Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Romans 14:20
For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed [are] pure; but [it is] evil for that man who eateth with offense.
20. destroy not ] Lit. loosen, dissolve, pull down. The word is used in contrast to the idea of building up in the previous words. Same word as e.g. Mat 26:61; Mat 27:40; Act 6:14; 2Co 5:1; Gal 2:18.
the work of God ] i.e. His building, the Church of His redeemed.
All things indeed are pure ] As regards eating or abstinence.
with offence ] Lit. by means of a stumbling-block; i.e. induced to do so by force of mere example, while his conscience is adverse or undecided.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For meat – By your obstinate, pertinacious attachment to your own opinions about the distinctions of meat and drinks, do not pursue such a course as to lead a brother into sin, and ruin his soul. Here is a new argument presented why Christians should pursue a course of charity – that the opposite would tend to the ruin of the brothers soul.
Destroy not – The word here is what properly is applied to pulling down an edifice; and the apostle continues the figure which he used in the previous verse. Do not pull down or destroy the temple which God is rearing.
The work of God – The work of God is what God does, and here especially refers to his work in rearing his church. The Christian is regarded specially as the work of God, as God renews his heart and makes him what he is. Hence, he is called Gods building 1Co 3:9, and his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph 2:10, and is denominated a new creature; 2Co 5:17. The meaning is, Do not so conduct yourself, in regard to the distinction of meats into clean and unclean, as to cause your brother to sin, and to impair or ruin the work of religion which God is carrying on in his soul. The expression does not refer to man as being the work of God, but to the piety of the Christian; to what God, by his Spirit, is producing in the heart of the believer.
All things are indeed pure – Compare Rom 14:14. This is a concession to those whom he was exhorting to peace. All things under the Christian dispensation are lawful to be eaten. The distinctions of the Levitical law are not binding on Christians.
But it is evil – Though pure in itself, yet it may become an occasion of sin, if another is grieved by it. It is evil to the man who pursues a course that will give offence to a brother; that will pain him, or tend to drive him off from the church, or lead him any way into sin.
With offence – So as to offend a brother, such as he esteems to be sin, and by which he will be grieved.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. For meat destroy not the work of God] Do not hinder the progress of the Gospel either in your own souls or in those of others, by contending about lawful or unlawful meats. And do not destroy the soul of thy Christian brother, Ro 14:15, by offending him so as to induce him to apostatize.
All things indeed are pure] This is a repetition of the sentiment delivered, Ro 14:14, in different words. Nothing that is proper for aliment is unlawful to be eaten; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence-the man who either eats contrary to his own conscience, or so as to grieve and stumble another, does an evil act; and however lawful the thing may be in itself, his conduct does not please God.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For meat destroy not the work of God: here you have a further argument against scandals: q.d. For so inconsiderable a matter as eating a little meat, or for the use of an indifferent thing, do not destroy the work of God. By
the work of God, some understand the soul of a brother; that is styled Gods work by way of eminency: it was one of the chiefest works of the creation, and made, as it were, with the consultation of the whole Trinity; the image of God, after a sort, was engraven therein: and if this be the sense, it is a repetition of the argument in Rom 14:15. But by
the work of God, in this place, other things may be understood; e.g. the unity and peace which God worketh amongst believers of different persuasions in in different things; or else the work of grace, or faith, which God hath wrought by his mighty power in the hearts of men: see Joh 6:29; 1Th 1:3.
The work of God, in either of these senses, may be disturbed or hindered by the abuse of Christian liberty; and he that scandalizeth his brother, goes about, as much as in him lieth, to dissolve and demolish that which hath God alone for its author and worker.
All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence: here you have a concession and an exception: he granteth, that all things are pure and clean; i.e. in themselves, or in their own nature; see Rom 14:14; 1Co 6:12; Tit 1:15; but then he addeth, that it is evil for, or to, that man who eateth with offence, or that offends another with his eating: it is not evil simply in itself, but accidentally, by reason of scandal.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. For“For the sake of”
meat destroy not the work ofGod(See on Ro 14:15).The apostle sees in whatever tends to violate a brother’s consciencethe incipient destruction of God’s work (for every convertedman is such)on the same principle as “he that hateth hisbrother is a murderer” (1Jo3:15).
