Study Desk

If your brother is pained by the food you are eating, your conduct is no longer controlled by love. Take care lest, by the food you eat, you lead to ruin a man for whom Christ died.

For the Kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of right conduct, peace and joy, through the Holy Spirit;

Therefore let us aim at whatever makes for peace and mutual upbuilding of character.

Do not for food's sake be throwing down God's work. All food is pure; but a man is in the wrong if his food is a snare to others.

As for you and your faith, keep your faith to yourself in the presence of God. The man is to be congratulated who does not pronounce judgement on himself in what his actions sanction.

But he who has misgivings and yet eats meat is condemned already, because his conduct is not based on faith; for all conduct not based on faith is sinful.

As for us who are strong, our duty is to bear with the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not seek our own pleasure.

For even the Christ did not seek His own pleasure. His principle was, "The reproaches which they addressed to Thee have fallen on me."

For all that was written of old has been written for our instruction, so that we may always have hope through the power of endurance and the encouragement which the Scriptures afford.

and that the Gentiles also have glorified God in acknowledgment of His mercy. So it is written, "For this reason I will praise Thee among the Gentiles, and sing psalms in honour of Thy name."

I can therefore glory in Christ Jesus concerning the work for God in which I am engaged.

For I will not presume to mention any of the results that Christ has brought about by other agency than mine in securing the obedience of the Gentiles by word or deed,

making it my ambition, however, not to tell the Good News where Christ's name was already known, for fear I should be building on another man's foundation.

But now, as there is no more unoccupied ground in this part of the world, and I have for years past been eager to pay you a visit,

I hope, as soon as ever I extend my travels into Spain, to see you on my way and be helped forward by you on my journey, when I have first enjoyed being with you for a time.

for Macedonia and Greece have kindly contributed a certain sum in relief of the poor among God's people, in Jerusalem.

Yes, they have kindly done this, and, in fact, it was a debt they owed them. For seeing that the Gentiles have been admitted in to partnership with the Jews in their spiritual blessings, they in turn are under an obligation to render sacred service to the Jews in temporal things.

So after discharging this duty, and making sure that these kind gifts reach those for whom they are intended, I shall start for Spain, passing through Rome on my way there;

that you may receive her as a fellow Christian in a manner worthy of God's people, and may assist her in any matter in which she may need help. For she has indeed been a kind friend to many, including myself.

friends who have endangered their own lives for mine. I am grateful to them, and not I alone, but all the Gentile Churches also.