Charles Ellicott Commentary Romans 14:15

"For if because of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer in love. Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ died." — Romans 14:15 (ASV)

But.—The true reading is undoubtedly For, and its connection is somewhat difficult to trace. It appears to leap over Romans 14:14 and go back to Romans 14:13.

We may suppose that the substance of this verse recurs to the Apostle’s mind after the parenthetical statement just inserted. Though he does not repeat it in words, he connects the sequence of his thought to it: “The Christian should not put a stumbling-block in his brother’s way. Indeed, there is nothing unclean in itself, but to the person who regards it as such, it is unclean. [Therefore, the Christian should be careful about what he does.] For to cause distress to another over a mere matter of food is to be uncharitable.”

Two stages are noted in the words “grieved” and “destroy.” When one person sees another do what his own conscience condemns, it causes him pain, but when he is further led on by this to do himself what his conscience condemns, he is in danger of a worse fate; he is morally ruined and undone. The work of redemption that Christ has accomplished for him is canceled, and that entire great and beneficent scheme is hindered in its operation by an act of thoughtlessness or lack of consideration on the part of a fellow Christian.

With your meat.—Rather, because of meat, on a mere question of meat.