All things indeed arepure“clean”; the ritual distinctions being at anend.
but it is evil to thatmanthere is criminality in the man
who eateth with offencethatis, so as to stumble a weak brother.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For meat destroy not the work of God,…. The Syriac reads it, “the works of God”; referring either to righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, of which the kingdom of God consists; or to the weak brother, who both as a creature, and as a new creature, is the workmanship of God; and to the good work of grace, the work of faith upon his soul, which is the work of God; or rather to his peace, and the peace of the church of Christ, which is both the will and work of God; peace is what he calls his people to, and what he himself is the author of; and may be destroyed, and sometimes is, by trifling things; whereas a true believer, though ever so weak, cannot be destroyed, nor the good work of God upon his soul be lost, nor any part of it; not the work of faith, which Christ prays for that it fail not, and is both the author and finisher of; but the work of peace and edification in particular persons, and in a church, may be destroyed, but it is pity it should, by so small a matter, so trivial a thing as meat, or the use of anything that is indifferent:
all things indeed are pure. The Ethiopic version adds, “to the pure”; to them that have pure consciences, sprinkled by the blood of Christ, and have no doubt or scruple about eating things indifferent; but this addition seems to be taken out of Tit 1:15; though it may serve to explain the sense, which is, that all sorts of food, without any distinction, may be eaten; there is nothing common or unclean, every creature in itself is good, and every Christian may lawfully eat thereof, with moderation and thankfulness. This is a concession which stands thus corrected and restrained,
but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. The Arabic version adds, “of his neighbour”; which is a good interpretation of the passage; for the apostle means not with offence to a man’s own conscience, though so to eat is an evil too, but with offence to a fellow Christian; it is not an evil in itself to eat, but when this circumstance of offending another thereby attends it; it is evil, though not in itself, yet in its consequences; it offends a weak brother, displeases Christ, who would not have one of his little ones offended, and brings a woe upon the person by whom the offence comes. The Ethiopic version reads, “who eats inordinately”; which to be sure is sinful, but is not the meaning here.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Overthrow not ( ). “Destroy not,” “do not loosen down” (carrying on the metaphor in , building).
The work of God ( ). The brother for whom Christ died, verse 15. Perhaps with a side-glance at Esau and his mess of pottage.
But it is evil ( ). Paul changes from the plural to the singular .
With offence ( ). “With a stumbling-block” as in verse 13. This use of (accompaniment) is common. So then it is addressed to the “strong” brother not to cause a stumbling-block by the way he eats and exercises his freedom.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Destroy [] . A different word from that In ver. 15. It means to loosen down, and is used of the destruction of buildings. Hence according with edification in ver. 19. See on Mr 13:2; Act 5:38.
Work of God. The christian brother, whose christian personality is God ‘s work. See 2Co 5:17; Eph 2:10; Jas 1:18.
With offense [ ] . Against his own conscientious scruple. Lit., through or amidst offense.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For meat destroy not the work of God,” (me heneken Bromatos katalue to ergon tou theou) “Do not, for the sake of meat, undo or tear down the work of God;” to do so is like the fable of the man who decreed no rat should ever be found in his field of corn –when he found one, he chased the rat while riding his horse until he killed the rat, but he had by then destroyed an acre of corn, 1Co 9:22-23.
2) “All things indeed are pure,” (panta men kathara) “All manner of things (are) indeed clean,” as they relate to the fulfilled law, as regards eating and drinking. To take this phrase, in isolation, and apply it to dress codes or sex relations between believers, whether married or unmarried is to pervert the Scriptures, Isa 8:20; Tit 1:15.
3) “But it is evil for that man,” (alla kakon to anthropa) “But they are morally and ethically bad, wrong, or evil, to the man,” It is wrong, a thing a person should not do if he doubts it is right or believes it to be wrong for him to eat the meat; It is bad-wrong to do anything against ones own conscience.
4) “Who eateth with offence,” (to dia proskommatos esthionti) “To the man eating through a stumblingblock,” or with, associated with offence, if he believes it to be wrong, yet goes on eating it, he weakens his own conscience and character, Rom 14:23; Act 24:16; 1Co 10:32; 2Co 6:3.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
20. All things are indeed pure, etc. By saying, that all things are pure, he makes a general declaration; and by adding, that it is evil for man to eat with offense, he makes an exception; as though he had said, — “Meat is indeed good, but to give offense is bad.” Now meat has been given to us, that we may eat it, provided love be observed: he then pollutes the use of pure meat, who by it violates love. Hence he concludes, that it is good to abstain from all things which tend to give offense to our brethren.
