The Weak and the Strong
1Accept the person whose faith is weak. Don’t argue with them where you have differences of opinion. 2One person’s faith allows them to eat anything. But another person eats only vegetables because their faith is weak. 3The person who eats everything must not look down on the one who does not. And the one who doesn’t eat everything must not judge the person who does. That’s because God has accepted them. 4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? Whether they are faithful or not is their own master’s concern. And they will be faithful, because the Lord has the power to make them faithful.
5One person considers one day to be more holy than another. Another person thinks all days are the same. Each of them should be absolutely sure in their own mind. 6Whoever thinks that one day is special does so to honor the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to honor the Lord. They give thanks to God. And whoever doesn’t eat meat does so to honor the Lord. They also give thanks to God. 7We don’t live for ourselves only. And we don’t die for ourselves only. 8If we live, we live to honor the Lord. If we die, we die to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9Christ died and came back to life. He did this to become the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10Now then, who are you to judge your brother or sister? Why do you act like you’re better than they are? We will all stand in God’s courtroom to be judged. 11It is written,
“ ‘You can be sure that I live,’ says the Lord.
‘And you can be just as sure that everyone will kneel down in front of me.
Every tongue will have to tell the truth about God.’ ” (Isaiah 45:23)
12So we will all have to explain to God the things we have done.
13Let us stop judging one another. Instead, decide not to put anything in the way of a brother or sister. Don’t put anything in their way that would make them trip and fall. 14I am absolutely sure that nothing is “unclean” in itself. The Lord Jesus has convinced me of this. But someone may consider a thing to be “unclean.” If they do, it is “unclean” for them. 15Your brother or sister may be upset by what you eat. If they are, you are no longer acting as though you love them. So don’t destroy them by what you eat. Remember that Christ died for them. 16So suppose you know something is good. Then don’t let it be spoken of as if it were evil. 17God’s kingdom is not about eating or drinking. It is about doing what is right and having peace and joy. All this comes through the Holy Spirit. 18Those who serve Christ in this way are pleasing to God. They are pleasing to people too.
19So let us do all we can to live in peace. And let us work hard to build up one another. 20Don’t destroy the work of God because of food. All food is “clean.” But it’s wrong to eat anything that might cause problems for someone else’s faith. 21Don’t eat meat if it causes your brother or sister to sin. Don’t drink wine or do anything else that will make them sin.
22Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the person who doesn’t feel guilty for what they do. 23But whoever has doubts about what they eat is guilty if they eat. That’s because their eating is not based on faith. Everything that is not based on faith is sin.
Mummmu Atɛn
1Sɛ obi gyidi sua wɔ mo mu a munnye no; mo ne no nnnye nea nʼadwene kyerɛ no no ho akyinnye. 2Obi gyidi ma otumi di biribiara, nanso obi a ne gyidi sua no di afumduan nko ara. 3Ɛnsɛ sɛ nea odi biribiara no bu nea onni biribiara no animtiaa; saa ara nso na ɛnsɛ sɛ obi a odi afumduan nko ara no bu nea odi biribiara no atɛn; efisɛ Onyankopɔn agye no. 4Wo ne hena a wubu obi somfo atɛn? Ɛyɛ ɔno ankasa ne wura na ɔbɛka se wadi nkonim anaasɛ wadi nkogu. Na obedi nkonim, efisɛ Awurade betumi ama wadi nkonim.
5Obi dwene sɛ da bi wɔ hɔ a ɛho hia sen nna a aka no. Saa ara nso na onipa afoforo nso dwene sɛ nna nyinaa yɛ pɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn mu biara si nʼadwene pi. 6Obiara a obebu da bi kɛse no yɛ saa de hyɛ Awurade anuonyam; obiara a ɔwe nam no we wɔ Awurade din mu, efisɛ ɔda Onyankopɔn ase; saa ara na wɔn a wɔnwe nso yɛ wɔ Awurade din mu de da Onyankopɔn ase. 7Yɛn mu biara nte ase mma ne nko ara ho na obiara nwu mma ne nko ara ho; 8sɛ yɛte ase a, yɛte ase ma Awurade; na sɛ yewu a, yewu ma Awurade. Enti, sɛ yɛte ase o, yewu o, yɛyɛ Awurade de. 9Na eyi nti na Kristo wui, na ɔsɔree, na onyaa nkwa, sɛ ɔbɛyɛ awufo ne ateasefo wura.
10Na wo, afei, adɛn nti na wubu wo nua atɛn? Na wo, adɛn nti na wubu wo nua animtiaa? Yɛn nyinaa begyina Onyankopɔn anim ama wabu yɛn atɛn. 11Efisɛ Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se,
“Awurade ka se, mete ase yi,
obiara bebu nkotodwe wɔ mʼanim;
na obiara bɛpae mu aka se, mene Onyankopɔn.”
12Yɛn mu biara bebu ne ho akontaa akyerɛ Onyankopɔn.
13Ɛno nti momma yennyae yɛn ho yɛn ho atemmu. Mmom, nea ɛsɛ sɛ modwene ne sɛ monnyɛ biribiara a ɛbɛma mo nua akɔ bɔne mu. 14Ahotoso a mewɔ wɔ mʼAwurade Yesu mu no ma mihu sɛ biribiara nni hɔ a ɛho ntew. Na sɛ obi gye di sɛ biribiara ho ntew a na saa onipa no na ɛho ntew mma no. 15Sɛ biribiara a wudi haw wo nua a, ɛno de na wonte hɔ ɔdɔ mu. Mma aduan a wudi no nsɛe onipa a ne nti Kristo wui no. 16Mma ade a wubu sɛ eye no nnye din bɔne. 17Efisɛ Onyankopɔn Ahenni no nyɛ adidi ne ɔnom na mmom ɛyɛ trenee, asomdwoe ne ahosɛpɛw a ɛwɔ Honhom Kronkron mu. 18Obiara a ɔsom Kristo wɔ saa ɔkwan yi so no, Onyankopɔn agye no ato mu, na nnipa bu no.
19Ɛno nti ɛsɛ sɛ yetumi tena asomdwoe mu, na yɛboaboa yɛn ho yɛn ho ma obiara nya gyidi a emu yɛ den. 20Nnyina aduan so nsɛe nea Onyankopɔn ayɛ. Aduan biara yɛ aduan, nanso sɛ wudi aduan a ɛde ɔfoforo bɛkɔ bɔne mu a ɛyɛ bɔne. 21Ade trenee a ɛsɛ sɛ woyɛ ne sɛ wonwe nam, nnom nsa anaasɛ wonyɛ biribi a ɛbɛto wo nua hintidua.
22Nea wugye di wɔ saa asɛm yi ho no, ma ɛnka wo ne Onyankopɔn ntam. Nhyira ne nea ɔyɛ nʼapɛde a ɔnte nka sɛ wɔabu no atɛn. 23Na sɛ ne tirim nteɛ no wɔ nea odi ho na sɛ odi a, Onyankopɔn bu no atɛn, efisɛ nea ɔyɛ no mfi gyidi mu. Biribiara a emfi gyidi mu no nso yɛ bɔne.
