Romans 14:18

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval.

King James Version (1611)
For hee that in these things serueth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approued of men.

King James Version
For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

English Standard Version
Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

New American Standard Bible
For the one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by other people.

New Century Version
Anyone who serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God and will be accepted by other people.

Amplified Bible
For the one who serves Christ in this way [recognizing that food choice is secondary] is acceptable to God and is approved by men.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Legacy Standard Bible
For he who in this way serves Christ is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Berean Standard Bible
For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Contemporary English Version
If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people.

Complete Jewish Bible
Anyone who serves the Messiah in this fashion both pleases God and wins the approval of other people.

Darby Translation
For he that in this serves the Christ [is] acceptable to God and approved of men.

Easy-to-Read Version
Whoever serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God, and they will be accepted by others.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For whosoeuer in these things serueth Christ, is acceptable vnto God, and is approoued of men.

George Lamsa Translation
For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and is approved by men.

Good News Translation
And when you serve Christ in this way, you please God and are approved by others.

Lexham English Bible
For the one who serves Christ in this way is well-pleasing to God and approved by people.

Literal Translation
For the one serving Christ in these things is pleasing to God, and approved by men.

American Standard Version
For he that herein serveth Christ is well-pleasing to God, and approved of men.

Bible in Basic English
And he who in these things is Christ's servant, is pleasing to God and has the approval of men.

Hebrew Names Version
For he who serves Messiah in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

International Standard Version
For the person who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people.2 Corinthians 8:21;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For who in these things serveth the Meshiha pleaseth Aloha, and before men is approved.

Murdock Translation
For he who is in these things a servant of Messiah, is pleasing to God, and approved before men.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For he that in these thynges serueth Christe, pleaseth God, and is comended of men.

English Revised Version
For he that herein serveth Christ is well-pleasing to God, and approved of men.

World English Bible
For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he that in these serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved by men.

Weymouth's New Testament
and whoever in this way devotedly serves Christ, God takes pleasure in him, and men highly commend him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he that in this thing serueth Crist, plesith God, and is proued to men.

Update Bible Version
For he that in this [way] is serving as a slave to Christ is well-pleasing to God, and approved of men.

Webster's Bible Translation
For he that in these things serveth Christ, [is] acceptable to God, and approved by men.

New English Translation
For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people.

New King James Version
For he who serves Christ in these things [fn] is acceptable to God and approved by men.

New Living Translation
If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.

New Life Bible
If you follow Christ in these things, God will be happy with you. Men will think well of you also.

New Revised Standard
The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, he that in this doeth service unto the Christ, is acceptable unto God, and approved unto men.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For he that in this serveth Christ pleaseth God and is approved of men.

Revised Standard Version
he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For whosoever in these thinges serveth Christ pleaseth well God and is commended of men.

Young's Literal Translation
for he who in these things is serving the Christ, [is] acceptable to God and approved of men.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He that in these thinges serueth Christ, pleaseth God, & is comended of me.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for he that thus pays his allegiance to Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Ride for Christ with an attitude like this and God will be pleased. Not only that, but you'll gain the respect of others.

Contextual Overview

¹ Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. ²For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help. ⁵ Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience. ⁶What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. ¹⁰So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture: "As I live and breathe," God says, "every knee will bow before me; Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God." So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God. ¹³Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I'm convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it. ¹⁵If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don't eat, you're no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don't you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning! ¹⁷God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you. ¹⁹So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. You're certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God's work among you, are you? I said it before and I'll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don't eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love. ²²Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others. You're fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you're not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you're out of line. If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in: Romans 14:4, Romans 6:22, Romans 12:11, Romans 16:18, Mark 13:34, John 12:26, 1 Corinthians 7:22, Galatians 6:15, Galatians 6:16, Colossians 3:24, Titus 2:11-14

is: Romans 12:1, Romans 12:2, Genesis 4:7, Ecclesiastes 9:7, Acts 10:35, 2 Corinthians 8:21, Philippians 4:18, 1 Timothy 2:3, 1 Timothy 5:4, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:20

and: 2 Corinthians 4:2, 2 Corinthians 5:11, 2 Corinthians 6:4, 2 Corinthians 8:21, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 1:4, James 2:18-26, 1 Peter 3:16

