Romans 14:21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

◄ Romans 14:21 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

English Standard Version
It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

New American Standard Bible
It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.

King James Bible
It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.

International Standard Version
The right thing to do is to avoid eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that makes your brother stumble, upset, or weak.

American Standard Version
It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth.

Douay-Rheims Bible
It is good not to eat flesh, and not to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother is offended, or scandalized, or made weak.

Darby Bible Translation
It is right not to eat meat, nor drink wine, nor do anything in which thy brother stumbles, or is offended, or is weak.

Young's Literal Translation
Right it is not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything in which thy brother doth stumble, or is made to fall, or is weak.

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

14:19-23 Many wish for peace, and talk loudly for it, who do not follow the things that make for peace. Meekness, humility, self-denial, and love, make for peace. We cannot edify one another, while quarrelling and contending. Many, for meat and drink, destroy the work of God in themselves; nothing more destroys the soul than pampering and pleasing the flesh, and fulfilling the lusts of it; so others are hurt, by wilful offence given. Lawful things may be done unlawfully, by giving offence to brethren. This takes in all indifferent things, whereby a brother is drawn into sin or trouble; or has his graces, his comforts, or his resolutions weakened. Hast thou faith? It is meant of knowledge and clearness as to our Christian liberty. Enjoy the comfort of it, but do not trouble others by a wrong use of it. Nor may we act against a doubting conscience. How excellent are the blessings of Christ's kingdom, which consists not in outward rites and ceremonies, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost! How preferable is the service of God to all other services! and in serving him we are not called to live and die to ourselves, but unto Christ, whose we are, and whom we ought to serve.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

21. It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing—"nor to do any thing"

whereby—"wherein"

thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak—rather, "is weak." These three words, it has been remarked, are each intentionally weaker than the other:—"Which may cause a brother to stumble, or even be obstructed in his Christian course, nay—though neither of these may follow—wherein he continues weak; unable wholly to disregard the example, and yet unprepared to follow it." But this injunction to abstain from flesh, from wine, and from whatsoever may hurt the conscience of a brother, must be properly understood. Manifestly, the apostle is treating of the regulation of the Christian's conduct with reference simply to the prejudices of the weak in faith; and his directions are to be considered not as prescriptions for one's entire lifetime, even to promote the good of men on a large scale, but simply as cautions against the too free use of Christian liberty in matters where other Christians, through weakness, are not persuaded that such liberty is divinely allowed. How far the principle involved in this may be legitimately extended, we do not inquire here; but ere we consider that question, it is of great importance to fix how far it is here actually expressed, and what is the precise nature of the illustrations given of it.