Stooping to the Weak
…the use of foods. But for those who have not yet come to this judgment, these things are not yet clean, by what seems right to them; they are common, because their mind somehow limps on the way to the truth.
“So do not let your good be spoken of as evil” (Romans 14:16). Let not the brilliance of those who are well approved lift itself up over the weak, nor let your good, that is, what is admirable in your faith, be spoken ill of by anyone. For the achievements of a life pleasing to God would not come about through eating (Romans 14:17), nor would such a person be worthy of the kingdom of heaven, as one who reveres God, if he eats without distinction whatever is set before him; rather, the one who is worthy is he who stoops to the weakness of his weak brothers and abstains.
For even if Paul blamed Peter for living like a Jew because of those who had come to Antioch from James (Galatians 2:11–14), he did not blame him for stooping to the weakness of those of the circumcision and abstaining from foods. He blamed him because, by the weight of his own standing, he was drawing the many believers from the nations into thinking that they had to live according to the law, and Paul’s preaching was in danger of coming to nothing; for he was the teacher of the nations.
“All things indeed are clean, but it is wrong for the one who eats and gives offence” (Romans 14:20).
Greek
ἐδωδίμων ἡ χρῆσις· τοῖς γεμὴν οὔπω πρὸς τοῦτο γνώμης ἱγμένοις, οὔπω μὲν καθαρὰ κατὰ τὸ αὐτοῖς δοκοῦν ἔχειν ὀρθῶς, κοινὰ δὲ, ὅτι σκάζει πως αὐτοῖς πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ὁ νοῦς. Μὴ βλασφημείσθω οὖν ὑμῶν τὸ ἀγαθόν· οὐ γάρ Μὴ κατεπαιρέσθω τῶν ἀσθενῶν ἡ τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων λαμπρότης, μήτε τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὑμῶν, τουτέστι τὸ ἀξιάγαστον εἰς πίστιν, βλασφημείσθω πρός τινος· οὐ γὰρ τῆς θεαρέστου πολιτείας τὰ κατορθώματα διὰ βρώσεως γένοιτο, οὔτε ὡς θεοσεβὴς ὁ τοιοῦτος τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας ἄξιος, εἰ ἀδιακρίτως ἐσθίει τὰ παρατιθέμενα, ἀλλ' ὁ συγκαταβαίνων τῇ τῶν ἀσθενῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀσθενείᾳ καὶ ἀπεχόμενος. καὶ γὰρ εἰ καὶ ἐμέμψατο τῷ Πέτρῳ ὡς ἰουδαικῶς ζησάντι διὰ τοὺς ἐλθόντας εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου, οὐ διὰ τοῦτο ἐμέμψατο ὅτι συγκατέβη τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς καὶ ἀπείχετο βρωμάτων, ἀλλ' ὅτι πολλοὺς ὄντας τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν παρέσυρε τῷ ἀξιοπίστῳ τοῦ προσώπου ἑαυτοῦ εἰς τὸ νομίσαι ὅτι χρὴ κατὰ νόμον ζῆν, καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν αὐτῷ τὸ κήρυγμα χωρεῖν ἐκινδύνευεν· ἦν γὰρ ἐθνῶν διδάσκαλος. Πάντα μὲν γὰρ καθαρὰ, ἀλλὰ κακὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ διὰ προσκόμματος ἐσθίοντι.