Romans 13 - 14 — Legacy Standard Bible

Be Subject to Government

13Every ¹^,^aperson is to be in ^bsubjection to the governing authorities. For ^cthere is no authority except ²from God, and those which exist have been appointed by God. ²Therefore ¹whoever resists that authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. ³For ^arulers are not a cause of fear for ¹good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of that authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; ⁴for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a minister of God, an ^aavenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. ⁵Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of that wrath, but also because of ^aconscience. ⁶For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. ⁷^aRender to all what is due them: ^btax to whom tax is due; ^ccustom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

⁸Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for ^ahe who loves ¹his neighbor has fulfilled the law. ⁹For this, “^aYou shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, “^bYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰Love does not work evil against a neighbor; therefore ^alove is the fulfillment of the Law.

¹¹And do this, knowing the time, that it is ^aalready the hour for you to ^bawaken from sleep; for now ¹salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. ¹²^aThe night is almost gone, and ^bthe day is at hand. Therefore let us lay aside ^cthe deeds of darkness and put on ^dthe armor of light. ¹³Let us ^awalk properly as in the day, ^bnot in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. ¹⁴But ^aput on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh ^bin regard to its lusts.

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

14Now ^aaccept the one who is ^bweak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions. ²^aOne person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is ^bweak eats vegetables only. ³The one who eats must not ^aview the one who does not eat with contempt, and the one who does not eat must not ^bjudge the one who eats, for God ^caccepted him. ⁴^aWho are you to judge the ¹servant of another? To his own ²master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

⁵^aOne person judges one day above another, another judges every day alike. Each person must be ^bfully convinced in his own mind. ⁶He who regards the day, regards it for the Lord, and he who eats, eats for the Lord, for he ^agives thanks to God; and he who does not eat, for the Lord he does not eat and gives thanks to God. ⁷For not one of us ^alives for himself, and not one dies for himself; ⁸for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore ^awhether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end ^aChrist died and lived again, that He might be ^bLord both of the dead and of the living.

¹⁰But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you ^aview your brother with contempt? For ^bwe will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹For it is written, “^aAs I live, says the ¹Lord, ^bto Me every knee shall bow,And every tongue shall confess to God.”

¹²So then ^aeach one of us will give an account of himself to God.

¹³Therefore let us not ^ajudge one another anymore, but rather judge this—^bnot to put a stumbling block or offense before a brother. ¹⁴I know and am convinced ¹in the Lord Jesus that ^anothing is defiled in itself; but to him who ^bconsiders anything to be defiled, to him it is defiled. ¹⁵For if because of food your brother is grieved, you are no longer ^awalking according to love. ^bDo not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. ¹⁶Therefore ^ado not let what is for you a good thing be ¹slandered; ¹⁷for the kingdom of God ^ais not eating and drinking, but righteousness and ^bpeace and ^cjoy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸For he who in this way ^aserves Christ is ^bpleasing to God and approved by men. ¹⁹So then ¹let us ^apursue the things which make for peace and the ^bbuilding up of one another. ²⁰^aDo not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. ^bAll things indeed are clean, but ^cthey are evil for the man who eats ¹and gives offense. ²¹^aIt is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. ²²The faith which you have, have ¹as your own conviction before God. Blessed is he who ^adoes not judge himself in what he approves. ²³But ^ahe who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.