Romans 14:23

And he that doubteth This verse, like the last clause, is really aimed at the "strong" Christian's mistaken conduct. He is reminded of the real sin he may occasion in his "weak" fellow-Christian. See last note but one.

doubteth He whose conscience is not at easeon the question of "meats."

is damned Lit. hath been condemned. The perfect gives the thought that ipso facto, then and there, he passes under God's sentence of displeasure, as a rebellious child.

The idea of eternal doom is not, of course, at all inherentin the words; the sentence may be only one of merciful chastening. But even thus, this verse is a suggestive comment on the Divine view of the sinfulness of the lightesttransgressions.

not of faith i.e. he "takes a liberty," not on the right principle but on the wrong; not from clear conviction that it is authorized by his acceptance in Christ by faith, but from neglect of conscience. And all such acts, as being results of a known wrong principle, are sins.

It is plain from the context that St Paul does not assert that every actis sinful which is not directly based on conscious faith in Christ; but that every act of "liberty" of the kind in question, not so based, is sinful; for it can be based only on neglect of conscience.

for Lit. but, or now; the argumentative word.

At the close of this chapter many MSS. place the Great Doxology, Romans 16:25-27. See on this question, Introduction, ii. § 3.