Romans 14:22

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Romans 14:22-23

Romans 14:22-23. Hast thou faith That these things are lawful? Have it to thyself, before God In circumstances like these keep it to thyself, and do not offend others by it. Happy is he that condemneth not himself For using his liberty in an undue manner, respecting those things which he practises, or judges lawful in themselves. Or, as others understand the apostle, that condemneth not himself by an improper use of even innocent things. And happy is he who is free from a doubting... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Romans 14:1-23

The use of Christian liberty (14:1-15:13)Although Christians are free from religious rules and regulations such as those found in Moses’ law, some have difficulty living with such freedom. Because their faith is not strong, they have their own laws which they feel bound to keep. Other Christians should accept such people warmly into their fellowship and not argue with them about personal opinions (14:1).Some of the Jewish Christians in the church in Rome had grown little in their faith and... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Romans 14:22

to = as concerning. App-104 . Compare rendering of kata in Ephesians 4:22 .Philippians 1:3 , Philippians 1:6 . Hebrews 9:9 . before = in the sight of. First occurance: Luke 1:6 . Happy . Greek. makarios. See Romans 4:7 , Romans 4:8 . condemneth = judgeth. As Romans 14:3 . thing . Omit. alloweth . Greek. dokimazo. See Romans 1:28 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Romans 14:22

The faith which thou hast, have to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he approveth.Have to thyself before God ... is a vindication of the strong in their possession of Christian liberty. They truly enjoy this liberty in God's presence and are not called upon to surrender it; but, of course, they must not flaunt it to the discomfiture and destruction of the weak. As Denny observed:Romans 14:22a is another exhortation to the strong and means that they are not... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Romans 14:22

Romans 14:22. Hast thou faith?— There is no necessity for reading the first clause interrogatively; and it seems more agreeable to the structure of the Greek;—Thou hast faith: as if he had said, "I own you have a right persuasion." Farther, there is an anadiplosis in the words εχεις and εχε: the first signifies simply have, the latter hold fast. "You have a right persuasion concerning your Christian liberty, and I advise you to hold your profession steadfastly,with respect to yourself in the... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Romans 14:22

22. Hast thou faith—on such matters? have it to thyself—within thine own breast before God—a most important clause. It is not mere sincerity, or a private opinion, of which the apostle speaks; it is conviction as to what is the truth and will of God. If thou hast formed this conviction in the sight of God, keep thyself in this frame before Him. Of course, this is not to be over-pressed, as if it were wrong to discuss such points at all with our weaker brethren. All that is here condemned is... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Romans 14:13-23

2. The evil of offending one another 14:13-23In the previous section Paul addressed both the "weak" and the "strong" Christians, but he spoke mainly about the weaker brother’s temptation to condemn the stronger believer. In this section he dealt more with the temptation that the stronger brother faces. Paul structured his argument in a chiasm. [Note: Moo, p. 850.] A Warning about stumbling blocks (13b) B Nothing is "unclean" in itself (14a) C Warning about destroying one for whom Christ died... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Romans 14:22

Paul evidently wrote this verse with the strong in view primarily (cf. Romans 14:23). He did not want his readers to force their convictions ("faith") about amoral practices on others. The strong believer can be happy in his private enjoyment of amoral practices because he knows that he is neither violating the will of God nor the conscience of a weak brother. read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 14:1-23

The Duty of Sympathy and TolerationIn chapter Romans 13:12 St. Paul urged his readers, by their expectation of Christ’s coming, to avoid the licence and immorality of the heathen. Now he turns to the opposite extreme, and deals with the ascetic scrupulousness of certain Christians.Under the Jewish Law there was a distinction between clean and unclean meats. This distinction, which perpetuated the separation between Jew and Gentile, Christ abolished (Mark 7:19 RV), as was afterwards revealed to... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Romans 14:22

(22) Hast thou faith?—It is with some reluctance that in deference to the union of the four best MSS. we give up the Received text here, and substitute (by the insertion of the relative) “The faith which thou hast, have to thyself before God,” i.e., reserve the exhibition of it to the privacy of your own direct communion with God, and do not display it ostentatiously in public where it may do harm. “It is indeed”—the Apostle continues—“a happy thing to have no self-condemnatory scruples of... read more

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