The Weak and the Strong
1Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
5One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister14:10 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verses 13, 15 and 21.? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11It is written:
“ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ”14:11 Isaiah 45:23
12So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.
19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.14:23 Some manuscripts place 16:25-27 here; others after 15:33.
Msiwahukumu Wengine
114:1 1Kor 8:9-12; 9:22Mkaribisheni yeye ambaye imani yake ni dhaifu, lakini si kwa kugombana na kubishana juu ya mawazo yake. 214:2 Rum 14:14; 1Kor 10:25; 1Tim 4:4; Tit 1:15Mtu mmoja imani yake inamruhusu kula kila kitu, lakini mwingine ambaye imani yake ni dhaifu, hula mboga tu. 314:3 Lk 18:9; Kol 2:16Yeye alaye kila kitu asimdharau yeye asiyekula. Wala yeye asiyekula kila kitu asimhukumu yule alaye kila kitu, kwa maana Mungu amemkubali. 414:4 Mt 7:1; Yak 4:12Wewe ni nani hata umhukumu mtumishi wa mtu mwingine? Kwa bwana wake tu anasimama au kuanguka. Naye atasimama kwa sababu Bwana anaweza kumsimamisha.
514:5 Gal 4:10; Kol 2:16Mtu mmoja anaitukuza siku fulani kuwa ni bora kuliko nyingine, na mwingine anaona kuwa siku zote ni sawa. Basi kila mmoja awe na hakika na yale anayoamini. 614:6 Mt 14:19; 1Tim 4:3, 4Yeye anayehesabu siku moja kuwa takatifu kuliko nyingine, hufanya hivyo kwa kumheshimu Bwana. Naye alaye nyama hula kwa Bwana, kwa maana humshukuru Mungu, naye akataaye kula nyama hufanya hivyo kwa Bwana na humshukuru Mungu. 714:7 2Kor 5:15; Gal 2:20Kwa kuwa hakuna hata mmoja wetu anayeishi kwa ajili yake mwenyewe, wala hakuna hata mmoja wetu afaye kwa ajili yake mwenyewe. 814:8 Flp 1:20; Gal 2:20; 1The 5:10; Lk 20:38Kama tunaishi, tunaishi kwa Bwana, nasi pia tukifa tunakufa kwa Bwana. Kwa hiyo basi, kama tukiishi au kama tukifa, sisi ni mali ya Bwana.
914:9 Ufu 1:18; 2:8; Mdo 10:42; 2Kor 5:15Kwani kwa sababu hii hasa, Kristo alikufa na akawa hai tena kusudi apate kuwa Bwana wa wote, yaani, waliokufa na walio hai. 1014:10 2Kor 5:10; Mdo 17:31; Mt 25:31, 32; 7:1; 2Kor 5:10Basi kwa nini wewe wamhukumu ndugu yako? Au kwa nini wewe unamdharau ndugu yako? Kwa kuwa sote tutasimama mbele ya kiti cha Mungu cha hukumu. 1114:11 Isa 45:23; Flp 2:10, 11Kwa kuwa imeandikwa:
“ ‘Kama vile niishivyo,’ asema Bwana,
‘kila goti litapigwa mbele zangu,
na kila ulimi utakiri kwa Mungu.’ ”
1214:12 Mt 12:36; 1Pet 4:5Hivyo basi kila mmoja wetu atatoa habari zake mwenyewe kwa Mungu.
Usimfanye Ndugu Yako Ajikwae
1314:13 Mt 7:1; Rum 14:1; 2Kor 8:9, 13Kwa hiyo tusiendelee kuhukumiana: Badala yake mtu asiweke kamwe kikwazo au kizuizi katika njia ya ndugu mwingine. 1414:14 Mdo 10:15; 1Kor 8:7Ninajua tena nimehakikishiwa sana katika Bwana Yesu kwamba hakuna kitu chochote ambacho ni najisi kwa asili yake. Lakini kama mtu anakiona kitu kuwa ni najisi, basi kwake huyo kitu hicho ni najisi. 1514:15 Efe 5:2; 1Kor 8:7Kama ndugu yako anahuzunishwa kwa sababu ya kile unachokula, basi huenendi tena katika upendo. Usiruhusu kile unachokula kiwe sababu ya kumwangamiza ndugu yako ambaye Kristo alikufa kwa ajili yake. 1614:16 1Kor 10:30; Tit 2:5; Rum 12:17Usiruhusu kile ambacho unakiona kuwa chema kisemwe kuwa ni kiovu. 1714:17 1Kor 8:8; Gal 5:22Kwa maana Ufalme wa Mungu si kula na kunywa, bali ni haki, amani na furaha katika Roho Mtakatifu. 1814:18 Lk 2:52; Mdo 24:16Kwa sababu mtu yeyote anayemtumikia Kristo kwa jinsi hii, anampendeza Mungu na kukubaliwa na wanadamu.
1914:19 Za 34:14; 1Kor 7:15; Rum 15:2; Efe 4:12, 29Kwa hiyo na tufanye bidii kutafuta yale yaletayo amani na kujengana sisi kwa sisi. 2014:20 Rum 14:15; Mt 15:11; Mdo 10:15; Tit 1:15Usiiharibu kazi ya Mungu kwa ajili ya chakula. Hakika vyakula vyote ni safi, lakini ni kosa kula kitu chochote kinachomsababisha ndugu yako ajikwae. 2114:21 1Kor 8:13; Mt 15:29Ni afadhali kutokula nyama wala kunywa divai au kufanya jambo lingine lolote litakalomsababisha ndugu yako ajikwae.
2214:22 1Yn 3:21; Mt 15:29Je, wewe unayo imani? Ile imani uliyo nayo, uwe nayo nafsini mwako mbele za Mungu. Heri mtu yule asiye na sababu ya kujihukumu nafsi yake kwa ajili ya kile anachokifanya. 23Lakini kama mtu ana shaka kuhusu kile anachokula, amehukumiwa, kwa sababu hakula kwa imani. Kwa kuwa chochote kinachofanywa pasipo imani ni dhambi.
