Do Not Judge Your Brother

(Matthew 7:1-6; Luke 6:37-42)

1NOW him that is weak in faith, take unto you: not in disputes about thoughts. 2For one believeth that he may eat all things: but he that is weak, let him eat herbs. 3Let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not: and he that eateth not, let him not judge him that eateth. For God hath taken him to him. 4Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own lord he standeth or falleth. And he shall stand: for God is able to make him stand.

5For one judgeth between day and day: and another judgeth every day: let every man abound in his own sense. 6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord. And he that eateth, eateth to the Lord: for he giveth thanks to God. And he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth thanks to God. 7For none of us liveth to himself; and no man dieth to himself. 8For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Therefore, whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9For to this end Christ died and rose again; that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10But thou, why judgest thou thy brother? or thou, why dost thou despise thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

11For it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

12Therefore every one of us shall render account to God for himself.

Do Not Cause Your Brother to Stumble

(Ezekiel 14:1-11; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13)

13Let us not therefore judge one another any more. But judge this rather, that you put not a stumblingblock or a scandal in your brother's way. 14I know, and am confident in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15For if, because of thy meat, thy brother be grieved, thou walkest not now according to charity. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16Let not then our good be evil spoken of. 17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but justice, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18For he that in this serveth Christ, pleaseth God, and is approved of men. 19Therefore let us follow after the things that are of peace; and keep the things that are of edification one towards another. 20Destroy not the work of God for meat. All things indeed are clean: but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21It is good not to eat flesh, and not to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother is offended, or scandalized, or made weak. 22Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth. 23But he that discerneth, if he eat, is condemned; because not of faith. For all that is not of faith is sin.