He mentions three things in order, to fall, to stumble, to be weakened: the meaning seems to be this, — “Let no cause of falling, no, nor of stumbling, no, nor of weakening, be given to the brethren.” For to be weakened is less than to stumble, and to stumble is less than to fall. He may be said to be weakened whose conscience wavers with doubt, — to stumble when the conscience is disturbed by some greater perplexity, and to fall when the individual is in a manner alienated from his attention to religion. (433)
(433) What is said here proves what is stated in a note on Rom 14:13; that is, that σκάνδαλον is a less evil than πρόσκομμα, only that the idea of stumbling, instead of hindrance or impediment, is given here to the former word. The Apostle still adopts, as it were, the ascending scale. He first mentions the most obvious effect, the actual fall, the extreme evil, and then the next to it, the obstacle in the way; and, in the third place, the weakening of the faith of the individual. The real order of the process is the reverse, — the weakening, then the impediment, and, lastly, the stumblingblock which occasions the fall. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) Destroy not.A different word from that employed in Rom. 14:15. It is the correlative and opposite of edify, and means to unbuild or pull down.
The work of God.The fabric which the grace of God has begun, and which the edification of Christians by each other may help to raise in the soul; the gradual formation of a truly Christian character, both spiritual and moral.
For that man who eateth with offence.It seems, on the whole, best (though the other view is taken) to refer the eating here to the strong in faith, and the offence to that which his eating causes to the weaker brethren. The force of the preposition is that his eating is attended with offence.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. The work of God The Christian who, however weak, is God’s building, and so must not be destroyed or demolished.
All pure Free alike from that impurity which Orientalism ascribes to all matter, (note on Act 8:9😉 from the old patriarchal and Mosaic distinction of certain things as unclean, and from any imaginary contamination from idols which are just nothing at all in the world.
It is evil Literally, evil to the man. Although all things are pure from evil in themselves, yet there is evil to the man who eats with damage to his brother.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Do not overthrow for meat’s sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who eats with offence. It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor (anything) in which your brother stumbles.’
In contrast to the building up of one another up by our loving concern for one another, is the possibility of throwing down the work of God (destroying the weak believer), and doing it simply over arguments about meat. For while all things are indeed ritually clean, they are nevertheless unclean to the one who believes them to be so (Rom 14:14), and thus to such a person partaking of them would be evil. It would be to sin against conscience. And as a result they would stumble. As Christians we should therefore be concerned to so live that we do not cause others to stumble.
Alternately by the one who commits evil by eating Paul may have in mind the strong believer, when as a result of it he causes offence (a means of stumbling) to weaker believers. The context may be seen as indicating that this is the more likely meaning. This thus results in the situation whereby the eating becomes an evil for such a person, not because it is wrong in itself, but because it demonstrates his lack of regard for others.
So the guiding principle to the Christian must be that he should not partake of things in the presence of ‘weaker brethren’, which would cause such a brother or sister to stumble. The ‘drinking of wine’, first drawn attention to in Rom 14:17, may well refer to abstention from wine on the basis that its source might be ritually unclean. This would again underline that Jewish concerns are in mind. But it may equally well have in mind that excess of wine drags men down (Eph 5:18; compare Pro 20:1).
The abstention from wine in the presence of others is a good principle to observe when we think of how, especially in this present generation, so many young people are dragged down by drink. If our example causes others to go astray we will not be able to defend ourselves by claiming ‘it was not our fault’, for we should have known perfectly well what our example could lead to. In days when much water in towns was impure (Ephesus was noted for the vileness of its water which caused many stomach problems), the drinking of mild wines was a necessity (1Ti 5:23), and it is questionable how far the forbidding of ‘wine and strong drink’ (Pro 20:1; Pro 31:4; Isa 5:11; Isa 28:7; note also Lev 10:9; Num 6:3; Jdg 13:4; etc.) was intended to exclude mild wines. But it not a question of nicety of argument. The point at issue is that we should abstain from all which, as a consequence of our example, might lead to the downfall of others.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Rom 14:20. The work of God That is, a Christian. See 1Co 9:1, Eph 2:10, Php 1:6. Destroying him here, and in Rom 14:15, is causing him to apostatize, or renounce the Christian faith. Some read, for the sake of meats, &c. and instead of pure,clean.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Rom 14:20 . Prohibition of the opposite of .
