Judgment and the Weak Conscience

It is evil among yourselves. But running to him in a peaceful manner, the one judging concerning foods has spoken thus: even if the brother were at fault according to this, he is not obligated to judge. Likewise, he spoke to the one treating with contempt the brother who is not eating, because of a lack of faith. For to treat with contempt the one committing adultery with a man is to threaten the one who shall be saved according to the Psalm; but one should not treat with contempt the one doing something out of excessive piety, so that we might not be treated with contempt by God like those who are convinced of themselves that they are righteous and treat others with contempt. Furthermore, the reasoning for not being extremely angry with one another is this: for all, he says, are under God's judgment, and just as we shall be presented before God as a judge; for it is not the one presented before the judge who judges the one standing present with him, for each must take care of the one giving an account. And let us not judge our neighbor, but let us remember so that we ourselves may not be condemned. It is evident that the Christ's judgment is the judgment seat of God; for the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, having given him judgment to perform as a human judge of men according to authority, because he is a son of man. He did not reserve judgment to human nature, since the Son is not man by nature, but is also man by dispensation. Therefore it remains God's, and thus the judgment and the tribunal belongbunal belong to his wisdom and power, of the holy one who was incarnated for man.

I know, he says, through Christ's faith, that through Christ all things are clean, and nothing that enters defiles, but that which goes out from the heart (Rom 14:14). Such also is the opinion concerning the unclean; just as an unclean thought from the heart regarding a harm immediately makes that which is deemed unclean to be common.

Watch out, he says, to bring a stain upon the brother who is being weakened in conscience (Rom 14:15). For he also said this in the letter to the Corinthians, that the weak consciences are being stained by those eating as if eating idols. Do not, he says, make the eating of such things a matter of haste; for if we do this without having reliability toward the grief of the brother, we surpass love by making the eating a pretext for the more necessary thing. For the sake of a trivial food, let not the possession of Christ be lost, he who has become dead to life. He will be lost by being separated from the union and being deprived of love, or even by being compelled to eat unfaithfully. Let us not stir up blasphemy against the faith, by choosing profane eatings because of this. It is sufficient to glorify what is necessary concerning foods. It is not that if we eat, then God reigns in us; for it is not by eating and drinking that the kingdom of God is defined. How...