King James Version

What Does Romans 14:15 Mean?

Romans 14:15 in the King James Version says “But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably . Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom C...” — study this verse from Romans chapter 14 with commentary, cross-references, and original Greek word analysis.

“But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably . Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. charitably: Gr. according to charity”

Romans 14:15 · KJV

Context

13

Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

14

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. unclean: Gr. common

15

But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably . Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. charitably: Gr. according to charity

16

Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

17

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Read Romans 14 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably—Ei gar dia brōma ho adelphos sou lypeītai, ouketi kata agapēn peripateis (εἰ γὰρ διὰ βρῶμα ὁ ἀδελφός σου λυπεῖται, οὐκέτι κατὰ ἀγάπην περιπατεῖς). Lypeītai (λυπέω, is grieved/wounded) is stronger than annoyance—spiritual harm, conscience violation. Kata agapēn peripateis (κατὰ ἀγάπην περιπατέω, walk according to love) summarizes Christian ethics: love is the guiding principle. If your eating wounds a brother, you've abandoned love's way, even though your action is objectively permissible.

Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died—Mē tō brōmati sou ekeinon apollye hyper hou Christos apethanen (μὴ τῷ βρώματί σου ἐκεῖνον ἀπόλλυε ὑπὲρ οὗ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν). Apollymi (ἀπόλλυμι, destroy/ruin) is severe—not temporary distress but spiritual destruction, potentially apostasy (1 Corinthians 8:11, 'the weak brother perishes, for whom Christ died'). The clause hyper hou Christos apethanen (for whom Christ died) is devastating: Christ's death purchased this weak brother—will you destroy what Christ died to save over food? If Christ valued him enough to die, surely you can limit your diet.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

Paul's rhetorical question echoes 1 Corinthians 8:11-13—causing a brother to stumble is serious sin, potentially damning him. This isn't hypothetical: some weak believers, emboldened by strong believers' example, violated conscience by eating idol-meat, then fell back into idolatry or despaired over sin. Paul's pastoral heart refuses to sacrifice the weak on the altar of the strong's rights. This shaped Christian ethics: liberty limited by love, rights subordinated to others' spiritual welfare. The strong bear responsibility for the weak (15:1).

Reflection Questions

  1. How does the phrase 'for whom Christ died' (<em>hyper hou Christos apethanen</em>) reframe your attitude toward limiting freedom for weaker believers?
  2. What legitimate liberties might you willingly restrict to avoid 'destroying' (<em>apollymi</em>) someone Christ died to save?
  3. How do you balance standing firm on truth with pastoral sensitivity to those whose consciences are weaker?

Original Language Analysis

Greek · 22 words
εἰ1 of 22

“if”

G1487

if, whether, that, etc

δὲ2 of 22

“But”

G1161

but, and, etc

διὰ3 of 22

“with”

G1223

through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)

βρώματί4 of 22

“meat”

G1033

food (literally or figuratively), especially (ceremonially) articles allowed or forbidden by the jewish law

ὁ5 of 22
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

ἀδελφός6 of 22

“brother”

G80

a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like g0001)

σου7 of 22

“thy”

G4675

of thee, thy

λυπεῖται8 of 22

“be grieved”

G3076

to distress; reflexively or passively, to be sad

οὐκέτι9 of 22

“not”

G3765

not yet, no longer

κατὰ10 of 22
G2596

(prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined)

ἀγάπην11 of 22

“charitably”

G26

love, i.e., affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast

περιπατεῖς·12 of 22

“walkest thou”

G4043

to tread all around, i.e., walk at large (especially as proof of ability); figuratively, to live, deport oneself, follow (as a companion or votary)

μὴ13 of 22

“not”

G3361

(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether

τῷ14 of 22
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

βρώματί15 of 22

“meat”

G1033

food (literally or figuratively), especially (ceremonially) articles allowed or forbidden by the jewish law

σου16 of 22

“thy”

G4675

of thee, thy

ἐκεῖνον17 of 22

“him”

G1565

that one (or (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed

ἀπόλλυε18 of 22

“Destroy”

G622

to destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively

ὑπὲρ19 of 22

“for”

G5228

"over", i.e., (with the genitive case) of place, above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative case super

οὗ20 of 22

“whom”

G3739

the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that

Χριστὸς21 of 22

“Christ”

G5547

anointed, i.e., the messiah, an epithet of jesus

ἀπέθανεν22 of 22

“died”

G599

to die off (literally or figuratively)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Romans. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Romans 14:15 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Romans 14:15 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Corinthians 8:11-12Galatians 5:13Philippians 2:2-41 Corinthians 13:4-5Romans 14:20Romans 15:2

Test Your Knowledge

Romans 14 QuizTest your knowledge of this chapterRomans Book QuizComprehensive quiz for the entire book

Continue Your Study

Read Romans 14 with CommentaryAll Romans ChaptersComplete Romans QuizBible CharactersNave's Topical BibleAll Bible Quizzes