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he adds a second, saying, receive him. For he shows again that he needs much care, which is a sign of extreme sickness. He indicates that his sin is of such a kind that even those who undertake to help him are doubtful. “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not.” He did not say, let him be; he did not say, let him not accuse; he did not say, let him not correct, but, let him not reproach, nor spit upon him. “And let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth.” For just as the more perfect despised the weaker as being of little faith, and spurious, and Judaizing; so the latter judged the former as transgressing the law, or as giving in to gluttony. “For God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth.” That is, he has shown His unspeakable grace toward him. “Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” He shows that he still has need of attention, and requires so much care as to call upon God for help in these matters. “For one man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Here he seems to allude gently to fasting. For it is likely that some of those who fast continually judge those who do not fast. “He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, 95.553 eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.” The matter, he says, is not about essential things; for what is sought is whether this one and that one are acting for God's sake; and whether both end in thanksgiving. For both this one and that one give thanks to God. “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more.” He has shown more clearly that he who lives by the law cannot live to Christ. “But judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.” It can apply to both, both the perfect man being scandalized at the observance of foods, and the imperfect man stumbling at the harsh rebuke. “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably.” Having first rebuked him who judges his brother, he then finally also makes a pronouncement about doctrine. “Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.” Christ died for him, he says; but do you not honor your brother so much as to purchase his salvation even by abstinence from foods? “Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” By 'good' here he means perfected piety. “For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” For they will not so admire you for your perfection, he says, as all will for your peace and concord. For all will enjoy this good, but of that, only he himself. “For meat destroy not the work of God.” He means the salvation of the brother. “All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man 95.556 who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth.” Lest so many concessions should confirm the weaker one in his evil opinion, he dogmatizes again. “Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God.” What he says is this

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δευτέραν προστίθησι, λέγων, προσλαμβάνεσθε. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ πάλιν πολλῆς δεόμενον ἐπιμελείας, ὅπερ σημεῖον ἐσχάτης ἀῤῥωστίας ἐστίν. ∆ηλοῖ τοιοῦτο αὐτοῦ τὸ ἁμάρτημα ὂν, ὡς καὶ τοὺς ἀντεχομένους αὐτοῦ τῆς βοηθείας, διακρίνεσθαι. «Ὁ ἐσθίων τὸν μὴ ἐσθίοντα μὴ ἐξουθενείτω.» Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἐάτω· οὐκ εἶπε, μὴ ἐγκαλείτω· οὐκ εἶπε, μὴ διορθούσθω, ἀλλὰ, μὴ ὀνειδιζέτω, μηδὲ διαπτυέτω. «Ὁ δὲ μὴ ἐσθίων, τὸν ἐσθίοντα μὴ κρινέτω.» Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ τελειότεροι τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους ηὐτέλιζον ὡς ὀλιγοπίστους, καὶ νόθους, καὶ Ἰουδαΐζοντας· οὕτως ἐκεῖνοι τούτους ἔκρινον ὡς παρανομοῦντας, ἢ ὡς λαιμαργίᾳ προσέχοντας. «Ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν προσελάβετο· σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ κρίνων ἀλλότριον οἰκέτην; Τῷ ἰδίῳ κυρίῳ στήκει ἢ πίπτει.» Τουτέστι, τὴν ἄφατον αὐτοῦ περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπεδείξατο χάριν. «Σταθήσεται δέ· δυνατὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς στῆσαι αὐτόν.» ∆είκνυσιν ἔτι χρῄζοντα τῆς προσοχῆς, καὶ τοσαύτης ἐπιμελείας δεόμενον, ὡς καὶ τὸν Θεὸν εἰς ταῦτα καλεῖν βοηθόν. «Ὃς μὲν γὰρ κρίνει ἡμέραν παρ' ἡμέραν· ὃς δὲ κρίνει πᾶσαν ἡμέραν. Ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ νοῒ πληροφορείσθω.» Ἐνταῦθα δοκεῖ ἠρέμα περὶ νηστείας αἰνίττεσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ εἰκὸς τῶν νηστευόντων τινὰς, τοὺς μὴ νηστεύοντας διηνεκῶς κρίνειν. «Ὁ φρονῶν τὴν ἡμέραν, Κυρίῳ φρονεῖ, καὶ ὁ μὴ φρονῶν τὴν ἡμέραν, Κυρίῳ οὐ φρονεῖ. Καὶ ὁ ἐσθίων, 95.553 Κυρίῳ ἐσθίει, καὶ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ ὁ μὴ ἐσθίων, Κυρίῳ οὐκ ἐσθίει, καὶ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ Θεῷ.» Οὐ περὶ τὰ καίρια, φησὶ, τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν· τὸ γὰρ ζητούμενον, εἰ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν οὗτος κἀκεῖνος ἐργάζεται· καὶ εἰ ἀμφότεροι εἰς εὐχαριστίαν τελευτῶσιν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος καὶ ἐκεῖνος εὐχαριστοῦσι τῷ Θεῷ. «Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἑαυτῷ ζῇ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἑαυτῷ ἀποθνήσκει. Ἐάν τε γὰρ ζῶμεν, τῷ Κυρίῳ ζῶμεν· ἐάν τε ἀποθνήσκομεν, τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀποθνήσκομεν· ἐάν τε οὖν ζῶμεν, ἐάν τε ἀποθνήσκωμεν, τοῦ Κυρίου ἐσμέν. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν καὶ ἔζησεν, ἵνα καὶ νεκρῶν καὶ ζώντων κυριεύσῃ. Σὺ δὲ τί κρίνεις τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; ἢ σὺ τί ἐξουθενεῖς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; πάντες γὰρ παραστησόμεθα τῷ βήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Γέγραπται γάρ· Ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Κύριος, ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ Θεῷ. Ἄρα οὖν ἕκαστος ἡμῶν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λόγον δώσει τῷ Θεῷ· μηκέτι οὖν ἀλλήλους κρίνωμεν.» Σαφέστερον ἐδήλωσεν ὅτι ὁ τὸ νόμῳ ζῶν, οὐ δύναται τῷ Χριστῷ ζῇν. «Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο κρίνατε μᾶλλον, τὸ μὴ τιθέναι πρόσκομμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ, ἢ σκάνδαλον.» Ἀμφοτέροις ἁρμόζειν δύναται, καὶ τοῦ τελείου σκανδαλιζομένου ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν βρωμάτων παρατηρήσει, καὶ τοῦ ἀτελοῦς προσκόπτοντος ἐπὶ τῇ σφοδρᾷ ἐπιπλήξει. «Οἶδα καὶ πέπεισμαι ἐν Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ, ὅτι οὐδὲν κοινὸν δι' ἑαυτοῦ, εἰ μὴ τῷ λογιζομένῳ τι κοινὸν εἶναι, ἐκείνῳ κοινόν· εἰ γὰρ διὰ βρῶμα ὁ ἀδελφός σου λυπεῖται, οὐκέτι κατ' ἀγάπην περιπατεῖς.» Πρότερον ἐπιτιμήσας τῷ κρίνοντι αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀδελφὸν, τότε λοιπὸν καὶ ὑπὲρ δόγματος ἀποφαίνεται. «Μὴ τῷ βρώματί σου ἐκεῖνον ἀπόλλυε, ὑπὲρ οὗ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν.» Χριστὸς μὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἀπέθανε, φησίν· σὺ δὲ τοσοῦτον τὸν ἀδελφὸν οὐ τιμᾷς, ὡς μηδὲ ἀποχῇ βρωμάτων ὠνήσασθαι αὐτοῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν; «Μὴ βλασφημείσθω οὖν ἡμῶν τὸ ἀγαθόν· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ βρῶσις καὶ πόσις, ἀλλὰ δικαιοσύνη καὶ εἰρήνη, καὶ χαρὰ ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.» Ἀγαθὸν ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἀπηρτισμένην εὐσέβειάν φησιν. «Ὁ γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ δουλεύων τῷ Χριστῷ, εὐάρεστος τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ δόκιμος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Ἄρα οὖν τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης διώκωμεν, καὶ τὰ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τῆς εἰς ἀλλήλους.» Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω σε θαυμάσονται τῆς τελειότητος, φησὶν, ὡς τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τῆς ὁμονοίας ἅπαντες. Τούτου μὲν γὰρ τοῦ καλοῦ πάντες ἀπολαύσουσιν, ἐκείνου δὲ, μόνος αὐτός. «Μὴ ἕνεκεν βρώματος κατάλυε τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ φησι. «Πάντα μὲν καθαρὰ, ἀλλὰ κακὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ 95.556 τῷ διὰ προσκόμματος ἐσθίοντι. Καλὸν τὸ μὴ φαγεῖν κρέα, μηδὲ πιεῖν οἶνον, μηδὲ ἐν ᾧ ὁ ἀδελφός σου προσκόπτει.» Ἵνα μὴ αἱ τοσαῦται συγχωρήσεις βεβαιώσωσι τὸν ἀσθενέστερον ἐν τῇ πονηρᾷ ὑπολήψει, δογματίζει πάλιν. «Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις; κατὰ σεαυτὸν ἔχε ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Ὃ λέγει τοσοῦτόν