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 33:24 - let him be 1 Samuel 2:26 - was in Esther 10:3 - accepted Proverbs 3:4 - shalt Proverbs 14:9 - among Ecclesiastes 2:26 - wisdom Zechariah 7:5 - did Zechariah 14:20 - shall there Luke 2:52 - and in Acts 2:47 - having Romans 16:10 - approved 2 Corinthians 7:11 - approved 2 Corinthians 10:18 - approved Ephesians 5:10 - acceptable 2 Timothy 2:15 - approved Hebrews 13:21 - working

Cross-References

Genesis 14:10
The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into the tar pits, but the rest escaped into the mountains. The four kings captured all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food and equipment, and went on their way. They captured Lot, Abram's nephew who was living in Sodom at the time, taking everything he owned with them.

Genesis 14:22
But Abram told the king of Sodom, "I swear to God , The High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, this solemn oath, that I'll take nothing from you, not so much as a thread or a shoestring. I'm not going to have you go around saying, ‘I made Abram rich.' Nothing for me other than what the young men ate and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; they're to get their share of the plunder."

Ruth 3:10
He said, " God bless you, my dear daughter! What a splendid expression of love! And when you could have had your pick of any of the young men around. And now, my dear daughter, don't you worry about a thing; I'll do all you could want or ask. Everybody in town knows what a courageous woman you are—a real prize! You're right, I am a close relative to you, but there is one even closer than I am. So stay the rest of the night. In the morning, if he wants to exercise his customary rights and responsibilities as the closest covenant redeemer, he'll have his chance; but if he isn't interested, as God lives, I'll do it. Now go back to sleep until morning."

Psalms 7:17
I'm thanking God, who makes things right. I'm singing the fame of heaven-high God .

Micah 6:6
How can I stand up before God and show proper respect to the high God? Should I bring an armload of offerings topped off with yearling calves? Would God be impressed with thousands of rams, with buckets and barrels of olive oil? Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child, my precious baby, to cancel my sin?

Acts 7:48
"Yet that doesn't mean that Most High God lives in a building made by carpenters and masons. The prophet Isaiah put it well when he wrote, "Heaven is my throne room; I rest my feet on earth. So what kind of house will you build me?" says God. "Where I can get away and relax? It's already built, and I built it."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For he that in these things serveth Christ,.... That is, in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; he whose faith is an obedient one, and embraces these things, and from the heart obeys them; who seeks righteousness alone by Christ, and peace and pardon through his blood; who rejoices in Christ Jesus, and puts no trust in the flesh, in moral duties or ceremonial services; and who, from principles of grace, serves Christ in a way of righteousness, wherein he possesses true peace of conscience, and abundance of spiritual joy and comfort: the Alexandrian copy and some others, and the Vulgate Latin version, read, "in this thing"; as if it referred only to the right use of Christian liberty, about things indifferent: such an one

is acceptable to God; in Christ the beloved, in whom he believes, from whom he derives all his peace, joy, and comfort; and whom he serves in righteousness and holiness, and through whom also all his services are acceptable unto God:

and approved of men; of good men, of such that can discern things that differ, and approve those that are excellent; and even of bad men, for such who live honestly and uprightly, who cultivate peace and friendship among men, and carry themselves cheerfully and civilly to all men, cannot but be approved of by the generality of them, though they may dislike them on other accounts.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In these things - In righteousness, peace, and joy.

Serveth Christ - Or obeys Christ, who has commanded them. He receives Christ as his “master” or “teacher” and does his will in regard to them. To do these things is to do honor to Christ, and to show the excellency of his religion.

Is acceptable to God - Whether he be converted from the Jews or the Gentiles.

And approved of men - That is, people will “approve” of such conduct; they will esteem it to be right, and to be in accordance with the spirit of Christianity. He does not say that the wicked world will “love” such a life, but it will commend itself to them as such a life as people ought to lead.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. For he that in these things — The man, whether Jew or Gentile, who in these things-righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, serveth Christ-acts according to his doctrine, is acceptable to God; for he has not only the form of godliness in thus serving Christ, but he has the power, the very spirit and essence of it, in having righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and therefore the whole frame of his mind, as well as his acts, must be acceptable to God.-And approved of men; for although religion may be persecuted, yet the righteous man, who is continually labouring for the public good, will be generally esteemed. This was a very common form of speech among the Jews; that he who was a conscientious observer of the law, was pleasing to God and approved of men. See several examples in Schoettgen.