] pull down . Comp. 2Co 5:1 ; Gal 2:18 ; Mat 26:61 .
] here, according to the context, the building of God, by which, however, is represented not what is mentioned in Rom 14:17 (the . . ., so Fritzsche, Baumgarten-Crusius); nor yet the faith of one’s fellow-Christian (Theodoret, Reiche), or his eternal salvation (Chrysostom, Oecumenius, Theophylact); nor all blessings vouchsafed through Christ (Kllner, comp. Borger); but, according to Rom 14:15 , the Christian as such , in so far as his Christian life, his Christian personality , is God’s work (Rom 8:29-30 ; 2Co 5:17 ; Eph 2:10 ). Aptly Estius says: “fratrem, quem Deus fecit fidelem.” Accordingly, what was expressed in Rom 14:15 by , . , is here expressed by . ; but it is differently conceived and presented, in such a way that the brother is thought of there in his relation of redemption to Christ, here in his relation of spiritual origin to God. The importance of the latter conception is rightly pointed out by Calovius: “non levis est culpa, sed horribilis , opus Dei destruere.”
. . .] the same thought as in Rom 14:14 , repeated in order to enter further into the . “ All (all food) indeed is clean (not immoral to enjoy in and by itself), but it is sinful for the man who eats amidst offence ,” who nevertheless uses a food, although he experiences moral offence in the using it so that he thus against his conscience imitates the freer Christian. Comp. 1Co 8:9-10 . This reference of the ethical dative . . to the weak in faith (Chrysostom, Luther, Beza, Carpzov, Semler, and others, including Rckert, Kllner, Philippi, Tholuck, Hofmann) is confirmed by the parallel in Rom 14:13-14 , and admirably suits the connection, inasmuch as . . . unfolds the way and manner in which destruction may befall the work of God. Hence we must reject the explanation (Pelagius, Grotius, Bengel, and others, including Reiche, de Wette, Nielsen, Baumgarten-Crusius, Fritzsche, Reithmayr, Krehl, Umbreit, van Hengel) of the strong in faith , who acts wrongly in eating under offence given, i.e. although to the offence of the weak. For in that case we should have here no reference at all relevant to the of the . , but only the vague remark that it is wrong to eat to the offence of others.
] after ; see Vigerus, ed. Herm . p. 536; Hartung, Partikell . II. p. 403 f.; Baeumlein, p. 170.
] not hurtful (Rckert), nor yet bad in the sense of what is not good for him (Hofmann), but sinful , the ethical contrast of . The subject ( it ) is to be understood of itself from what precedes, namely , the pure in itself. Others supply (Reiche), (Grotius), (Rckert), (Fritzsche, Philippi). Hofmann also renders incorrectly, as though it ran, .
] as in Rom 2:27 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
Ver. 20. The work of God ] That work of faith, 1Th 1:3 , wrought by the mighty power of God, Eph 1:19 , who puts not forth great power but for great purposes.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
20. ] . has been variously understood: by Fritz. and Baumg.-Crusius, as = . , . : by Meyer and Krehl, as = the Christian status of the offended brother , so as to be parallel to Rom 14:15 ; by Theodoret and Reiche, as = the faith of thy fellow-Christian : by Morus, Rosenm., al., as = ., ‘ the spread of the Gospel .’ But I believe the expression having just preceded is the clue to the right meaning: and that = in the Apostle’s mind. He calls Christians in 1Co 3:9 , , . Thus it will mean, thy fellow-Christian, as a plant of God’s planting, a building of God’s raising . So, nearly, De Wette and Tholuck. All things indeed are pure, but (it is) evil to the man (‘there is criminality in the man;’ Meyer supplies , Grot. , Fritz. : but nothing need be supplied, any more than to ) who eats with offence (i.e. giving offence to his weak brother, as Theodoret, Calv., Beza, Grot., Estius, Bengel, Thol., De Wette, al. That this is the right interpretation is shewn by the sentence standing between two others both addressed to the strong who is in danger of offending the weak . But Chrys., Theophyl., c [123] , Meyer, al., take the sense of ‘ receiving offence,’ and understand it of the weak ).
[123] cumenius of Tricca in Thrace, Cent y . XI.?
