Letters to the Churches

And him who is weak in the faith receive ye--not to determinations of reasonings;

one doth believe that he may eat all things--and he who is weak doth eat herbs;

let not him who is eating despise him who is not eating: and let not him who is not eating judge him who is eating, for God did receive him.

Thou--who art thou that art judging another's domestic? to his own master he doth stand or fall; and he shall be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

One doth judge one day above another, and another doth judge every day alike ; let each in his own mind be fully assured.

He who is regarding the day, to the Lord he doth regard it , and he who is not regarding the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it . He who is eating, to the Lord he doth eat, for he doth give thanks to God; and he who is not eating, to the Lord he doth not eat, and doth give thanks to God.

For none of us to himself doth live, and none to himself doth die;

for both, if we may live, to the Lord we live; if also we may die, to the Lord we die; both then if we may live, also if we may die, we are the Lord's;

for because of this Christ both died and rose again, and lived again, that both of dead and of living he may be Lord.

And thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or again, thou, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand at the tribunal of the Christ;

for it hath been written, `I live! saith the Lord--to Me bow shall every knee, and every tongue shall confess to God;'

so, then, each of us concerning himself shall give reckoning to God;

no longer, therefore, may we judge one another, but this judge ye rather, not to put a stumbling-stone before the brother, or an offence.

I have known, and am persuaded, in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself, except to him who is reckoning anything to be unclean--to that one it is unclean;

and if through victuals thy brother is grieved, no more dost thou walk according to love; do not with thy victuals destroy that one for whom Christ died.

Let not, then, your good be evil spoken of,

for the reign of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit;

for he who in these things is serving the Christ, is acceptable to God and approved of men.

So, then, the things of peace may we pursue, and the things of building up one another;

for the sake of victuals cast not down the work of God; all things, indeed, are pure, but evil is to the man who is eating through stumbling.

Right it is not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything in which thy brother doth stumble, or is made to fall, or is weak.

Thou hast faith! to thyself have it before God; happy is he who is not judging himself in what he doth approve,

and he who is making a difference, if he may eat, hath been condemned, because it is not of faith; and all that is not of faith is sin.

And we ought--we who are strong--to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves;

for let each one of us please the neighbour for good, unto edification,