Romans 14:3 · Bible study
Romans 14:3 Commentary: Contempt, Judgment, and God's Welcome
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How should strong and weak believers treat each other? Romans 14:3 calls both sides to stop despising and judging, for God has received each one.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Neither the strong (who eat freely) nor the weak (who abstain) should despise or condemn the other, since God has already welcomed both.
- Key words: ἐξουθενείτω (despise, set at nought) and κρινέτω (judge, condemn), each chosen for the particular sin of each party. προσελάβετο (aorist, ‘received’ at conversion).
- Main debate: Identity of the ‘weak’, Jewish Christians still observing dietary laws, or any believer with scruples about meat offered to idols.
- Theological theme: Christian unity is grounded in God’s reception of believers, not in agreement on non-essentials.
- Best use: A guide for navigating disputable matters with humility, forbearance, and mutual respect.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Don’t let him who eats despise him who doesn’t eat. Don’t let him who doesn’t eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him.
KJV King James Version 1769
Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Let not him that eateth set at nought him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
let not him who is eating despise him who is not eating: and let not him who is not eating judge him who is eating, for God did receive him.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Let not him that eats make little of him that eats not; and let not him that eats not judge him that eats: for God has received him.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not: and he that eateth not, let him not judge him that eateth. For God hath taken him to him.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El que come, no menosprecie al que no come: y el que no come, no juzgue al que come; porque Dios le ha levantado.
O que come não despreze o que não come, e o que não come não julgue o que come, porque Deus o aceitou.
Que celui qui mange ne méprise point celui qui ne mange pas, et que celui qui ne mange pas ne juge point celui qui mange, car Dieu l’ a accueilli.
Welcher ißt, der verachte den nicht, der da nicht ißt; und welcher nicht ißt, der richte den nicht, der da ißt; denn Gott hat ihn aufgenommen.
Die daar eet, verachte hem niet, die niet eet; en die niet eet, oordele hem niet, die daar eet; want God heeft hem aangenomen.
Colui che mangia di tutto, non sprezzi colui che non mangia di tutto; e colui che non mangia di tutto, non giudichi colui che mangia di tutto: perché Dio l’ha accolto.
Ten, który je, niech lekce nie waży tego, który nie je; a który nie je, niech nie potępia tego, który je; albowiem go Bóg przyjął.
Кто ест, не уничижай того, кто не ест; и кто не ест, не осуждай того, кто ест, потому что Бог принял его.
吃的人 不可 輕看 不 吃的人； 不 吃的人 不可 論斷 吃的人；因為 神 已經收納 他了。
Let not him who takes food have a low opinion of him who does not: and let not him who does not take food be a judge of him who does; for he has God's approval.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 14:3
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse targets two distinct but related sins, contempt by the strong and judgment by the weak, and grounds mutual acceptance in God's prior welcome. Adam Clarke identifies the eater as a Gentile Christian and the non-eater as a Jewish Christian, though other writers see a broader category of 'strong' and 'weak' believers. Vincent's Word Studies observes that the strong are prone to contempt and the weak to censoriousness, noting that 'censoriousness is the peculiar error of the ascetic, contemptuousness of the liberal.' Barnes agrees, calling the choice of verbs 'happily chosen': the strong despise those they consider scrupulous, while the weak condemn those they regard as profane. The decisive reason is the final clause: for God has received him. Gill and Calvin both stress that God has received both parties, into His love, His family, His service. The aorist tense of proselabeto (received) points, as the Cambridge Bible notes, to the definite moment of conversion, when each believer was welcomed on the sole condition of faith in Christ. This shared reception becomes the unshakeable ground for mutual forbearance.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Weak = Jewish Christians: The dietary restrictions and observance of days match Jewish scruples, and Acts 15 and Galatians show similar controversies.
- Weak = those concerned with idol meat: The broader context (Romans 14:14-23) echoes 1 Corinthians 8-10, where meat offered to idols is the disputed issue.
- Weak = any with tender consciences: The principles of Romans 14 are generalizable to all disputable matters, as seen in the application to days and drink in vv.5,21.