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Rom 14:20 . Paul repeats the rule of Rom 14:15 . : the opposite of . See Mat 26:61 , Gal 2:18 . (1Co 3:9 ) what God has wrought, i.e. , the Christian Church (which is destroyed by such wanton conduct) or the Christian character and standing of an individual (which may be ruined in the same way). : this is the principle of the strong, which Paul concedes ( ); the difficulty is to get the enlightened to understand that an abstract principle can never be the rule of Christian conduct. The Christian, of course, admits the principle, but he must act from love. To know that all things are clean does not (as is often assumed) settle what the Christian has to do in any given case. It does not define his duty, but only makes clear his responsibility. Acknowledging that principle, and looking with love at other Christians, and the effect of any given line of conduct on them, he has to define his duty for himself. All meat is clean, but not all eating. On the contrary ( ), ; sin is involved in the case of the man who eats with offence. Some take this as a warning to the weak; but the whole tone of the passage, which is rather a warning to the strong, and the verse immediately following, which surely continues the meaning and is also addressed to the strong, decide against this. The man who eats with offence is therefore the man by whose eating another is made to stumble. For see Rom 2:27 , Winer, p. 475.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
destroy. Literally loosen down. Compare Rom 14:15, and see Act 5:38, Act 5:39.
work. Compare Eph 2:10.
pure = clean. Greek. katharos. Only here in Rom. Compare Tit 1:15.
evil. App-128.
offence = stumblingblock, as Rom 14:13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
20.] . has been variously understood: by Fritz. and Baumg.-Crusius, as = . , . : by Meyer and Krehl, as = the Christian status of the offended brother, so as to be parallel to Rom 14:15; by Theodoret and Reiche, as = the faith of thy fellow-Christian: by Morus, Rosenm., al., as = ., the spread of the Gospel. But I believe the expression having just preceded is the clue to the right meaning: and that = in the Apostles mind. He calls Christians in 1Co 3:9, , . Thus it will mean, thy fellow-Christian, as a plant of Gods planting, a building of Gods raising. So, nearly, De Wette and Tholuck. All things indeed are pure, but (it is) evil to the man (there is criminality in the man; Meyer supplies , Grot. , Fritz. : but nothing need be supplied, any more than to ) who eats with offence (i.e. giving offence to his weak brother, as Theodoret, Calv., Beza, Grot., Estius, Bengel, Thol., De Wette, al. That this is the right interpretation is shewn by the sentence standing between two others both addressed to the strong who is in danger of offending the weak. But Chrys., Theophyl., c[123], Meyer, al., take the sense of receiving offence, and understand it of the weak).
[123] cumenius of Tricca in Thrace, Centy. XI.?
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Rom 14:20. , do not destroy) The effects of even one sin may be distressing and important moreover, Rom 14:15.- , on account of meat) a very small matter.- , the work of God) a very great matter: the work, which God accomplishes within in the soul, by edification, and in the church by harmony [Faith is principally intended, Joh 6:29.-V. g.]-, evil) the word to eat [is evil], is to be supplied from what follows: He does not say , evils.- , with offence) so that another may be offended by his eating.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Rom 14:20
Rom 14:20
Overthrow not for meats sake the work of God.-Even if you with your superior knowledge could eat more offered to an idol without injury to yourself, do not eat it; forego your right rather than destroy the work of God in your weak brother. The same lesson is taught in the instructions given to the Corinthians: If one of them that believe not biddeth you to a feast, and ye are disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This hath been offered in sacrifice, eat not, for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake. (1Co 10:27-28). In this he shows that a man may eat things offered to an idol; but if one say it is offered to an idol, he must refrain from it for the sake of those who sit by. In some cases it is right for one man to regulate his conduct by the conscience of another-that is, for the conscience of the weak brother or the unbeliever who sits at meat with you. Do not eat, lest he be encouraged to eat in worship to an idol. He then adds: Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God: even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved. (1Co 10:31-33).
