SEV Biblia, Chapter 14:15
Pero si por causa de la comida tu hermano es contristado, ya no andas conforme a la caridad. No eches a perder con tu comida a aquel por el cual el Cristo muri.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 14:15
Verse 15. If thy brother be grieved] If he think that thou doest wrong, and he is in consequence stumbled at thy conduct. Now walkest thou not charitably.] kata agaphn, According to love; for love worketh no ill to its neighbour; but by thy eating some particular kind of meat, on which neither thy life nor well-being depends, thou workest ill to him by grieving and distressing his mind; and therefore thou breakest the law of God in reference to him, while pretending that thy Christian liberty raises thee above his scruples.
Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.] This puts the uncharitable conduct of the person in question in the strongest light, because it supposes that the weak brother may be so stumbled as to fall and perish finally; even the man for whom Christ died. To injure a man in his circumstances is bad; to injure him in his person is worse; to injure him in his reputation is still worse; and to injure his soul is worst of all. No wickedness, no malice, can go farther than to injure and destroy the soul: thy uncharitable conduct may proceed thus far; therefore thou art highly criminal before God.
From this verse we learn that a man for whom Christ died may perish, or have his soul destroyed; and destroyed with such a destruction as implies perdition; the original is very emphatic, mh-ekeinon apollue, uper ou cristov apeqane. Christ died in his stead; do not destroy his soul. The sacrificial death is as strongly expressed as it can be, and there is no word in the New Testament that more forcibly implies eternal ruin than the verb apolluw, from which is derived that most significant name of the Devil, o apolluwn, the DESTROYER, the great universal murderer of souls.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat , etc..] The apostle proceeds to give reasons why, though he was so fully persuaded that nothing was unclean of itself, and so he, and any other of the same persuasion, might lawfully eat anything; yet they should forbear, and not make use of this liberty; because if a brother should be grieved by it, that is, either should be concerned and troubled at it inwardly, both because the person that eats is thought by him to have transgressed a command of God, and because he himself is not only despised as a weak brother, but as if he was a judaizing Christian, and walked not uprightly, according to the truth of the Gospel; or else should be emboldened thereby to eat, and so wound and defile his weak conscience; or be so galled and offended at it, as to stumble and fall off from his profession of Christianity, and withdraw his communion, as judging there is nothing in it, no regard being had to the law of God: now walkest thou not charitably ; this is a breach of the rule of charity or brotherly love; such an one is a brother, and though a weak one, yet he is to be loved as a brother, and to be charitably walked with: true charity, or love, vaunts not itself over, nor is it puffed up against a weak brother; nor is it unconcerned for his peace, but bears with his weaknesses, and forbears the use of things grieving to him: destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died . This is to be understood, not of eternal destruction, that can never be thought to be either in the will or power of any man; such a degree of malice can never arise in the heart of any, to wish for, desire, or take any step towards the eternal damnation of another; and could any thing of this kind be among the men of the world, yet surely not among brethren of the same faith, and in the same church state; and were there any so wicked as to desire this, yet it is not in their power to compass it, for none can destroy eternally but God; (see Matthew 10:28); besides, it is not reasonable to suppose, that eternal damnation should follow upon eating things indifferent, or be caused by an offence either given or taken through them; moreover, though such as only think themselves, or profess themselves, or are only thought by others to be such, for whom Christ died, may be eternally destroyed, yet none of those can, for whom Christ really died; for they are his special people, his peculiar friends, his own sheep, his body the church, which can never perish; and he, by dying, has procured such blessings for them, such as a justifying righteousness, pardon of sin, peace with God, and eternal life, which will for ever secure them from destruction: besides, should anyone of them be destroyed, the death of Christ would be so far in vain, nor would it appear to be a sufficient security from condemnation, nor a full satisfaction to the justice of God; or God must be unjust, to punish twice for the same fault: but this is to be understood of the destruction of such a man's peace and comfort, which is signified by grieving, stumbling, offending, and making him weak; and the words are a fresh reason, why they that are strong in the faith of Christian liberty, should nevertheless forbear the use of it, to preserve the peace of a weak brother; which is a matter of importance, and the rather to be attended to, since it is the peace of one that belongs to Christ, whom he has so loved as to die for, and therefore should be the object of the regard and affections of such as believe in Christ and love him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-18 - Christ deals gently with those who have true grace, though they ar weak in it. Consider the design of Christ's death: also that drawing soul to sin, threatens the destruction of that soul. Did Christ den himself for our brethren, so as to die for them, and shall not we den ourselves for them, so as to keep from any indulgence? We cannot hinde ungoverned tongues from speaking evil; but we must not give them an occasion. We must deny ourselves in many cases what we may lawfully do when our doing it may hurt our good name. Our good often comes to be evil spoken of, because we use lawful things in an uncharitable an selfish manner. As we value the reputation of the good we profess an practise, let us seek that it may not be evil-spoken of. Righteousness peace, and joy, are words that mean a great deal. As to God, our grea concern is to appear before him justified by Christ's death, sanctifie by the Spirit of his grace; for the righteous Lord lovet righteousness. As to our brethren, it is to live in peace, and love and charity with them; following peace with all men. As to ourselves it is joy in the Holy Ghost; that spiritual joy wrought by the blesse Spirit in the hearts of believers, which respects God as their reconciled Father, and heaven as their expected home. Regard to Chris in doing our duties, alone can make them acceptable. Those are mos pleasing to God that are best pleased with him; and they abound most in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. They are approved by wise and goo men; and the opinion of others is not to be regarded.
Greek Textus Receptus
ει 1487 COND δε 1161 CONJ δια 1223 PREP βρωμα 1033 N-ASN ο 3588 T-NSM αδελφος 80 N-NSM σου 4675 P-2GS λυπειται 3076 5743 V-PPI-3S ουκετι 3765 ADV κατα 2596 PREP αγαπην 26 N-ASF περιπατεις 4043 5719 V-PAI-2S μη 3361 PRT-N τω 3588 T-DSN βρωματι 1033 N-DSN σου 4675 P-2GS εκεινον 1565 D-ASM απολλυε 622 5720 V-PAM-2S υπερ 5228 PREP ου 3739 R-GSM χριστος 5547 N-NSM απεθανεν 599 5627 V-2AAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. Be grieved (lupeitai) The close connection with destroy indicates that the meaning falls short of be destroyed, but is stronger than made to feel pain. It is a hurt to conscience, which, while not necessarily fatal, may lead to violation or hardening of conscience, and finally to fall. Compare 1 Corinthians viii. 9-12.Meat (brwma). A general term for food.
Charitably (kata agaphn). Lit., according to love. Rev. in love. See on 2 Peter i. 6.
Him (ekeinon). The pronoun has a strongly defining force, explained by the following phrase.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:15 Because of meat (dia brwma). "Because of food." {In love} (kata agapen). "According to love" as the regulating principle of life. See #1Co 8 where Paul pleads for love in place of knowledge on this point. {Destroy not} (m apollue). Present active imperative of apolluw, the very argument made in #1Co 8:10f. {With thy meat} (twi brwmati sou). Instrumental case, "with thy food." It is too great a price to pay for personal liberty as to food.
