Romans 14:20

King James Version (KJV)

For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

For meat destroy not the work of God - Do not hinder the progress of the Gospel either in your own souls or in those of others, by contending about lawful or unlawful meats. And do not destroy the soul of thy Christian brother, Romans 14:15, by offending him so as to induce him to apostatize.

All things indeed are pure - This is a repetition of the sentiment delivered, Romans 14:14, in different words. Nothing that is proper for aliment is unlawful to be eaten; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense - the man who either eats contrary to his own conscience, or so as to grieve and stumble another, does an evil act; and however lawful the thing may be in itself, his conduct does not please God.

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

For meat - By your obstinate, pertinacious attachment to your own opinions about the distinctions of meat and drinks, do not pursue such a course as to lead a brother into sin, and ruin his soul. Here is a new argument presented why Christians should pursue a course of charity - that the opposite would tend to the ruin of the brother‘s soul.

Destroy not - The word here is what properly is applied to pulling down an edifice; and the apostle continues the figure which he used in the previous verse. Do not pull down or destroy the “temple” which God is rearing.

The work of God - The work of God is what God does, and here especially refers to his work in rearing “his church.” The “Christian” is regarded specially as the work of God, as God renews his heart and makes him what he is. Hence, he is called God‘s “building” 1 Corinthians 3:9, and his “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” Ephesians 2:10, and is denominated “a new creature;” 2 Corinthians 5:17. The meaning is, “Do not so conduct yourself, in regard to the distinction of meats into clean and unclean, as to cause your brother to sin, and to impair or ruin the work of religion which God is carrying on in his soul.” The expression does not refer to “man” as being the work of God, but to the “piety” of the Christian; to what God, by his Spirit, is producing in the heart of the believer.

All things are indeed pure - Compare Romans 14:14. This is a concession to those whom he was exhorting to peace. All things under the Christian dispensation are lawful to be eaten. The distinctions of the Levitical law are not binding on Christians.

But it is evil - Though pure in itself, yet it may become an occasion of sin, if another is grieved by it. It is evil to the man who pursues a course that will give offence to a brother; that will pain him, or tend to drive him off from the church, or lead him any way into sin.

With offence - So as to offend a brother, such as he esteems to be sin, and by which he will be grieved.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

Many wish for peace, and talk loudly for it, who do not follow the things that make for peace. Meekness, humility, self-denial, and love, make for peace. We cannot edify one another, while quarrelling and contending. Many, for meat and drink, destroy the work of God in themselves; nothing more destroys the soul than pampering and pleasing the flesh, and fulfilling the lusts of it; so others are hurt, by wilful offence given. Lawful things may be done unlawfully, by giving offence to brethren. This takes in all indifferent things, whereby a brother is drawn into sin or trouble; or has his graces, his comforts, or his resolutions weakened. Hast thou faith? It is meant of knowledge and clearness as to our Christian liberty. Enjoy the comfort of it, but do not trouble others by a wrong use of it. Nor may we act against a doubting conscience. How excellent are the blessings of Christ's kingdom, which consists not in outward rites and ceremonies, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost! How preferable is the service of God to all other services! and in serving him we are not called to live and die to ourselves, but unto Christ, whose we are, and whom we ought to serve.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

20. Meat. Gr. brÅÂma, food in general.

A wild olive tree. This may be understood as “a wild olive shoot” (see RSV). The figure fittingly represents the condition of the Gentiles, who had not been favored with the religious privileges of the Jews.

Wert graffed in. Rather, “were grafted in.” Paul is not speaking of a future possibility, but of something that had already happened in the experience of many Gentiles. The grafting of a branch from a wild tree into the stock of a cultivated tree is a process that is normally never performed. The common procedure is to graft a tame shoot onto a wild stock, such as, for example, the Persian or English walnut onto a black walnut stock, as is common in California. Paul expressly states in v. 24 that the grafting of the Gentiles into the stock of Israel is “contrary to nature.” The call and conversion of the Gentiles was contrary to Jewish expectation.

Destroy. Gr. kataluÅÂ, literally, “to loosen down.” The word is used to describe the pulling down of something that has been built up and thus carries on, by contrast, the figure begun by “edify,” literally, “build up,” in v. 19. For the sake of mere food Christians are not to fight against God by tearing down and destroying what He has built up.

Among them. This is the simplest rendering, meaning, “among the good branches.” Some, however, render the phrase “in their place” (see RSV), meaning, “in the place of the severed branches.”

The work of God. Compare 1 Cor. 3:9; Eph. 2:10.

Partakest. Literally, “became a sharer” (cf. Eph. 3:6). The Gentile Christians became sharers of God’s eternal plan of salvation.

Pure. See v. 14; cf. 1 Cor. 10:23.

Root and fatness. Important textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 10) for omitting the words “root and.” The meaning is not essentially altered by the omission of these words. Evidence may also be cited for the reading “the fat-dispensing root.”

With offence. This may refer either to the strong brother who, by taking advantage of his own liberty, offends his “weak” brother, or to the “weak” (v. 1) brother who, by the example of his strong brother, is emboldened to eat that which his conscience does not allow (see 1 Cor. 8:10). Most commentators seem to prefer the first interpretation. If this is correct, Paul is saying that “it is wrong for a man to be a stumbling block to others by what he eats.”

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Romans 14:20