All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.-All things are pure to eat in themselves, but it is a sin for anyone so to eat as to lead others into sin, or cause them to stumble.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
For: Rom 14:15, Mat 18:6, 1Co 6:12, 1Co 6:13, 1Co 8:8, 1Co 8:13, 1Co 10:31
the work: Eph 2:10, Phi 1:6
All: Rom 14:14, Mat 15:11, Act 10:15, 1Ti 4:3-5, Tit 1:15
but: Rom 14:15, Rom 14:21, 1Co 8:9-12, 1Co 10:32, 1Co 10:33
Reciprocal: Gen 9:3 – even Lev 7:19 – General Num 32:15 – ye shall Eze 44:31 – General Mat 5:30 – offend Luk 17:1 – It is Act 15:29 – ye abstain 1Co 8:11 – shall 1Co 10:23 – things are lawful Phi 1:10 – without Col 2:16 – in meat 1Ti 4:4 – and
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
:20
Verse 20. For the sake of meat, do not destroy the work of the Lord. All things are pure, etc., is explained by the comments on verse 14.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rom 14:20. Do not for the sake of meat undo (or, pull down) the work of God. The verb pull down is in contrast with edification, upbuilding. Hence it is most natural to refer the work of God to the Christian brother (as in Rom 14:15), but here in his relation to God as the author of his spiritual life. (Other explanations: Christian faith, the extension of the kingdom of God, the fellowship of faith.) To abuse Christian liberty is to fight against God.
All things indeed are clean (comp. Rom 14:14); but it is evil for the man who eateth with (lit., through) offence. The exhortation is addressed to the strong brother, whose principle is admitted to be correct; but it does not follow that the man who eateth with offence is the freer Christian who gives offence by eating. This gives to the phrase through offence a very forced sense, it is rather the weak brother who is led by the example of the strong brother to eat against his own conscientious scruple. In such a case, according to the principle of Rom 14:14, it is evil to him. This is here urged upon the stronger brother as a motive, not to eat. This agrees best with what precedes, and is as accordant with the next verse as the other view.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
That is, for meat destroy not thou the work of God. Do not thou, for so inconsiderable a matter as eating is, endanger the Christianity of thy brother, or hazard the peace of the church, and cause any through scandal to fall off from their Christian profession. If any of you say, that all meats are clean, and therefore lawful; in answer, they are certainly so in themselves, but yet it is your sin if you use them to the scandal and offence of others, that are not satisfied in the lawfulness of them.” It is most certianly the duty of Christians to deny themselves the use of their Christian liberty in some things, when by making use of it they may endanger any of their brethren, by causing them to fall from their own stedfastness.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Vv. 20. The asyndeton between Rom 14:19-20 proves how acutely the apostle is alive to the responsibility of the strong: destroy the work of God! In Rom 14:14, where it was personal pain, wounding, which was referred to, the apostle spoke of making the brother himself perish. Here, where the occasioning of a scandal is the matter in question, he does not speak any more of the person, but of the work of God in the person.
It matters not that food is free from uncleanness in itself; it is no longer so as soon as man uses it against his conscience. Rckert has taken the word , evil, as the attribute of a verb understood: Eating becomes evil for the man who does it against his conscience. Meyer prefers to take from the preceding proposition the understood subject , what is clean in itself: Even the food which is clean of itself becomes evil when it is eaten thus. But it seems to me simpler to make the subject: There is evil (sin) for him who eateth in such circumstances. , in a state of scandal. On this use of the , comp. Rom 2:27. Is the reference to the strong man, who eats while occasioning scandal, or to the weak brother, who lets himself be drawn into eating by succumbing to the scandal? Evidently the second. Paul is not speaking here of the evil which the strong believer does to himself, but of that which he does to his brother carried away into sin.
We may be astonished to find the apostle regarding the salvation of the weak as compromised by this one trespass. But is not one voluntary sin interposing between Christ and the believer enough to disunite them, and if this sin is not blotted out, and the state is prolonged, to plunge him again in death?
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Overthrow not for meat’s sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Verse 20
All things indeed are pure; that is, there is really no moral contamination to be contracted from food.–With offence; under such circumstances as to occasion offence; that is, to distress or wound a Christian brother.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
"Christian history, alas, shows numerous examples of people utterly earnest about nonessentials, who have felt at liberty to break the unity of the Church for the sake of their particular fetish." [Note: Hunter, p. 121.]
Even though God permits the eating of all foods, for example, He does not sanction eating a food if a Christian causes spiritual problems for someone else by eating it. This destroys the work that God is doing in building His church.
"While freedom is a right, it is not a guide for conduct. Love serves that purpose. Rights are to be laid aside in the interest of love." [Note: Mounce, pp. 257-58.]