Rom 14 1-12
SECTION OUTLINE FOURTEEN (ROMANS 14)
Paul discusses the believer’s responsibilities toward those Christians who are weak in the faith.
I. No Believer Should Be Judged by Another Believer Down Here (14:1–8).
A. We are not to criticize others’ legalism (14:1–8).
1. The rules (14:1–6)
a. Don’t judge in matters of diet (14:1–4, 6b): Some feel it is wrong to eat meat or any food that has been sacrificed to an idol.
b. Don’t judge in matters of days (14:5–6a): Some feel certain days are more sacred than others.
2. The reason (14:7–8): Both the weaker and stronger believer belong to the Lord and must love each other.
II. Every Believer Will Be Judged by the Savior Up There (14:9–12).
A. The foundation of this judgment (14:9) : It is based on the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.
B. The forbearance in light of this judgment (14:10) : Don’t compound your problems up there by judging your brother down here.
C. The features of this judgment (14:11–12)
1. Every knee will bow (14:11a).
2. Every tongue will confess (14:11b).
3. Everyone will give an account to the Lord (14:12). [1]
New Bible Comt.
14:1–12 Rebuke of judgmental attitudes. Paul rebukes both the strong and the weak for their judgmental attitudes (1–3), reminding them that they have no right to stand in judgment over those whom God has accepted (4–12).
The person described in this context whose faith is weak (1–2) is not necessarily one who is immature or lacking in faith in Christ in an absolute sense. Rather he is one who does not believe that his Christian faith allows him to engage in some specific practice; one who is excessively scrupulous, or ‘delicate’. Nevertheless, ‘weak’ is somewhat pejorative, and it is obvious that this must have been the label given to this group by the strong. Coupled with the fact that Paul initially addresses the ‘strong’, this suggests that the ‘strong’ are the majority party, and the group that Paul has most in mind as he writes (cf. also 15:1). These believers are convinced that their faith allows them to eat everything, whereas the one whose faith is weak eats only vegetables (2). As v 6 indicates, the weak avoided eating meat, probably because, as Jewish Christians, they had fears about its contact with idolatry. Each group is to stop criticizing the other, recognizing that they are all fellow-servants of the same master, who alone has the right to judge them (4). It is ‘before’ his own master (tō idiō kyriō is probably a dative of reference), the Lord, that each believer stands or falls—i.e. perseveres or fails in faith (cf. 11:20, 22). And Paul is convinced that those whom God has accepted (3) will persevere, because it is the Lord himself who makes them stand (4).
Another issue dividing the weak from the strong was the observance of special religious days (5). Because of their Jewish background the weak were apparently continuing to observe Jewish feast days, including, probably, the Sabbath. The strong, on the other hand, saw no basis for treating one day differently from another. For Paul this is clearly another ‘disputable matter’ (1), and he therefore counsels toleration. Each believer should make up his or her own mind on these disputable matters and, whether participating or abstaining, do so ‘for the sake of the Lord’ (niv, to the Lord; tō kuriō is a dative of advantage; cf. also vs 7–8) and with thanks to God (6). For, as Paul reminds both groups, Christians are not autonomous: their liberty must be worked out in terms of service to the Lord who has died and returned to life for them (7–9). God—not other Christians—is the one to whom all Christians are responsibile and before whom we will have to answer for our behaviour. It is therefore wrong for us to stand in judgment over fellow-believers whose practices on disputable matters may disagree with ours (10–12).
Note. 11 Paul also quotes Is. 45:23 in Phil. 2:10–11. There, however, it is before the Lord Jesus that every knee bows, while here the ‘Lord’ before whom one bows is probably God. [2]
New Bible Comt. 14:1–4 Paul’s letters were not intended as abstract treatises on matters ethical and theological but pastoral notes addressed to real life situations in first-century churches. At Rome there were Jewish Christians who were reluctant to give up certain ceremonial aspects of their religious heritage. They were uncertain about how faith in Christ affected the status of Old Testament regulations. Others embraced the new freedom in Christ unencumbered by an overly sensitive regard for the past. Paul referred to the first group as “weak” (Rom 14:1) and the latter as “strong” (Rom 15:1). The terms are descriptive rather than judgmental, although as Stuhlmacher says, “the designation ‘weak in faith’ is based on the presupposition that strength of faith is the attitude which is really to be desired.”
The church at Rome was to welcome into its fellowship those Jewish believers who were finding it difficult to let go of their religious past, but not “for the purpose of passing judgment on their scruples” (TCNT). That would be an unworthy motive for bringing them into the fellowship. The church does not exist as a judiciary body to make pronouncements on issues that in the long run will prove to be of no real consequence. Those things are adiaphora, things that do not really matter.
