Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.

“Be--"Being" of the same mind one toward another--The feeling of the common bond which binds all Christians to each other, whatever diversity of station, cultivation, temperament, or gifts may obtain among them, is the thing here enjoined. This is next taken up in detail.”

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.

“Recompense--"Recompensing," &c.--(See on Ro 12:14). Provide--"Providing" things honest--"honorable" in the sight of all men--The idea (which is from Pr 3:4) is the care which Christians should take so to demean themselves as to command the respect of all men.”

If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.

“If it be possible--that is, If others will let you. as much as lieth in you--or, "dependeth on you." live peaceably--or, "be at peace."”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

“Be not overcome of evil--for then you are the conquered party. but overcome evil with good--and then the victory is yours; you have subdued your enemy in the noblest sense.”

Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

“Whosoever therefore resisteth the power--"So that he that setteth himself against the authority." resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation--or, "condemnation," according to the old sense of that word; that is, not from the magistrate, but from God…”

Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

“Owe no man anything, but to love one another--"Acquit yourselves of all obligations except love, which is a debt that must remain ever due" [HODGE].”

The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as…

“(The clause, "Thou shalt not bear false witness," is wanting in all the most ancient manuscripts). The apostle refers here only to the second table of the law, as love to our neighbor is what he is treating of.”

The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

“The night--of evil is far spent, the day--of consummated triumph over it is at hand: let us therefore cast off--as a dress the works of darkness--all works holding of the kingdom and period of darkness, with which, as followers of the risen Saviour, our connection…”

Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

“(4) In virtue of "the expulsive power of a new and more powerful affection," the great secret of persevering holiness in all manner of conversation will be found to be "Christ IN US, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27), and Christ ON US, as the…”

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions.

“Two examples of such scruples are here specified, touching Jewish meats and days. "The strong," it will be observed, are those who knew these to be abolished under the Gospel; "the weak" are those who had scruples on this point.”

The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God…

“Let not him that eateth despise--look down superciliously upon "him that eateth not." and let not him that eateth not judge--sit in judgment censoriously upon "him that eateth."”

Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

“Who art thou that judges another man's--rather, "another's" servant?--that is, CHRIST'S, as the whole context shows, especially Ro 14:8, 9.”

He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does…

“For none of us--Christians liveth to himself--(See 2Co 5:14, 15), to dispose of himself or shape his conduct after his own ideas and inclinations. and no man--"and none" of us Christians "dieth to himself."”

If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

“And since the apostle, when he wrote these words, had never been at Rome, he could only know that the Roman Christians would assent to this view of Christ, because it was the common teaching of all the accredited preachers of Christianity, and the common…”

For this reason Christ died and returned to life, that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

“For to this end Christ both, &c.--The true reading here is, To this end Christ died and lived ("again").”

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

“On any other view, the quotation to show that we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God would be a strange proof that Christians are all amenable to Christ.”

Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

“I know, and am persuaded by--or rather, "in" the Lord Jesus--as "having the mind of Christ" (1Co 2:16). that there is nothing unclean of itself--Hence it is that he calls those "the strong" who believed in the abolition of all ritual distinctions under the Gospel.”

If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.

“Accordingly, in the next clause, that idea is brought out with great strength. Destroy not him with--"by" thy meat for whom Christ died--"The worth of even the poorest and weakest brother cannot be more emphatically expressed than by the words, 'for whom Christ died'" [OLSHAUSEN].”

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling…

“All things indeed are pure--"clean"; the ritual distinctions being at an end. but it is evil to that man--there is criminality in the man who eateth with offence--that is, so as to stumble a weak brother.”

Keep your belief about such matters between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.

“Hast thou faith--on such matters? have it to thyself--within thine own breast before God--a most important clause. It is not mere sincerity, or a private opinion, of which the apostle speaks; it is conviction as to what is the truth and will of God.”

But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.

“And--rather, "But" he that doubteth is damned--On the word "damnation," see on Ro 13:2. if he eat, because he eateth not of faith--On the meaning of "faith" here, see on Ro 14:22.”

We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

“We then that are strong--on such points as have been discussed, the abolition of the Jewish distinction of meats and days under the Gospel. Ro 14:20. ought . . .”

For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

“Now the God of patience and consolation--Such beautiful names of God are taken from the graces which He inspires: as "the God of hope" (Ro 15:13), "the God of peace" (Ro 15:33).”

For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, so that the Gentiles…

“Now--"For" is the true reading: the apostle is merely assigning an additional motive to Christian forbearance.”

Again, it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

“And again-- (De 32:43, though there is some difficulty in the Hebrew).”