Romans 14:15

γὰρ. Romans 14:14 is a parenthetic admission and qualification, γὰρ refers back to Romans 14:13. The whole passage is curiously elliptic and interjectional.

διὰ βρῶμα. Owing to meat—that meat which you in your strength and freedom take, but he regards with scruples.

κατὰ�. Cf. Romans 8:4; 1 Corinthians 3:3 : love no longer rules your conduct, as of course it ought to do.

μὴ … ἀπόλλυε. Cf. 1 Corinthians 8:11 : the pres. act. of this verb occurs only here and John 12:25. Moulton, p. 114, includes this verb among those in which the prep. has the effect of ‘perfectivising’ the action of the verb. Here it must be the ‘linear perfective,’ i.e. describe the process which inevitably leads to the end. ‘Do not bring to ruin as there is danger of your doing.’ The point seems to be (as in 1 Cor. l.c[282]) that the example which encourages the weak brother to do what he feels to be wrong is destructive to him.

[282] l.c. locus citatus

ὑπὲρ οὗ Χρ. ἀπ. The strongest appeal to the Christian. You ruin him to save whom from ruin Christ died, 1 Cor. l.c[283]; cf. Matthew 18:6-7.

[283] l.c. locus citatus