Romans Chapter 14 Vs. 20

 

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. Rom 14:20

For meat destroy... What could be clearer than this—that meat itself does not destroy God’s work? See Col. 2:14-17; 1Tim. 4:1-6; 1Cor. 8:8-13; 10:23-31. It is the bickering over meats and doubtful things which destroys the soul and liberty in using them may also cause an ignorant man to apostatize (Rom. 14:13-15, 14:20-21; 1Cor. 8:7-13; 10:23-31).

All things indeed... All edible things are pure and lawful, but they become sinful to the man who eats with offense and with a defiled conscience. When erroneous, the conscience should be instructed, won over by proper knowledge and truth and not forced to do something contrary to its own knowledge and feelings regarding doubtful things (1Cor. 8:7-13; 10:23-31; 1Jhn. 1:7; 2Pet. 1:4-10; 3:18).

We touched on this earlier, but will just say again that if the man thinks it is sin to eat whatever this is, then it is indeed sin for him. He would be sinning against his own conscience.

that man who... Is speaking of the man who eats and gives offense. He is the one who uses his God given liberties carelessly and selfishly, offending his weaker brother.

To Paul food and one’s personal convictions about it were not so important as the spiritual health of a fellow Christian and the work of God. Therefore it is wrong to insist on one’s personal freedom in Christ concerning food (all food is clean; cf. Rom. 14:14, “no food is unclean”) and drink if it causes someone else to stumble (proskommatos, “a stumbling block”; cf. Rom. 14:13, 14:21).