Romans 14:20-21 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
Paul again repeats the key application he has been writing about in this chapter. The issue of food, drink, and wine were on the surface, but there were deeper issues that were linked to spiritual matters. Both of these topics show up in v. 20. Paul often connects behavior to theology. In this case, even a simple thing like what a person eats is related to the moral issue of causing someone else to “stumble” and “fall” (v. 21). The image of stumbling and falling are similar to “stumbling block” and “destroy” in 1 Corinthians 8:9, 11. To stumble and fall implies that the other person goes back to the old ways. We must be careful that we do not bring temptation into others’ lives by our so-called freedom. We should be willing to give up our freedom in minor issues in order to help others grow and not fall. Personal convictions about food, drink, or something modern like clothing or other issues, should never be something that causes others to fall. Love surpasses knowledge and such convictions.
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