Romans 14:14-18
- Novi et persuasus sum in Domino Iesu,
nihil commune per se esse; nisi qui existimat
aliquid esse commune, ei commune est. - I know, and am persuaded by the Lord
Jesus,^426 that there is nothing unclean of itself:
but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean,
to him it is unclean. - Verum si propter cibum frater tuus
contristatur, jam non secundum charitatem - But if thy brother be grieved with thy
meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy
not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. ambulas; ne cibo tuo ilium perdas, pro quo
Christus mortuus est. - Ne vestrum igitur bonum hominum
maledicentiae sit obnoxium: - Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
- Non enim est regnum Dei esca et potus;
sed justitia, et pax, et gaudium in Spiritu sancto. - For the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in
the Holy Ghost. - Qui enim servit per haec Christo, acceptus
est Deo, et probatus hominibus. - For he that in these things serveth Christ
is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
14.I know, etc. To anticipate their objection, who made such progress in the gospel of Christ
as to make no distinction between meats, he first shows what must be thought of meats when viewed
in themselves; and then he subjoins how sin is committed in the use of them. He then declares, that
no meat is impure to a right and pure conscience, and that there is no hindrance to a pure use of
meats, except ignorance and infirmity; for when any imagines an impurity in them, he is not at
liberty to use them. But he afterwards adds, that we are not only to regard meats themselves, but
also the brethren before whom we eat: for we ought not to view the use of God’s bounty with so
much indifference as to disregard love. His words then have the same meaning as though he had
said, — “I know that all meats are clean, and therefore I leave to thee the free use of them; I allow
thy conscience to be freed from all scruples: in short, I do not simply restrain thee from meats; but
laying aside all regard for them, I still wish thee not to neglect thy neighbor.”
By the word common, in this place, he means unclean, and what is taken indiscriminately by
the ungodly; and it is opposed to those things which had been especially set apart for the use of the
faithful people. He says that he knew, and was fully convinced, that all meats are pure, in order to
remove all doubts. He adds, in the Lord Jesus; for by his favor and grace it is, that all the creatures
which were accursed in Adam, are blessed to us by the Lord.^427 He intended, however, at the same
put a stumblingblock in the way of the weak brother; nor was the weak, by condemning, to be a hindrance or impediment in the
way of the strong so as to prevent him to advance in his course. Thus we see that forbearance is enjoined on both parties, though
the Apostle afterwards dwells more on what the strong was to do.
The clause might be thus rendered, —
“But rather judge it right to do this, —
not to lay before a brother a stumbling-stone, or an impediment.” — Ed.(^426) “At the very time of giving forth the sentence, and on the highest of all authority, that there was nothing unclean of itself,
he yet leaves others at liberty to esteem anything unclean. We are not sure if anywhere else in Scripture, the divine authority of
toleration is so clearly manifested.” — Chalmers
(^427) To elicit this meaning, which is in itself true, Calvin must have construed the sentence thus, “I know, and I am persuaded,
that through the Lord Jesus nothing is of itself unclean:” but this is not the meaning. What the Apostle says is, that he knew, and