SEV Biblia, Chapter 14:22
T tienes fe; tenla contigo delante de Dios. Bienaventurado el que no se condena a sí mismo con lo que aprueba.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 14:22
Verse 22. Hast thou faith?] The term faith seems to signify in this place a full persuasion in a man's mind that he is right, that what he does is lawful, and has the approbation of God and his conscience. Dr. Taylor has a judicious note on this passage. "There is no necessity," says he, " for reading the first clause interrogatively; and it seems to be more agreeable to the structure of the Greek to render it, Thou hast faith; as if he had said: 'I own thou hast a right persuasion.' Farther, there is an anadiplosis in eceiv, and ece the first simply signifies thou hast, the latter, hold fast. Thou hast a right persuasion concerning thy Christian liberty; and I advise thee to hold that persuasion steadfastly, with respect to thyself in the sight of God. ecw have, has frequently this emphatical signification. See Matt. xxv. 29, &c." HAPPY is he that condemneth not, &c.] That man only can enjoy peace of conscience who acts according to the full persuasion which God has given him of the lawfulness of his conduct: whereas he must be miserable who allows himself in the practice of any thing for which his conscience upbraids and accuses him. This is a most excellent maxim, and every genuine Christian should be careful to try every part of his conduct by it.
If a man have not peace in his own bosom, he cannot be happy; and no man can have peace who sins against his conscience. If a man's passions or appetite allow or instigate him to a particular thing, let him take good heed that his conscience approve what his passions allow, and that he live not the subject of continual self-condemnation and reproach. Even the man who has the too scrupulous conscience had better, in such matters as are in question, obey its erroneous dictates than violate this moral feeling, and live only to condemn the actions he is constantly performing.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God , etc..] Which is to be understood, not of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the doctrines of the Gospel; for a man that has such faith given him, ought not to keep it in his own breast, but to declare it to others; he ought to make a public visible profession of it, before many witnesses; it becomes him to tell the church of God what great things the Lord has done for him; and as he believes with the heart, so he ought to make confession with the mouth unto salvation; but this faith only designs a full persuasion in a man's own mind, about the free and lawful use of things indifferent, the subject the apostle is upon; (see Romans 14:5,14); and his advice on this head is, to keep this faith and persuasion in a man's own breast, and not divulge it to others, where there is danger of scandal and offence: he does not advise such to alter their minds, change their sentiments, or cast away their faith, which was right and agreeable to his own, but to have it, hold and keep it, though, within themselves; he would not have them openly declare it, and publicly make use of it, since it might be grieving and distressing to weak minds; but in private, and where there was no danger of giving offence, they might both speak of it, and use it; and if they could not, should satisfy themselves that God, who sees in secret, knows they have this faith, and sees their use of it, though others do not, for from him they have it; so the Ethiopic version reads it, and if thou hast faith with thyself, thou art secure before God, from whom thou hast obtained it; and should be thankful to him for it, and use it in such a manner as makes most for his glory, and the peace of his church since to him they must give an account another day: some copies and versions read without an interrogation, thou hast faith; and others, thou, the faith which thou hast, have it to thyself, etc.. so the Alexandrian copy and the Syriac version. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth ; or approves of; that is, it is well for that man who observes no difference of meats, if either he does not act contrary to his own conscience, and so condemns himself in what he allows himself in; or exposes himself to the censure, judgment, and condemnation of others, in doing that which he approves of as lawful, and is so, but unlawful when done to the offence of others: some understand this as spoken to the weak believer, signifying that he is in the right, who, through example, and the force of the sensual appetite, is not prevailed upon to allow himself to eat, contrary to his own conscience, and whereby he would be self-condemned; but as the strong believer is addressed in the beginning of the verse, I choose to think he is intended in this part of it; and the rather, because the weak believer is taken notice of in the next verse, with a peculiar view to this very thing.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-23 - Many wish for peace, and talk loudly for it, who do not follow the things that make for peace. Meekness, humility, self-denial, and love make for peace. We cannot edify one another, while quarrelling an contending. Many, for meat and drink, destroy the work of God in themselves; nothing more destroys the soul than pampering and pleasin the flesh, and fulfilling the lusts of it; so others are hurt, by wilful offence given. Lawful things may be done unlawfully, by giving offence to brethren. This takes in all indifferent things, whereby brother is drawn into sin or trouble; or has his graces, his comforts or his resolutions weakened. Hast thou faith? It is meant of knowledg and clearness as to our Christian liberty. Enjoy the comfort of it, but do not trouble others by a wrong use of it. Nor may we act against doubting conscience. How excellent are the blessings of Christ' kingdom, which consists not in outward rites and ceremonies, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost! How preferable is the service of God to all other services! and in serving him we are no called to live and die to ourselves, but unto Christ, whose we are, an whom we ought to serve __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
συ 4771 P-2NS πιστιν 4102 N-ASF εχεις 2192 5719 V-PAI-2S κατα 2596 PREP σαυτον 4572 F-2ASM-C εχε 2192 5720 V-PAM-2S ενωπιον 1799 ADV του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM μακαριος 3107 A-NSM ο 3588 T-NSM μη 3361 PRT-N κρινων 2919 5723 V-PAP-NSM εαυτον 1438 F-3ASM εν 1722 PREP ω 3739 R-DSN δοκιμαζει 1381 5719 V-PAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
22. Hast thou faith (su pistin eceiv). The best texts insert hn which. "The faith which thou hast have thou to thyself," etc. So Rev.Condemneth not himself (krinwn). Rev., better, judgeth. Who, in settled conviction of the rightness of his action, subjects himself to no self-judgment after it.
Alloweth (dokimazei). Rev., approveth. See on 1 Pet. i. 7. "Christian practice ought to be out of the sphere of morbid introspection."
Robertson's NT Word Studies
14:22 {Have thou to thyself before God} (su--kata seauton ece enwpion tou qeou). Very emphatic position of su at the beginning of the sentence, "Thou there." The old MSS. put hen (relative "which") after pistin and before echeis. this principle applies to both the "strong" and the "weak." He is within his rights to act "according to thyself," but it must be "before God" and with due regard to the rights of the other brethren. {In that which he approveth} (en hoi dokimazei). this beatitude cuts both ways. After testing and qen approving (#1:28; 2:18) one takes his stand which very act may condemn himself by what he says or does. "It is a rare felicity to have a conscience untroubled by scruples" (Denney).