What is clear: God has accepted both the one who eats and the one who does not eat; therefore neither should despise nor judge the other.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the weak | The weak are believers with tender consciences who observe dietary restrictions and special days. | Some commentators (e.g., Adam Clarke) identify them specifically as Jewish Christians; others (e.g., Calvin) see a broader category that includes any who are scrupulous about indifferent matters. |
| Meaning of 'judge' (krinetō) | The term means 'condemn' or 'pass censorious judgment,' not simply to discern. | Some argue it implies a final, damnatory judgment (Barnes), while others see it as a harsh, critical attitude that usurps God’s role. |
| Scope of the command | The command applies to matters that are not explicitly commanded or forbidden in Scripture. | Reformed traditions often extend this to all 'adiaphora' (indifferent things), while other traditions may limit it to issues directly addressed in the passage (food and days). |
| Nature of God's reception | God has received both parties into His family, and this reception is based on faith in Christ. | The Cambridge Bible emphasizes the aorist tense as pointing to the moment of conversion; Gill also stresses ongoing reception into God’s love. Some traditions draw implications for church membership and fellowship. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Romans 14 addresses a church composed of both Jewish and Gentile believers, each group bringing different assumptions about what faithfulness required. The 'weak in faith' (v.1) were likely Jewish Christians who still felt bound by Old Testament dietary laws, abstaining from meat that might be unclean, or from meat sold in markets after having been sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8, 10). They restricted themselves to vegetables (v.2) and observed special days (v.5). The 'strong' were Gentile Christians (and some Jews) who understood that Christ had abolished these ceremonial distinctions; they ate freely, confident that 'nothing is unclean of itself' (v.14). The cultural tension ran deep. A Jew who had kept kosher for a lifetime could not easily set aside scruples, while a Gentile might view such restraint as superstitious. Conversely, the Jewish believer might see the Gentile's freedom as a disregard for God's law. Both attitudes, contempt from the strong, judgment from the weak, threatened church unity. Paul does not take sides on the practice itself; rather, he insists that each person must be 'fully persuaded in his own mind' (v.5) and act 'to the Lord' (v.6). The ground of fellowship is not agreement on disputable matters but a shared Lord who has welcomed both. This principle has shaped Christian reflection on 'adiaphora' (indifferent things) from the early church through the Reformation and into modern debates about worship styles and conscience issues.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Romans 14:3. The verb προσελάβετο (aorist middle indicative) appears consistently in the manuscript tradition. Minor differences in translation (e.g., 'hath received' vs. 'has received') reflect English tense choices, not Greek variants.
Reception History
Romans 14:3 has been a key text in the church’s ongoing reflection on how to handle disagreements over non-essential matters. Early interpreters like Origen and Chrysostom used it to address tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians. During the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant writers cited the verse in debates about fasting, feast days, and Christian liberty, Luther appealed to it in his treatise On the Freedom of a Christian. In later centuries, the passage has been a touchstone for promoting unity across denominational lines on issues of conscience and worship style. Its central claim, that God has received both parties, has provided a powerful check against the human tendency to turn personal conviction into a test of fellowship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The two sins. The strong are told not to despise (exouthenetō, ‘set at nought’); the weak are told not to judge (krinetō, ‘condemn’). Each party is tempted to a different failure: the one dismisses, the other condemns.
- The two parties. The eater represents those who exercise Christian liberty; the non-eater represents those with tender consciences. Neither is to impose their standard on the other.
- The one reason. 'For God has received him.' This is the foundation. God’s welcome, given at conversion and forever, renders both contempt and judgment out of place.
Five-point outline
- Identify the conflict: disputable matters (v.1) versus core convictions.
- Name the temptations: contempt by the strong, judgment by the weak.
- Trace the underlying sin: spiritual pride on both sides (Vincent notes that both extremes are 'allied to spiritual pride').
- Recall the reality: God has received both, past event with present force.
- Apply the principle: in indifferent matters, welcome one another as Christ welcomed you (15:7).
Illustration hooks
- A worship debate: one member loves traditional hymns, another modern choruses. Each silently questions the other’s spirituality.
- A food issue: a family insists on organic, fair-trade produce; another family sees this as legalism. The first may judge, the second may mock.
- A calendar question: some observe Lent strictly; others treat it as a non-issue. Each side can easily fall into the pattern Paul identifies.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “How do I know if something is a disputable matter or a core doctrine?”
