Do Not Judge Your Brother

(Matthew 7:1-6; Luke 6:37-42)

1Now him that is weak in the faith receive, not to [the] determining of questions of reasoning. 2One man is assured that he may eat all things; but the weak eats herbs. 3Let 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. 4Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own master he stands or falls. And he shall be made to stand; for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5One man esteems day more than day; another esteems every day [alike]. Let each be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6He that regards the day, regards it to [the] Lord. And he that eats, eats to [the] Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that does not eat, [it is] to [the] Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. 8For both if we should live, [it is] to the Lord we live; and if we should die, [it is] to the Lord we die: both if we should live then, and if we should die, we are the Lord's. 9For to this [end] Christ has died and lived [again], that he might rule over both dead and living.

10But thou, why judgest thou thy brother? or again, thou, why dost thou make little of thy brother? for we shall all be placed before the judgment-seat of God.

11For it is written, I live, saith [the] Lord, that to me shall bow every knee, and every tongue shall confess to God.

12So then each of us shall give an account concerning himself to God.

Do Not Cause Your Brother to Stumble

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

13Let us no longer therefore judge one another; but judge ye this rather, not to put a stumbling-block or a fall-trap before his brother. 14I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except to him who reckons anything to be unclean, to that man [it is] unclean. 15For if on account of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer according to love. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ has died. 16Let not then your good be evil spoken of; 17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in [the] Holy Spirit. 18For he that in this serves the Christ [is] acceptable to God and approved of men. 19So then let us pursue the things which tend to peace, and things whereby one shall build up another. 20For the sake of meat do not destroy the work of God. All things indeed [are] pure; but [it is] evil to that man who eats while stumbling [in doing so]. 21[It is] right not to eat meat, nor drink wine, nor [do anything] in which thy brother stumbles, or is offended, or is weak. 22Hast thou faith? have [it] to thyself before God. Blessed [is] he who does not judge himself in what he allows. 23But he that doubts, if he eat, is condemned; because [it is] not of faith; but whatever [is] not of faith is sin.