Paul identified two classes of believers in Rome: the “strong,” whose faith allowed them to eat whatever they wanted, and the “weak” (the overscrupulous), who ate nothing but vegetables. The tendency of those who eat whatever they want is to look down on those who for reasons of conscience are unable to exercise the same freedom Freedom in such matters tends to create an attitude of superiority. It is tempting to hold up for ridicule those whose lifestyle is more restricted than one’s own. In the broad spectrum of Christianity those to the right are often caricatured as hopelessly fundamental. The problem is that one person’s “overly scrupulous neighbor” is another person’s “libertarian.” It all depends upon where you happen to stand along the spectrum. The Christian is not to despise or treat with contempt those who are still working through the relationship between their new faith in Christ and the psychological and emotional pressures of a previous orientation.
On the other hand, the person who does not eat everything must not sit in judgment upon the one who does (cf. Matt 7:1). A natural consequence of the more restricted perspective is to condemn those who are enjoying greater freedom What is wrong for me translates easily into what is wrong for everyone. But the fact that God has received them ought to temper one’s tendency to criticize. Since God has found room for them in the fellowship, any attempt on our part to exclude them will fail to meet with God’s approval. It is not up to us to judge the servant of another (cf. Jas 4:12). That prerogative belongs exclusively to that person’s own master. And that master is God. The strong as well as the weak will stand because the Lord is able to make them stand.
14:5–8 There was considerable diversity in the early church. Some believers regarded certain days as more sacred than others Old Testament law had declared that feast days were consecrated to God in a special way. The Sabbath, for instance, had its own set of regulations. Other believers, however, regarded all days alike. After all, all life belongs to God, and every day offers unique opportunities for worship and service. More important is that each person be fully persuaded in his own mind. What the other person does is a matter of that person’s conscience. Each believer must be convinced for himself or herself whether or not to regard some days as more sacred than others. Those who observe special days do it to honor the Lord (v. 6). Those who eat meat do it in honor of the Lord. They bless the Lord for the provisions he supplies. At the same time, those who abstain from eating meat also do it in honor of the Lord. They too give thanks to the Lord. There is no difference in their motivation. Both conduct themselves in such a way as to please their Master.
“None of us lives to himself alone” (v. 7) often has been understood in the sense of John Donne’s “No man is an island.” Paul’s statement, however, is not a sociological observation regarding the unity of the human race. What he was saying was that all believers live out their lives accountable to God. Decisions about such matters as special days and eating meat are not made in isolation but in accordance with the will of God as understood by the individual. Even in death believers maintain their relationship to God. To live means to honor the Lord. To die is no different. Whether we live or die we belong to the Lord (cf. 1 Thess 5:10). Since each believer belongs to God, it is out of place for any to question the decisions of another in matters not central to the faith.
14:9–12 “For this very reason” (v. 9) looks forward and is explained by the final clause of the verse. The purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection was “that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” His lordship is universal. His subjects are not merely those who are alive at the present time. All who have died previously are subject to his authority. Therefore he is the judge of all. Why then, asked Paul, do you weak believers (the abstainers) pass judgment on your brothers in Christ (those who do not abstain for the sake of conscience)? God is their judge, not you. And turning to the strong believers, Paul asked why they held the weaker Christians in contempt. It was wrong for them to look down on their fellow believers who were not as yet able to set aside the regulations that previously controlled their religious life. Each and every believer will stand before the judgment seat of God. Barclay writes, “We stand before God in the awful loneliness of our own souls; to him we can take nothing but the character which in life we have been building up.”
There is no room in the family of God for one group to pass judgment on another (v. 10). In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus settled the matter once and for all: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matt 7:1). This admonition, however, has often been misinterpreted to mean that we are not to disapprove of anything another person does. But how, then, would we be able to follow through on Jesus’ later instruction that “by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt 7:16)? It is harsh and censorious criticism that Jesus opposed, not insight conditioned and made possible by biblical truth.
Verse 10 states without equivocation that all believers will be judged. The judgment will not entail a decision regarding one’s salvation because according to John 5:24 the believer has already crossed over from death to life. Eternal life is a present possession (cf. 1 Cor 3:10–15). There will, however, be for every believer a judgment of the quality of his or her life. In 2 Cor 5:10 Paul said, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” This will be a judgment based on works (cf. Matt 16:27; Rom 2:6; Rev 22:12). In the long run the validity of faith is established by the quality of life it produces. What people do is the most accurate indicator of what they really believe.
