Romans Chapter 14 Vs. 21

 

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Rom 14:21

It is good... It is better to deny self to personal pleasures than to cause brethren to apostatize (Mat. 18:6-10; 1Cor. 8:7-13; 10:23-31).

to eat flesh... All meat is now permitted to be eaten (Rom. 14:2, 14:14-17; Col. 2:14-17; 1Tim. 4:1-6).

to drink wine... The word "wine" is used of all kinds of drinks—even the grape juice when it is still in the cluster (Isa. 65:8). Hence, it does not always refer to intoxicating drinks. They should be left alone in view of the law against drunkenness (1Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; etc.).

nor any thing... Not only doubtful things that are mentioned, but any thing not listed which causes another to apostatize and be lost must be laid aside.

thy brother stumbleth... Greek: proskopto, to strike the foot against; to err from the truth (Jas. 5:19-20). Beat upon (until the thing is destroyed, Mat. 7:27); dash against (Mat. 4:6; Luke 4:11); stumble (John 11:9-10; Rom. 9:32; 14:21; 1Pet. 2:8).

or is offended... Greek: skandalizo, to offend. It is used generally in the New Testament of total apostasy from Christ (Mat. 5:29-30; 11:6; 13:21, 13:57; 15:12; 17:27; 18:6-9; 24:10; 26:31-33; Mark 4:17; 6:3; 9:42-47; 14:27-29; Luke 7:23; 17:2; John 6:61; 16:1; Rom. 14:21; 1Cor. 8:13; 2Cor. 11:29).

is made weak... Greek: astheneo, weak; strengthless; without power to distinguish sufficiently between right and wrong, good and evil, or lawful and unlawful. See, Phlp. 2:26.

We see here again, that whatever it takes to set a good example before our weaker brothers and sisters in Christ is what we should do. If they think it is sin to eat something, then in their presence we should not eat it either. Just because they would feel we were sinning and if they end up eating, we are causing them to sin.

Meat or drink or anything else should be put aside if it causes a brother to fall (proskoptei, “stumble”; cf. proskomma, in Rom. 14:13, 14:20). At times one’s Christian liberty must be relinquished for the sake of others. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Everything is permissible — but not everything is constructive” (1Cor. 10:23). And “be careful… that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (1Cor. 8:9).