Romans 14:13

Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. LET US NOT THEREFORE JUDGE ('ASSUME THE OFFICE OF JUDGE OVER') ONE ANOTHER ANYMORE: BUT JUDGE THIS RATHER, THAT NO MAN PUT A STUMBLINGBLOCK, OR AN OCCASION TO FALL, IN HIS BROTHER'S WAY - a beautiful sort of play upon the word 'judge,' meaning, 'But let this be your judgment, not to put a stumblingblock,' etc....

7-13 Though some are weak, and others are strong, yet all must agree not to live to themselves. No one who has given up his name to Christ, is allowedly a self-seeker; that is against true Christianity. The business of our lives is not to please ourselves, but to please God. That is true Christianity, which makes Christ all in all. Though Christians are of different strength, capacities, and practices in lesser things, yet they are all the Lord's; all are looking and serving, and approving themselves to Christ. He is Lord of those that are living, to rule them; of those that are dead, to revive them, and raise them up. Christians should not judge or despise one another, because both the one and the other must shortly give an account. A believing regard to the judgment of the great day, would silence rash judgings. Let every man search his own heart and life; he that is strict in judging...

Verse Romans 14:13. _LET US NOT, THEREFORE, JUDGE ONE ANOTHER ANY MORE_] Let us abandon such rash conduct; it is dangerous, it is uncharitable: judgment belongs to the Lord, and he will _condemn_ those only who should _not_ be _acquitted_. _THAT NO MAN PUT A STUMBLING BLOCK_] Let both the converted _Jew_ and _Gentile_ consider that they should labour to promote each other's spiritual interests, and not be a means of hindering each other in their Christian course; or of causing them to abandon the Gospel, on _which_, and not on questions of _rites_ and _ceremonies_, the salvation of their soul depends....

LET US NOT THEREFORE JUDGE ... - Since we are to give account of ourselves at the same tribunal; since we must be there on the same “level,” let us not suppose that we have a right here to sit in judgment on our fellow-Christians. BUT JUDGE THIS RATHER - If disposed to “judge,” let us be employed in a better kind of judging; let us come “to a determination” not to injure the cause of Christ. This is an instance of the happy “turn” which the apostle would give to a discussion. Some people have an irresistible propensity to sit in judgment, to pronounce opinions. Let them make good use of that. It will be well to exercise it on what can do no injury, and which may turn to good account. Instead of forming a judgment about “others,” let the man form a determination about his own conduct. THAT NO MAN ... - A “stumbling-block” literally means anything laid in a man’

EXPOSITION ROMANS 14:1 F. _The duty of enlightened Christians towards weak brethren. _From moral duties in general of Christians towards each other and towards all the apostle now passes to such as they owe peculiarly to each other as members of a religious community, united by a common faith. He has already (Romans 12:16) admonished his readers to be "of the same mind one toward another;" but, as was remarked under that verse, this did not imply agreement of view on all subjects, such as is impossible where there are many minds. In this chapter he recognizes the impossibility, having immediately before him what was then patent, the inability of some, through prejudice or slowness of conception, to enter into views of the meaning of the gospel which to himself a

LET US NOT THEREFORE JUDGE ONE ANOTHER MORE,.... With respect to the observance or non-observance of the laws relating to meats and drinks, and days, and times; the apostle means, that they should not judge rashly, nor anything before the time; they should not censure and judge each other's characters and states, on account of these things, but leave all to the decisive day, to Christ the Judge, and to his bar, before which all must stand: BUT JUDGE THIS RATHER; or reckon this to be the most proper, fit, and advisable: THAT NO MAN PUT A STUMBLINGBLOCK OR OCCASION TO FALL IN HIS BROTHER'S WAY; as in the former part of the advice the apostle seems to have respect more especially to the weak brethren, who were ready to judge and condemn such as neglected the observance of the laws about meats and days, as transgressors, and as wicked persons, that ought not to be in the communion of the c...

CHAPTER 14 _ 1. Strong and Weak Brethren are the Lord's Servants. (Romans 14:1 .)_ 2. The True Way of Love. (Romans 14:13 .) Romans 14:1 The question concerning brethren who were weak in faith, how they are to be treated by those who are strong is now taken up. Those weak in the faith had not the complete knowledge of their position in Christ, though they knew Christ and loved Him. They did not realize that certain observances of days, or abstinences from meats and drinks, could not affect their salvation in any way. There were scruples and conscientious difficulties, as there are still among God's people. One believeth he may eat all things, he knew his full Christian freedom--another who i

CONSIDERATENESS INSTEAD OF CENSORIOUSNESS. Romans 14:13. Let us stop judging one another (_cf._ Matthew 7:1); but come rather to this judgment, not to lay a stumbling-block in a brother's way, etc. Romans 14:14. For himself, Paul stands firmly on the side of liberty: I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus as one obedient to Christ's authority and convinced by His teaching (see Mark 7:14; _cf._ Acts 10:9)that religious distinctions in food have no intrinsic ground....

RESPECT FOR SCRUPLES (Romans 14:1) _ 14:1 Welcome the man who is weak in the faith, but not with a view to passing judgment on his scruples._ In this chapter Paul is dealing with what may have been a temporary and local problem in the Roman Church, but is also one continually confronting the Church and always demanding solution. In the Church at Rome there were apparently two lines of thought. There were some who believed that in Christian liberty the old tabus were gone; they believed that the old food laws were now irrelevant; they believed that Christianity did not consist in the special observance of any one day or days. Paul makes it clear that this in fact is the standpoint of real Christian faith. On the other hand, there were those who were full of scruples; they believed that it was wrong to eat meat; they believed in the rigid observance of the Sabbath tyranny.

NOT... ANY MORE. no longer. Greek. _meketi._ App-105. THAT... PUT. not (App-105) to put. STUMBLINGBLOCK. See Romans 9:32. OCCASION TO FALL. Greek. _skandalon._ See Romans 9:33. IN, &C. Literally to the brother....