Paul quoted Isa 45:23 in support of the validity of universal judgment (v. 11). Every knee will bow before God, and every tongue will acknowledge him as God. The same passage is quoted in Phil 2:6–11, where Christ’s elevation to honor comes as a result of his obedience to the messianic mission. Verse 12 serves as an emphatic summary of the previous paragraph. “Each of us then will have to answer for himself to God” (Moffatt). Since that is true, it is highly questionable, to say the least, for us to be involved in judging one another. Judging is a divine prerogative. To take up that role is to usurp the place of God himself.
Chapter 14
Men may not contemn nor condemn one another for things indifferent, 1—12; but take heed that they give no offence in them, 13,14; which the apostle proves unlawful by many reasons, 15—23.
1 weak. Job 4:3 Isa 35:3,4 40:11 42:3 Eze 34:4,16 Zec 11:16 Mt 12:20 14:31 18:6,10 Lu 17:2 1Co 3:1,2 8:7-13 9:22 receive. 15:7 Mt 10:40-42 18:5 Joh 13:20 Php 2:29 2Jo 1:10 3Jo 1:8-10 doubtful disputations. or, judge his doubtful thoughts. 2-5
2 that. 14 1Co 10:25 Ga 2:12 1Ti 4:4 Tit 1:15 Heb 9:10 13:9 another. 22,23 eateth. Ge 1:29 9:3 Pr 15:17 Da 1:12,16
3 despise. 10,15,21 Zec 4:10 Mt 18:10 Lu 18:9 1Co 8:11-13 judge. 13 Mt 7:1,2 9:14 11:18,19 1Co 10:29,30 Col 2:16,17 for. Ac 10:34,44 15:8,9
4 Who. 9:20 Ac 11:17 1Co 4:4,5 Jas 4:11,12 he shall. 3 11:23 16:25 De 33:27-29 Ps 17:5 37:17,24,28 119:116,117 Joh 10:28-30 Ro 8:31-39 Heb 7:25 1Pe 1:5 Jude 1:24 for. Isa 40:29
5 esteemeth. Ga 4:9,10 Col 2:16,17 Let. 14,23 1Co 8:7,11 persuaded. or, assured. 1Jo 3:19-21
6 regardeth. or, observeth. Ga 4:10 regardeth it. Ex 12:14,42 16:25 Isa 58:5 Zec 7:5,6 for. Mt 14:19 15:36 Joh 6:28 1Co 10:30,31 1Ti 4:3-5
7 9 1Co 6:19,20 2Co 5:15 Ga 2:19,20 Php 1:20-24 1Th 5:10 Tit 2:14 1Pe 4:2
8 we die unto. Joh 21:19 Ac 13:36 20:24 21:13 Php 2:17,30 1Th 5:10 we live therefore. 1Co 3:22,23 15:23 1Th 4:14-18 Re 14:13
9 Christ. Isa 53:10-12 Lu 24:26 2Co 5:14 Heb 12:2 1Pe 1:21 Re 1:18 Lord. Mt 28:18 Joh 5:22,23,27-29 Ac 10:36,42 Eph 1:20-23 Php 2:9-11 2Ti 4:1 1Pe 4:5
10 set. 3,4 Lu 23:11 Ac 4:11 for. 2:16 Ec 12:14 Mt 25:31,32 Joh 5:22 Ac 10:42 17:31 1Co 4:5 2Co 5:10 Jude 1:14,15 Re 20:11-15
11 As. Nu 14:21,28 Isa 49:18 Jer 22:24 Eze 5:11 Zep 2:9 every knee. Ps 72:11 Isa 45:22-25 Php 2:10 Re 5:14 confess. 10:9 15:9 Mt 10:32 1Jo 4:15 2Jo 1:7
12 Ec 11:9 Mt 12:36 18:23 *etc: Lu 16:2 Ga 6:5 1Pe 4:5 [3]
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 4:3 Think how you have instructed many,
how you have strengthened feeble hands.
Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
Isaiah 35:4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
Ezekiel 34:4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.
Ezekiel 34:16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
Zechariah 11:16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hoofs.
Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.
Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Matthew 18:6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.a
Luke 17:2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
1 Corinthians 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
1 Corinthians 8:7-13 7 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
Matthew 10:40-42 40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
Matthew 18:5 “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
John 13:20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
Philippians 2:29 Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,
2 John 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.
3 John 8-10 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth. 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
Romans 14:2-5 2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Romans 14:14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
1 Corinthians 10:25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
Galatians 2:12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.
1 Timothy 4:4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
Hebrews 9:10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.
Romans 14:22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
Romans 14:23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Genesis 1:29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
Genesis 9:3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
Proverbs 15:17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.
