Romans 1414RomansLiving sacrifices: life togetherPlain English Version

Plain English VersionBerean Standard Bible

1. The Law of Liberty

   (Matthew 7:1–6; Luke 6:37–42)

2. 1ENGPEVThere are some Christians that are not sure if it is right or wrong for them to do some things. But don’t worry, let people like that be in your church, and don’t argue with them about whatever they think they have to do.BSBBSB: Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions.
3. 2ENGPEVIt’s like this, some people believe that God will let them eat all sorts of food, but other people are not so sure, so they only eat vegetables.BSBBSB: For one person has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats only vegetables.
4. 3ENGPEVPeople that eat all sorts of food can’t think that they are better than the others. And people that only eat vegetables can’t tell the other people that they are wrong. God is happy with both sorts of people, people that only eat vegetables and people that eat everything.BSBBSB: The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him.
5. 4ENGPEVSo you can’t tell anybody else that they are wrong. God is their boss, not you. Only God can say, “You are right,” or, “You are wrong.” And he can help them to keep on doing good.BSBBSB: Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
6. 5ENGPEVHere is another thing. Some people think like this, “Some days are special for God, and the other days are not.” Other people think, “Each day is the same as every other day.” Each of us has to make up our own mind about it.BSBBSB: One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
7. 6ENGPEVPeople that make one day special, they do that to give respect to God on that day. And people that eat all sorts of food, they do that to give respect to God. They say thank you to God for that food. And in the same way, people that don’t eat some sorts of food, they do that to give respect to God. They say thank you to God too.BSBBSB: He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
8. 7ENGPEVNone of us is our own boss. We belong to God, and he is our good boss all the time. He is our good boss while we are alive, and he is our good boss after we die.BSBBSB: For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone.
9. 9ENGPEVRemember that Jesus died and then came alive again. So now he is the good boss over people that are alive and also the boss over people that are dead.BSBBSB: For this reason Christ died and returned to life, that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10. 10ENGPEVSo then it is God, not you, that can tell other Christians that they are wrong. You can’t think that you are better than any other Christian. No. We’ve all got to stand in front of God one day. Then God will tell each of us the things that we did right and the things that we did wrong.BSBBSB: Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
11. 11ENGPEVWe can read this in God’s book, “God says that this will happen, for sure. Everybody will get down on their knees in front of him to give him respect. And everybody will say that God is really good. They will say that he is the only great God.”BSBBSB: It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.”
12. 12ENGPEVThat means that one day every one of us will have to face God and tell him all about everything that we ever did.BSBBSB: So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13. The Law of Love

    (Ezekiel 14:1–11; 1 Corinthians 8:1–13)

14. 13ENGPEVSo we have to stop being like judges. We have to stop telling each other, “You are wrong.” Instead of that, we have to make sure that we help other Christians, and make sure we don’t do anything that makes them go wrong.BSBBSB: Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
15. 14ENGPEVI know for sure that our leader, Jesus, said that it’s all right to eat any sort of food. But somebody might believe that it is wrong to eat some sort of food. Then it is wrong for that person to eat it, but not for anybody else.BSBBSB: I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
16. 15ENGPEVSometimes you might know that something is all right, so you think you will eat it. But if you know that another Christian will get upset when you eat it, then don’t eat it. Leave it. If you love other Christians, you will not do things that hurt them. Remember, Jesus Christ died for those people, so don’t eat that food. You know that it is all right to eat it, but leave it anyway. Then nobody will blame you.BSBBSB: If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.
17. 17ENGPEVWe belong to God. He doesn’t give us rules about the things that we can’t eat or drink, but he wants us to have his spirit in us so that we will do the things that are right, and we will always feel good and quiet inside ourselves, and we will always be happy. If we live like that as we work for Jesus Christ, then we make God happy. And other people are happy with us too.BSBBSB: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18. 19ENGPEVSo we have to do everything we can to help each other. We have to try to agree with each other and to help each other get strong.BSBBSB: So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
19. 20ENGPEVGod is bringing people into his family, but if you eat something that upsets another Christian, so that they go away, you will mess up God’s work. So don’t do that. You know that there is nothing wrong with the food itself, but it is wrong for you to make another person stop believing.BSBBSB: Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.
20. 21ENGPEVSo if another Christian will get upset and go wrong because you eat meat or drink wine, then don’t eat any meat, and don’t drink any wine.BSBBSB: It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.
21. 22ENGPEVIf you believe it is all right for you to do it, then just keep quiet about it. You know it is all right, and God knows it is all right, but don’t show it off in front of other people. Make up your mind about the right thing to do, and do it. Then you will be happy.BSBBSB: Keep your belief about such matters between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
22. 23ENGPEVBut if anyone is not sure if it is right or wrong for them to eat something, then they can’t eat it. If they don’t believe that it is all right to eat, and if they eat it anyway, then God will say that they do wrong. If we don’t believe that something is all right, then it is wrong for us to do it.BSBBSB: But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.

Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.