Paraphrase of the Book of Romans
by E.H. “Jack” Sequeira
Chapter 14Christian Relationships
1 When a fellow believer is
overscrupulous and therefore weak in faith, please do not
question his or her conversion. But accept that person as a
Christian. 2 For we all come from
different backgrounds [such as Jewish or Gentile] and,
therefore, do not think alike when it comes to the Christian
walk. For example, one believer may feel it is all right to
eat anything while another, whose beliefs are somewhat
less-informed, will eat only vegetables.
3 The Christian who feels he can
eat anything must not look down on the one who doesn’t
feel that way. Likewise, the one who won’t eat certain
things must not condemn the believer who does. After all,
both believers are equally accepted in God’s sight.
Judging One Another
4 When it comes to non-fundamentals,
no Christian has the right to pass judgment on the views of another
Christian, just as one person cannot pass judgment on another
man’s servant. After all, each servant is answerable to his
own boss and it is the master who decides what is acceptable or
unacceptable behavior from his servant. As Christians, Christ
is our Lord and Master and each believer is accountable to Him.
5 For instance, a Christian of Jewish
background may be particular about observing the feast days of the
Old Testament while another, being a Gentile, makes no distinction
between feast days and other days. Each believer must honestly
decide what is right in these gray areas of Christian living.
6 The Jewish believer who feels
he must continue to observe the feast days, does it out of a deep
commitment to God. Similarly, the Gentile believer who feels that
feast days are no longer valid does so out of a sincere conviction
that the Lord no longer requires believers to keep them. Both are
honest in their convictions, but neither must impose their views
on the other. The same applies when it comes to eating; while
believers may disagree as to what can be eaten, nevertheless,
each believer is to eat to please the Lord. 7
For to be a true Christian means denying self and living a life
well-pleasing to God in all matters [1 Cor. 10:31-33].
8 Genuine Christianity requires
each believer to submit oneself to the formula of the Gospel,
“Not I, but Christ” [Gal. 2:20]. And this, even
if it means laying down our lives in the process. In other words,
whether we live or die, a true Christian is completely committed
to the will of God. 9 The cross of
Christ demands such an attitude, since Christ redeemed us by His
death and resurrection so that we may totally belong to Him in
life and in death.
10 In view of this, Christians
do not have the prerogative of judging each other. That right
belongs to God alone and we shall all stand before His judgment
seat, each to give an account of oneself. 11
This is how God, in the Old Testament, put it: “As the
sovereign Lord I will judge every person according to the truth
he or she is convicted of. And ultimately all will confess that
I the Lord was just and fair in all my dealings” [Isa.
45:23].12 With this in mind,
let us all live conscious of the fact that one day each will
have to give a personal account to God.
Living for One Another
13 Consequently, let us no
longer keep judging one another’s performance, but rather
let us make sure our own behavior in no way becomes a hindrance
to another believer’s spiritual progress or, still worse,
a means of causing the spiritual downfall of a fellow Christian.
14 I know and am convinced of
Christ, that there is no merit in what we eat or drink, but to
the one who is convicted that eating ccrtain foods brings
dishonor to the Lord, let him abstain.
15 Further, if eating particular
foods offends your fellow believer, out of true Christian love,
do not indulge in that food, especially if it affects his faith.
16 In other words, do not let
questionable foods become a means of contention in the church.
17 After all, God’s kingdom
is not primarily concerned about foods but righteousness,
peace, and rejoicing in the Holy Spirit. 18 Keep these objectives uppermost in
your minds and you will be living truly Christian lives, not
only pleasing to God but also to your fellow believers.
19 Let us, therefore, direct
our lives in such a way that it will bring peace and harmony
in the church and spiritual growth among the believers. 20 For issues on ritual foods are really
a personal thing and must not affcct your relationship with
one another or the cause of God. Therefore, let each
Christian eat with a pure conscience before God. 21 What I am saying is, it is not good
to eat meat or drink drinks that will cause, in any way, your
fellow believer to either stumble in the Christian walk, be
offended, or weaken in faith.
22 Do you claim to have
genuine faith, which works by love? [Gal. 5:6] Then
show it by your Christ-like behavior. For happy is the person
that is living a life free of guilt. 23
For when a Christian’s conscience feels guilty before
God in whatever is eaten or done, such a believer is
obviously doing something inconsistent with the principle
of faith, in which case it is right to feel guilty. For
anything that is done out of harmony with faith is actually
committing sin.