You then, who eat only vegetables---why do you pass judgment on others? And you who eat anything---why do you despise other believers? All of us will stand before God to be judged by him.

If you hurt others because of something you eat, then you are no longer acting from love. Do not let the food that you eat ruin the person for whom Christ died!

The right thing to do is to keep from eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that will make other believers fall.

They are disappointed because so little progress is being made. But they will see Zerubbabel continuing to build the Temple, and they will be glad." The angel said to me, "The seven lamps are the seven eyes of the LORD, which see all over the earth."

"See that you don't despise any of these little ones. Their angels in heaven, I tell you, are always in the presence of my Father in heaven.

Jesus also told this parable to people who were sure of their own goodness and despised everybody else.

And so this weak person, your brother for whom Christ died, will perish because of your "knowledge"!

So then, if food makes a believer sin, I will never eat meat again, so as not to make a believer fall into sin.

So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin.

"Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you,

for God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others.

Then the followers of John the Baptist came to Jesus, asking, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast at all?"

When John came, he fasted and drank no wine, and everyone said, 'He has a demon in him!'

When the Son of Man came, he ate and drank, and everyone said, 'Look at this man! He is a glutton and wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!' God's wisdom, however, is shown to be true by its results."

that is, not your own conscience, but the other person's conscience. "Well, then," someone asks, "why should my freedom to act be limited by another person's conscience?

If I thank God for my food, why should anyone criticize me about food for which I give thanks?"

So let no one make rules about what you eat or drink or about holy days or the New Moon Festival or the Sabbath.

All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ.

Peter began to speak: "I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis.

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who were listening to his message.

And God, who knows the thoughts of everyone, showed his approval of the Gentiles by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he had to us.

He made no difference between us and them; he forgave their sins because they believed.