Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
Parallel translations
- WEB Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn’t judge himself in that which he approves.
- BSB Keep your belief about such matters between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
- NKJV Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
- NASB The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is the one who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
- NLT You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Keep your settled convictions about liberty between yourself and God; blessed is the one who has no self-condemnation in what he approves. A clear conscience before God is a gift to guard, not a banner to wave.
Overview
Paul counsels the strong to hold their faith-convictions privately before God rather than parading them in ways that wound others. The truly blessed person can act without self-reproach because his conduct aligns with his conscience and with God's approval. Liberty exercised before God in good conscience is to be cherished, but it need not be flaunted to be valid.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Jn 3:21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
- Rom 14:5One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
- Jas 3:13Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
- Gal 6:1Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
- Rom 14:23And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
- Rom 14:14I 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.
- Rom 14:2For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
- 2 Cor 1:12For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
- Acts 24:16And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
- Rom 7:24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
- Rom 7:15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 14:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.