Daniel 1:12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Daniel 1:16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
Romans 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
Romans 14:15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
Zechariah 4:10 “Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
Luke 18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
1 Corinthians 8:11-13 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
Matthew 7:2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Matthew 9:14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Matthew 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
1 Corinthians 10:29 the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience?
1 Corinthians 10:30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
Colossians 2:17
17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Acts 10:34
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
Acts 10:44
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
Acts 15:8
8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
Acts 15:9
9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
Romans 9:20
20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”h
Acts 11:17
17 So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”
1 Corinthians 4:4
4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
1 Corinthians 4:5
5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
James 4:11
11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
James 4:12
12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
Romans 14:3
3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
Romans 11:23
23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Romans 16:25
25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,
Deuteronomy 33:27-29
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you,
saying, ‘Destroy him!’
28 So Israel will live in safety alone;
Jacob’s spring is secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.
29 Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the Lord?
He is your shield and helper
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will trample down their high places.f”
Psalm 17:5
5 My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
Psalm 37:17
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
Psalm 37:24
24 though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
Psalm 37:28
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
Psalm 119:116
116 Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.
Psalm 119:117
117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered;
I will always have regard for your decrees.
John 10:28-30
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than allc; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Romans 8:31-39
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”c
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,d neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in
Hebrews 7:25
25 Therefore he is able to save completelyc those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
1 Peter 1:5
5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
Jude 24
Doxology
24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—
Isaiah 40:29
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Galatians 4:9
9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
Galatians 4:10
10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
1 Corinthians 8:7
7 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.
1 Corinthians 8:11
11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.
1 John 3:19-21
19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God
Exodus 12:14
14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.
Exodus 12:42
42 Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.
Exodus 16:25
25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today.
Isaiah 58:5
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
Zechariah 7:5
5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?
Zechariah 7:6
6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?
Matthew 14:19
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
Matthew 15:36
36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.
John 6:28
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Timothy 4:3-5
3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
1 Corinthians 6:19
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
1 Corinthians 6:20
20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
2 Corinthians 5:15
15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Galatians 2:19
19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.
Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Philippians 1:20-24
20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
1 Thessalonians 5:10
10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
1 Peter 4:2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
John 21:19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Acts 13:36 “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.
Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Philippians 2:17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
Philippians 2:30 because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.
1 Corinthians 3:22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephasc or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,
1 Corinthians 3:23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
1 Corinthians 15:23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Isaiah 53:10-12
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makesf his
life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of lifeg and be satisfiedh;
by his knowledgei my righteous
servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,j
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,k
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Luke 24:26
26 Did not the Christb have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
2 Corinthians 5:14
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
Hebrews 12:2
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Peter 1:21
21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Revelation 1:18
18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Matthew 28:18
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
John 5:22
22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
John 5:23
23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
John 5:27-29
27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
Acts 10:36
36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Acts 10:42
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
Ephesians 1:20-23
20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
2 Timothy 4:1
4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
1 Peter 4:5
5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
Romans 14:4
4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Luke 23:11
11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.
Acts 4:11
11 He is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone.a’b
Romans 2:16
16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
Ecclesiastes 12:14
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Matthew 25:31
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
Matthew 25:32
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Acts 17:31
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
2 Corinthians 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Jude 14
14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones
Jude 15
15 to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Revelation 20:11-15
The Dead Are Judged
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Numbers 14:21
21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth,
Numbers 14:28
28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say:
Isaiah 49:18
18 Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your sons gather and come to you.
As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,
“you will wear them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.
Jeremiah 22:24
24 “As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachinc son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off.
Ezekiel 5:11
11 Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not look on you with pity or spare you.
Zephaniah 2:9
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,”
declares the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel,
“surely Moab will become like Sodom,
the Ammonites like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder them;
the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.”
Psalm 72:11
11 All kings will bow down to him
and all nations will serve him.
Isaiah 45:22-25
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are righteousness and strength.’”
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.
25 But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel
will be found righteous and will exult.
Philippians 2:10
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Revelation 5:14
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Romans 10:9
9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 15:9
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing hymns to your name.”e
Matthew 10:32
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
1 John 4:15
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
2 John 7
7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Ecclesiastes 11:9
9 Be happy, young man, while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you to judgment.
Matthew 12:36
36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
Matthew 18:23
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
Luke 16:2
2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
Galatians 6:5
5 for each one should carry his own load.
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[1]Willmington, H. L.: The Outline Bible. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 1999, S. Ro 14:12
cf. compare
niv New International Version
[2]Carson, D. A.: New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA : Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, S. Ro 14:1
TCNT Twentieth Century New Testament
Moffatt J. Moffatt, A New Translation of the Bible
[3] The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge : Five Hundred Thousand Scripture References and Parallel Passages. Oak Harbor : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Ro 14:1