Romans 14:14,15

“ I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself:except that to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, it is unclean. Now if thy brother be grieved because of food, thou walkest no more charitably. Destroy not by thy food, him for whom Christ died. ”

Paul does not wish to discuss the matter; but yet he cannot conceal his conviction; and he expresses it in passing, in Romans 14:14, as a concession he must make on the side of the strong. At bottom, it is they who are right. Οἶδα, I know, indicates a rational, theoretic conviction, such as even a Jew, trained by the O. T. to a true spirituality, might reach. The second verb πέπεισμαι, I am persuaded, goes further; it indicates that this conviction has penetrated to his very conscience, and set it practically free from all perplexity. The words: in the Lord Jesus, remind us that it is He who has put an end to the obligations imposed by the ceremonial law. The emancipation which faith finds in Him arises not only from His doctrine (Matthew 15:11, for example), but above all from the redemption wrought by Him. This clause: in the Lord Jesus, bears on the second verb; there is nothing except the possession of salvation which can practically give full liberty to the soul.

Several ancient commentators have referred the words δἰ αὐτοῦ, to Jesus Christ: “Through Him there is no longer anything unclean.” But the negative form of the proposition is not favorable to this sense. Paul would rather have said: “everything is clean through Him.” It is more natural to understand this δἰ αὐτοῦ in the sense of: of itself (as would obviously be the case with the reading δἰ ἑαυτοῦ): “Nothing is unclean in its own nature (in the matter of food);” comp. 1 Corinthians 10:26; 1 Timothy 4:4-5; Titus 1:15.

The restriction εἰ μή, except, applies to the idea of uncleanness in general, without taking account of the limitation of itself. This slightly incorrect use of εἰ μή has given rise, though erroneously, to the belief that this particle might signify but; comp. Matthew 12:4; Luke 4:26-27; John 5:19; Galatians 1:19; Galatians 2:16, etc.

This restriction, whereby Paul reminds us that what is regarded as unclean becomes really so to him who uses it under this idea, paves the way for indicating the voluntary limits which the strong should be able to impose on himself in the exercise of his liberty.