Accept those who are not sure whether they are permitted to do certain things. Anyone who thinks that it is all right to eat all kinds of food must not despise those who do not think that, and those who do not think that it is all right to eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, because God has accepted them.

1Accept those who are not sure whether God will permit them to do certain things some people think are wrong. But when you accept them, do not argue with them about what they think/their opinions.

2Some people believe that they may eat all kinds of food. Others believe that God does not want them to eat certain things, so they believe that they may not eat meat.

3Anyone who thinks that it is all right to eat all kinds of food must not despise those who think it is not all right to eat all kinds of food. Anyone who thinks it is not all right to eat all kinds of food must not ◄condemn/say that God will punish► those who think that it is all right to eat all kinds of food, because God himself has accepted those people.

4God is the master of us all, so ◄he is the one who will decide whether those people have done wrong!/who are you to decide whether they have done wrong?► [RHQ] Therefore, you have no right [RHQ] to condemn those who eat everything, because they are also God’s servants! And just like it is the servants’ own master who accepts or condemns [MTY] his servants, it is God who accepts or condemns us. And believers will be accepted by the Lord {the Lord will accept believers} regardless of whether they eat meat or not, because he is able to keep them trusting in him.

Each person should be fully convinced about observing special days, thinking and deciding for himself and not for others. We should try to please God by everything we do.

5Some people regard certain days as holy and think that the other days are not holy. Other people regard all days as equally suitable for worshipping God. Each person should be fully convinced about such matters, thinking and deciding for himself and not for others.

6As for those who believe that they should worship on a certain day of the week, it is to honor the Lord that they worship on that day. And as for those who think that it is all right to eat all kinds of food, it is to honor the Lord that they eat those foods, as is clear from their thanking God for the food that they eat. As for those who abstain from eating certain kinds of food, it is to honor the Lord that they do not eat those foods, and they also thank God for the food that they do eat. So doing either of those things is not wrong in itself.

7None of us should live merely to please ourselves, and none of us should choose when or how we will die, merely to please ourselves.

8While we live, it is the Lord whom we belong to and should be trying to please, and not just ourselves. And when we die, it is the Lord whom we should be trying to please. So, while we live and also when we die, we should be trying to please the Lord to whom we belong, not just ourselves,

9because the very purpose for which Christ died and became alive again is that he might be Lord whom all people should try to please, both of those who have already died and of those who are still living.

You should neither condemn nor despise your fellow believers who believe differently about religious regulations than you do, because it is God who will say whether he approves of what we have done.

10◄It is disgraceful that you who practice certain religious regulations say that God will punish your fellow believers who do not practice those regulations!/Why do you who practice certain religious regulations say God will punish your fellow believers who do not practice such regulations?► [RHQ] I say this because the time will come when all of us will stand before God in order that he will say whether or not he approves [MTY] of what we have done. So you who do not practice such regulations, ◄should not despise your fellow believers who practice them!/why do you despise your fellow believers who practice them?► [RHQ]

11We know this because it is written {a prophet/Isaiah wrote} what God has said: Everyone will bow down before me! That is as certain as the fact that I live [IDM]! Everyone [SYN] will acknowledge that because I am God, I have the right to judge and punish people.

12So it is clear that it is God who will decide whether or not he approves of what each of us has done.

Instead of condemning each other, decide not to do anything that might lead your fellow believer to sin by following your example and which would then cause others to speak evil of you.

13Since it is God who will judge everyone, we must stop saying that God should punish some of our fellow believers! Instead, you/we should decide that you/we will not do anything that would be an example that might cause fellow believers to stop trusting in God [DOU].

14I am absolutely certain [DOU] because of my close relationship with (OR, my belonging to) the Lord Jesus that there is nothing that by itself is wrong to eat. But if people think it is wrong to eat something, then to them it is wrong to eat it. So you should not encourage them to eat it.

15If you eat food [MET] that anyone for whom Christ died thinks that it is wrong to eat, that person might be encouraged {you might be encouraging that person} to do something that he believes is wrong. As a result, you might cause that fellow believer to stop trusting in God. In that way he would be ruined spiritually just because you have stopped behaving as one who loves others should behave!

16Similarly, do not do something that you think is good if, as a result, your fellow believer would sin and then others would speak evil of you who say that you are Christians.

17Letting God rule our lives [MET] does not mean that we must obey regulations about eating or drinking something! Instead, it means we must live righteously, act peacefully towards others, and be joyful by the power of the Holy Spirit.

18Those who serve Christ by acting in such ways please God, and others will also respect them.

Try to do what will help fellow believers to be at peace with each other and to grow spiritually. Do not destroy what God has done in others’ lives as a result of your eating certain things.

19So we should always eagerly try to live in a way that will cause peace among fellow Christians, and we should try to do what will help each other to mature spiritually.

20Do not destroy what God has done in the life of any believer just because of your eating certain kinds of food [MET] which that person considers wrong to eat! God permits us to eat every kind of food. But if, by your eating certain kinds of food, you encourage another person to sin by doing what he believes is wrong, you are doing wrong.

21It is good neither to eat meat nor to drink wine, nor to do anything else at any time if it will cause one of your fellow believers to stop trusting in God.

22Let God tell you what things are right for you to do, but do not try to force others to accept what you believe. God is pleased with those who do what they know is right and as a result do not feel guilty concerning what they have done, because they have done only those things that they believe are right.

23But some believers are not certain that God will approve of their eating a certain kind of food. So if they eat it, they think that God will punish them. And they truly will be punished {God truly will punish them}, because they have done things that they believe are not right. Those who do anything without being certain that God considers it to be right are sinning.