Romans

Romans 14:15–21

¹⁵If 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.

¹⁶Do not allow what you consider good, then, to be spoken of as evil. ¹⁷For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

¹⁹So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification. ²⁰Do 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. ²¹It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.^d

Footnotes

d 14:21 SBL, BYZ, and TR include or to be hindered or weakened.

Read all of Romans 14

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Greek it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Romans 14:15

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
If	εἰ	ei	Conjunction	G1487 if
your	σου	sou	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular	G4771 you
brother	ἀδελφός	adelphos	Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular	G80 a brother
is distressed	λυπεῖται	lypeitai	Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular	G3076 I pain, grieve, vex
by	διὰ	dia	Preposition	G1223 through, on account of
you are no longer acting	περιπατεῖς	peripateis	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular	G4043 I walk, conduct my life
in	κατὰ	kata	Preposition	G2596 down from, against, according to, throughout, during
love	ἀγάπην	agapēn	Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular	G26 love
not	μὴ	mē	Adverb	G3361 not, lest
by	τῷ	tō	Article - Dative Neuter Singular	G3588 the
destroy	ἀπόλλυε	apollye	Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular	G622 I destroy, lose, am perishing
your	σου	sou	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular	G4771 you
for	ὑπὲρ	hyper	Preposition	G5228 in behalf of, above
whom	οὗ	hou	Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular	G3739 who, which, what, that
Christ	Χριστὸς	Christos	Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular	G5547 anointed, the Messiah, the Christ
died	ἀπέθανεν	apethanen	Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G599 I am dying, am about to die

Romans 14:16

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
not	Μὴ	Mē	Adverb	G3361 not, lest
what	τὸ	to	Article - Nominative Neuter Singular	G3588 the
you	ὑμῶν	hymōn	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural	G4771 you
good	ἀγαθόν	agathon	Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular	G18 good
then	οὖν	oun	Conjunction	G3767 therefore, then
to be spoken of as evil	βλασφημείσθω	blasphēmeisthō	Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular	G987 I speak evil against, blaspheme

Romans 14:17

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	γάρ	gar	Conjunction	G1063 for
the	ἡ	hē	Article - Nominative Feminine Singular	G3588 the
kingdom	βασιλεία	basileia	Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular	G932 kingship, sovereignty, authority, rule, kingdom
of God	Θεοῦ	Theou	Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular	G2316 God, a god
is	ἐστιν	estin	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G1510 I am, exist
not	οὐ	ou	Adverb	G3756 no, not
eating	βρῶσις	brōsis	Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular	G1035 eating, food, a meal, rust
and	καὶ	kai	Conjunction	G2532 and, even, also, namely
drinking	πόσις	posis	Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular	G4213 drink
but	ἀλλὰ	alla	Conjunction	G235 but, except
of righteousness	δικαιοσύνη	dikaiosynē	Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular	G1343 justice, justness, righteousness
peace	εἰρήνη	eirēnē	Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular	G1515 peace, peace of mind
and	καὶ	kai	Conjunction	G2532 and, even, also, namely
joy	χαρὰ	chara	Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular	G5479 joy, gladness
in	ἐν	en	Preposition	G1722 in, on, among
Holy	Ἁγίῳ	Hagiō	Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular	G40 set apart, holy, sacred
Spirit	Πνεύματι	Pneumati	Noun - Dative Neuter Singular	G4151 wind, breath, spirit

Romans 14:18

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	γὰρ	gar	Conjunction	G1063 for
whoever	ὁ	ho	Article - Nominative Masculine Singular	G3588 the
serves	δουλεύων	douleuōn	Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular	G1398 I am a slave, am subject to, obey
Christ	Χριστῷ	Christō	Noun - Dative Masculine Singular	G5547 anointed, the Messiah, the Christ
in	ἐν	en	Preposition	G1722 in, on, among
this way	τούτῳ	toutō	Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singular	G3778 this, he, she, it
pleasing	εὐάρεστος	euarestos	Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular	G2101 acceptable, well-pleasing
to God	Θεῷ	Theō	Noun - Dative Masculine Singular	G2316 God, a god
and	καὶ	kai	Conjunction	G2532 and, even, also, namely
approved	δόκιμος	dokimos	Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular	G1384 approved, acceptable
by men	ἀνθρώποις	anthrōpois	Noun - Dative Masculine Plural	G444 a man, one of the human race

Romans 14:19

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	Ἄρα	Ara	Conjunction	G686 then, therefore, since
then	οὖν	oun	Conjunction	G3767 therefore, then
let us pursue	διώκωμεν	diōkōmen	Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural	G1377 I pursue, persecute
what leads to	τὰ	ta	Article - Accusative Neuter Plural	G3588 the
peace	εἰρήνης	eirēnēs	Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular	G1515 peace, peace of mind
and	καὶ	kai	Conjunction	G2532 and, even, also, namely
to	τὰ	ta	Article - Accusative Neuter Plural	G3588 the
mutual	ἀλλήλους	allēlous	Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural	G240 one another
edification	οἰκοδομῆς	oikodomēs	Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular	G3619 the act of building, a building, edification

Romans 14:20

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
not	μὴ	mē	Adverb	G3361 not, lest
destroy	κατάλυε	katalye	Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular	G2647 I break up, overthrow, unharness, find a lodging
the	τὸ	to	Article - Accusative Neuter Singular	G3588 the
work	ἔργον	ergon	Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular	G2041 work, labor, action, deed
of God	Θεοῦ	Theou	Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular	G2316 God, a god
for the sake of	ἕνεκεν	heneken	Preposition	G1752 for the sake of, on account of, wherefore
food	βρώματος	brōmatos	Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular	G1033 food of any kind
All	πάντα	panta	Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural	G3956 all, the whole, every kind of
clean	καθαρά	kathara	Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural	G2513 clean, pure, unstained
but	ἀλλὰ	alla	Conjunction	G235 but, except
wrong	κακὸν	kakon	Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular	G2556 bad, evil
for a man	ἀνθρώπῳ	anthrōpō	Noun - Dative Masculine Singular	G444 a man, one of the human race
to let his eating be	ἐσθίοντι	esthionti	Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular	G2068 I eat
a stumbling block	προσκόμματος	proskommatos	Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular	G4348 a stumbling-block

Romans 14:21

English	Greek	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
better	καλὸν	kalon	Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular	G2570 beautiful, good, worthy
not	μὴ	mē	Adverb	G3361 not, lest
to eat	φαγεῖν	phagein	Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active	G5315 I eat
meat	κρέα	krea	Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural	G2907 flesh, kinds of flesh
drink	πιεῖν	piein	Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active	G4095 I drink, imbibe
wine	οἶνον	oinon	Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular	G3631 wine
your	σου	sou	Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular	G4771 you
brother	ἀδελφός	adelphos	Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular	G80 a brother
to stumble	προσκόπτει	proskoptei	Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular	G4350 I stumble