(Old Testament quotations/allusions are underlined. [Brackets] indicate a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)
The weaker brother
(Parallel teachings: 1 Corinthians 8–10; Colossians 2:16–23)
(Thematic parallels: Mark 7:1–23; Acts 10:9–16)
- 1 And welcome the man who’s weak in faith, but not for judging his unsettled opinions.fn“unsettled opinions” is one word in Greek. It refers to inward deliberation/reasoning about a matter, often with the added nuance of anxiety, confusion, or uncertainty about the matter. In this context, it likely refers to an opinion that is weak (loosely held), or one that he feels uneasy or anxious about.
- 2 Indeed, a man who believes is able to eat all things, but the man who’s weak eats only vegetables.
- 3 Let the man eating not disdain the man not eating, and let the man not eating not judge the man eating, for God welcomed him.
- 4 Who are you to judge the household servant of another? He stands or falls according to his own master, but he will stand, for [the Lord]fn“the Lord”, the majority of later manuscripts say “God” here, while the earliest manuscripts say “the Lord”. is able to make him stand.
- 5 For indeed, one man esteems one day above another day, but another man esteems every day the same. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind.
- 6 The man observing the day observes it for the Lord. [And the man not observing the day does not observe it for the Lord.] The man eating eats for the Lord, for he thanks God. And the man not eating doesn’t eat for the Lord, and he thanks God.
- 7 For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself.
- 8 Forfn“For” is literally “For both” or “For whether” if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
- 9 For the Anointed died [and rose,]fn“and rose” many late manuscripts include this variant. and lived again for this purpose: so that He might rule over both the dead and the living.
- 10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also disdain your brother? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of [God].fn“God”, many manuscripts say “the Anointed” here instead.
- 11 For it’s *written:
- “As I live, says the Lord,
- every knee will bow to Me,
- and every tongue will confessfn“confess” this Greek word generally means “to confess openly” or “acknowledge”, and could indicate several things in this context. (1) The only other use of this quotation is Philippians 2:11, where they confess/acknowledge that “Jesus the Anointed is Lord”, so that could be the confession/acknowledgment. (See footnote on that verse.) (2) It could be a profession of allegiance and/or commitment. (3) It could indicate “praise” (e.g. Romans 15:9). This is the dominant usage for this word with this construction in the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek). to God.”fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 45:23. (also quoted/alluded to by Phil 2:10-11) Note: the opening oath formula is often used in the prophets, e.g. Isaiah 49:18.
- 12 So then, each of us will give an account concerning himself [to God].
- 13 Therefore, we should no longer judge one another, but rather resolve this: not to put a stumbling block or bait that ensnaresfn“bait that ensnares” is a single word in the Greek. It specifically refers to a “bait stick”, meaning the trigger stick of a trap or snare to which the bait is attached. Think of the part of a mouse trap to which you affix the cheese. On reaching for the bait, the “bait stick” triggers the trap and ensnares the unsuspecting victim. It can also refer to offending someone or to someone stumbling. before your brother.
- 14 I *know and have been convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in and of itself, except to the man considering something to be unclean; to that man, it’s unclean.
- 15 For if your brother is grieved because of food, you no longer walk in accordance with ^love. Don’t utterly ruin with your food that man for whose sake the Anointed died.
- 16 Therefore, don’t let your good be slandered.
- 17 For the kingdom of God isn’t eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
- 18 For the man serving the Anointed in this is pleasing to God and approved by men.
- 19 So then, we should pursue the things of peace, and the things for building up one another.
- 20 Don’t demolish the work of God for the sake of food. All things are indeed clean, but they are evil to the man who’s eating through a stumbling block.
- 21 It’s good not to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything by which your brother stumbles, [or is ensnared, or is weak].
- 22 The faith that you have, have it by yourself in the sight of God. Blessed is the man not condemning himself in what he approves.
- 23 But if the man doubting eats, he is *condemned because it’s not from faith, and everything that’s not from faith is sin.
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