1Accept those who are still struggling to trust in God, and don't get into arguments over personal opinions.

2One person may believe they can eat anything, while another whose trust is weak only eats vegetables. ⁸⁶

3Those who eat anything must not look down on those who won't, and those who won't eat must not criticize those who do—for God has accepted them both.

4What right do you have to judge someone else's servant? It's their own master who decides whether they are right or wrong. With the Lord's help they will be able to take their stand for right.

5Some people consider some days more important than others, while others consider each day the same. Everyone should be completely convinced in their own minds.

6Those who respect a special day do so for the Lord; and those who eat without worrying ⁸⁷do so for the Lord since they give thanks to God; while those who avoid eating certain things do so for the Lord, and they also give thanks to God.

7None of us live for ourselves, or die for ourselves.

8If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord—so whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

9This was the reason Christ died and came back to life—so that he could be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10So why do you criticize your fellow-believer? Why do you despise your fellow-believer? For all of us will stand before God's throne of judgment.

11For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I am alive,’ the Lord says, ‘Every knee shall bow before me, and every tongue will declare that I am God.’” ⁸⁸

12So every one of us will have to explain ourselves to God.

13Therefore let's not judge each other anymore, but decide to do this instead—we won't put obstacles in the way of fellow-believers, or cause them to fall.

14I'm certain—persuaded by the Lord Jesus—that nothing in itself is ceremonially unclean. But if someone considers it to be unclean, to them it is unclean.

15If your fellow-believer is hurt by you over matters of food, then you're no longer behaving in a loving way. Don't destroy someone for whom Christ died by the food you choose to eat.

16Don't let the good things you do be misrepresented—

17for God's kingdom is not about eating and drinking, but about living right, having peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

18Anyone who serves Christ in this way pleases God, and is appreciated by others.

19So let's pursue the path of peace, and find ways to encourage each other.

20Don't destroy the work of God with arguments over food. Everything is clean—but it would be wrong to eat and offend others.

21It's better not to eat meat or drink wine or anything else that would cause your fellow-believer to stumble.

22What you personally believe is between you and God. Happy are those who don't condemn themselves for doing what they think is right!

23But if you have doubts whether it's right or wrong to eat something, then you shouldn't, because you're not convinced it's right. Whatever isn't based on conviction ⁸⁹is sin. ⁹⁰