith. But do not argue with him about matters of doubt.

2One person believes he may eat anything. Another, who is weak, eats only vegetables.

3The one who eats must not look down on the one who does not eat. And the one who does not eat must not judge the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

4Who are you to judge another man's servant? He stands or falls before his own master. And he will be held up, for God is able to make him stand.

5One man thinks one day is better than another. Another man thinks every day is the same. Let each one be fully sure in his own mind.

6The one who keeps the day keeps it to the Lord. The one who does not keep the day does not keep it to the Lord. The one who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. And the one who does not eat, does not eat to the Lord, and he gives God thanks.

7For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.

8If we live, we live to the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

9For this is why Christ died, and rose, and lived again: so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

10But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you treat your brother as nothing? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

11For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God."

12So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

13So let us not judge one another any more. Decide this instead: that no one puts a stumbling block in his brother's way, or anything that makes him fall.

14I know, and I am sure in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if a person thinks something is unclean, then for him it is unclean.

15If your brother is hurt because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.

16So do not let what is good for you be spoken of as evil.

17For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

18The one who serves Christ in these things pleases God, and people approve of him.

19So let us go after the things that make for peace, and the things by which we build one another up.

20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things are indeed pure, but it is wrong for a person to eat in a way that makes someone else fall.

21It is good not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble, or offends him, or makes him weak.

22Do you have faith? Keep it to yourself before God. Happy is the one who does not condemn himself by what he allows.

23But the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith. For whatever is not from faith is sin.

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Explanation

Romans 14

In short

Paul tells the Roman church to stop judging each other over food and religious days. Different believers have different convictions on these matters, and what matters is not the rules themselves but living for God with a clear conscience and not harming others' faith.

Context

The church in Rome has members with different views on what is permitted to eat and which days to keep holy. Some are strict about this, others less so. Paul addresses those who are confident in their freedom (the "strong") and those who are cautious (the "weak"), urging the confident ones to show patience and respect rather than contempt. He is writing to settle a real conflict in their community.

What the text says

Verses 1 to 3 set the problem: receive those with stricter rules, but do not argue with them. One person eats all things, another eats only herbs, and neither should despise or judge the other because God has accepted both. Verses 4 to 6 shift focus: you have no right to judge another's servant, since each person answers to God alone. Whatever they do regarding food or days, they do it for God and give thanks. Verses 7 to 9 ground this in theology: no one lives for themselves, and believers belong to Christ whether living or dying. Verses 10 to 12 return to the warning: stop judging, because all will answer to Christ's judgment seat. Verses 13 to 21 give the practical rule: the goal is peace and building up others, not defending your freedom. Even if something is not wrong in itself, verse 14 and 15 say, do not eat it if it will grieve your brother, for whom Christ died. Verses 22 and 23 close with a principle: faith matters. Act according to your own conscience, but do not do what you doubt, because acting against your own faith is sin.

Takeaways

Believers may differ on rules and still both be right before God if they act from conscience.
Freedom in Christ is real, but using it in a way that damages another person's faith betrays what Christ died for.
The kingdom of God rests on righteousness, peace, and joy, not on food or calendar rules.

Romans 14 - Simple English