Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 14:17

"for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." — Romans 14:17 (ASV)

In v.16, the “good” must be understood as the liberty to eat, since all foods are regarded as clean. This liberty, however, if resented because it has been flaunted in the face of the weak, can be regarded as an evil thing on account of its unloving misuse.

Then, with pastoral insight, Paul lifts the entire discussion to a higher level than mere eating and drinking (v.17). His readers, all of them, are the loyal subjects of Christ in the kingdom of God. In that sphere the real concerns are not externals such as diet but the spiritual realities motivating life and shaping conduct. Surely the strong will agree that if their insistence on Christian liberty endangers the spiritual development of the church as a whole, they should be willing to forgo that liberty (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:12–23). In this context “righteousness” (GK 1466) does not mean justification but right conduct to which the believer is called to obey the will of God (cf. 6:13, 16, 18). This conclusion is supported by the fact that “joy” is an experiential term. “Peace” here means the peace of God (see comment on v.19). Mention of “the Holy Spirit” is understandable, because joy and peace are included in the fruit he produces in the believer’s life . Paul then links these matters to the believer’s service of Christ. The manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit is acceptable not only to God who provides it, but also to those who see it in operation and experience its blessings.