- “Is it possible to have a strong conviction without being judgmental toward those who disagree?”
- “What if I think the other person’s practice is genuinely harmful, not just different?”
Leading a Discussion
Romans 14:3 cuts to the heart of how Christians handle disagreements over matters of conscience. Paul's key insight is that both parties in a dispute can be tempted, one to contempt, the other to judgment, and that God's reception of both should end the argument. This passage frees us from the need to force uniformity and calls us to a deeper unity rooted in Christ. Use these questions to help your group explore the text together.
Discussion questions
- Read Romans 14:1-4 aloud. What do you think the 'disputable matters' might have looked like in the Roman church?
- The strong are told not to 'despise,' and the weak are told not to 'judge.' Why do you think Paul assigns different verbs to each group?
- Vincent notes that 'contemptuousness of the liberal' and 'censoriousness of the ascetic' both spring from spiritual pride. Have you seen this dynamic in your own experience?
- Paul grounds the command in verse 3 with 'for God has received him.' How does remembering God’s welcome of both parties change the way we view a believer whose convictions differ from ours?
- Look at verses 5-6. What does it mean to be 'fully assured in your own mind' and to act 'to the Lord'? How does that protect both liberty and conscience?
- In what areas of church life today do Christians tend to fall into the patterns of contempt or judgment described here?
- How can your group practice the kind of mutual welcome Paul calls for, without compromising on what you believe is faithful?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Zechariah 4:10 | Indeed, who despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are Yahweh’s eyes, which run back and forth through the whole earth.” |
| Matthew 7:1 | “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. |
| Matthew 7:2 | For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. |
| Matthew 9:14 | Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?” |
| Matthew 11:18 | For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ |
| Matthew 11:19 | The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” |
| Matthew 18:10 | See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. |
| Luke 18:9 | He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others: |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights how each side in a dispute over non-essential matters is prone to a specific failure: those with freedom tend to despise the scrupulous as foolish, while the scrupulous tend to judge the free as sinful. The apostle's choice of words—"despise" for one, "judge" for the other—exactly matches the temptation each group faces.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees two opposite faults at work: the strong despise the weak as overly scrupulous, while the weak harshly condemn the strong. He tells both sides that anyone whom God has truly received deserves neither contempt nor condemnation, so each must restrain their characteristic failing.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that Paul sides decisively against the principle of the weak brethren, though he recommends toleration for their error. The phrase God received him points to God's welcome at the moment of conversion, referring mainly to the strong Christian who, despite apparent laxity, has been accepted by God.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note grounds mutual forbearance in God’s prior acceptance. Neither the eater nor the abstainer should judge the other, because the decisive fact is that God has already welcomed both parties into fellowship. Human opinion must yield to divine welcome.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the mutual obligation: those who eat must not look down on those who abstain, and those who abstain must not condemn those who eat, because God has received both. The word "despise" means to set someone at nothing, disregarding their peace. Neither side has the right to judge, since both belong to God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights two opposite sins: the confident believer despising the scrupulous one, and the scrupulous believer judging the confident one. Both are wrong because God has received each person as his own child, acting from religious principle in what they do.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the weak in Rome not as false teachers but as genuine Christians whose faith is still entangled in old scruples about food and days. Their weakness is not heresy but an incomplete grasp of Christian freedom, which the Apostle protects even while urging the strong toward patient love.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry sees the root of all quarrels over non-essentials as a failure to recognise Christ's exclusive lordship. Since every believer belongs to Christ and will answer to Him alone, judging or despising a fellow servant usurps a role that belongs only to the Master. The strong and weak alike must remember that only God can make anyone stand.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws a sharp contrast: the weak believer judges, the strong believer despises. Censoriousness is the snare of the ascetic, contemptuousness the snare of the liberal, and both spring from spiritual pride. The aorist tense of "received" points to the definite moment of faith in Christ that still governs the believer's standing with God.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points out two opposite errors Christians commit over dietary differences: despising the abstainer as overly scrupulous or judging the eater as profane. He insists both attitudes miss the point, because God has genuinely received each person as His child, which should end all contempt and judgment.