Today Our Daily Bread Rom 14

(scroll down to see "Olga’s Russian Translation" and "Lena’s Comments")
Romans 14
The Danger of Criticism
1 Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it is all right to eat anything. But another believer who has a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who think it is all right to eat anything must not look down on those who won't. And those who won't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn God's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord's power will help them do as they should.
5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter. 6 Those who have a special day for worshiping the Lord are trying to honor him. Those who eat all kinds of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who won't eat everything also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 For we are not our own masters when we live or when we die. 8 While we live, we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he might be Lord of those who are alive and of those who have died.
10 So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say, " `As surely as I live,' says the Lord, `every knee will bow to me and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.' "
12 Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. 13 So don't condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian's path.
14 I know and am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is all right.
17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. 20 Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves. But it is wrong to eat anything if it makes another person stumble. 21 Don't eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another Christian to stumble. 22 You may have the faith to believe that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by doing something they know is all right. 23 But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn't eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
New Living Translation (NLT)

~ For Olga ~
К Римлянам 14
1 Немощного в вере принимайте без споров о мнениях. 2 Ибо иной уверен, [что можно] есть все, а немощный ест овощи. 3 Кто ест, не уничижай того, кто не ест; и кто не ест, не осуждай того, кто ест, потому что Бог принял его. 4 Кто ты, осуждающий чужого раба? Перед своим Господом стоит он, или падает. И будет восставлен, ибо силен Бог восставить его. 5 Иной отличает день от дня, а другой судит о всяком дне [равно]. Всякий [поступай] по удостоверению своего ума. 6 Кто различает дни, для Господа различает; и кто не различает дней, для Господа не различает. Кто ест, для Господа ест, ибо благодарит Бога; и кто не ест, для Господа не ест, и благодарит Бога. 7 Ибо никто из нас не живет для себя, и никто не умирает для себя; 8 а живем ли--для Господа живем; умираем ли--для Господа умираем: и потому, живем ли или умираем, --[всегда] Господни. 9 Ибо Христос для того и умер, и воскрес, и ожил, чтобы владычествовать и над мертвыми и над живыми. 10 А ты что осуждаешь брата твоего? Или и ты, что унижаешь брата твоего? Все мы предстанем на суд Христов. 11 Ибо написано: живу Я, говорит Господь, предо Мною преклонится всякое колено, и всякий язык будет исповедывать Бога. 12 Итак каждый из нас за себя даст отчет Богу. 13 Не станем же более судить друг друга, а лучше судите о том, как бы не подавать брату [случая к] преткновению или соблазну. 14 Я знаю и уверен в Господе Иисусе, что нет ничего в себе самом нечистого; только почитающему что-либо нечистым, тому нечисто. 15 Если же за пищу огорчается брат твой, то ты уже не по любви поступаешь. Не губи твоею пищею того, за кого Христос умер. 16 Да не хулится ваше доброе. 17 Ибо Царствие Божие не пища и питие, но праведность и мир и радость во Святом Духе. 18 Кто сим служит Христу, тот угоден Богу и [достоин] одобрения от людей. 19 Итак будем искать того, что служит к миру и ко взаимному назиданию. 20 Ради пищи не разрушай дела Божия. Все чисто, но худо человеку, который ест на соблазн. 21 Лучше не есть мяса, не пить вина и не [делать] ничего [такого], отчего брат твой претыкается, или соблазняется, или изнемогает. 22 Ты имеешь веру? имей ее сам в себе, пред Богом. Блажен, кто не осуждает себя в том, что избирает. 23 А сомневающийся, если ест, осуждается, потому что не по вере; а все, что не по вере, грех.
Russian Synodal Version (RSV)
Public Domain
~ Lena’s Comments~
We all were given a conscience by God and we exercise that conscience before God. The biggest thing we as Christians (meaning ones who are like Christ is) must remember is that we will stand before God alone, both now and later on. We have our conscience and our convictions because of the growth of God’s spirit in us. Each of us grow at different rates. It reminds me of our family. We have a 21 year old and a 5 year old. The 21 year old may watch a type of movie that the 5 year old should not watch, or go do an activity that the 5 year old would not get to go do. This has to do with growth, perception and maturity. The 5 year old may not be real happy that sissy gets to watch something while she has to go to bed, but that is life and growth. There is no condemnation in that. There’s wisdom in it, but not judgement. In our religious upbringing we have had wrong ideas that if we are not all at the same place at the same time there is something very wrong and we actually have thought others not as "holy" or as "strong" as us. In truth they may be weaker than we are, just as Cassia who’s 5 is weaker than Jazz who’s 21. That is normal life and not something to be put down or to put others down about. A true parental heart or brotherly heart would understand the stages of growth with acceptance and patient endurance, actually experiencing the joy of watching others grow and change. We talk about this a lot in our Cell meetings and God does look at us this way. A good godly parent has joy in the stage his child is at and does not make his child grow to a place he should not be at, with anger, hatred, frustration, pressure etc. If the child is an infant, there is joy that they are alive and breathing, and using their body functions, even crying. Then is they start to crawl, the parent has joy, he doesn’t get angry "judging" the child for not walking! He will begin to encourage the walking as he sees signs that that child is ready to walk, but he does not condemn him because of the stage he is in. This is so important to consider as Christians and it is harder to think this way because we are all saved at different stages of our physical lives. There is a scripture that says don’t regard men after the natural life, but after the spiritual life they are living (Lena paraphrase :-)