Romans 14:19

Romans 14:19, in plain English

Make it your pursuit to do the things that bring peace and that build up one another spiritually—that's where your energy should go.

Why it's here

Paul gives a final positive direction. Stop spending your energy on judgment and conflict. Redirect it toward what builds community and strengthens faith. Make peace and edification your goal.

Who's speaking

Paul, offering the constructive alternative to judgment

Where it sits in the story

This echoes earlier Pauline teaching about building up the body of Christ and living as peacemakers—themes that run throughout his letters.

The scholarly reading

Paul exhorts the community to pursue the things that make for peace and mutual building-up—a general principle that encompasses all the specific directives about conscience and practice.

Language and setting

The Greek διώκω (pursue, chase after) suggests active, intentional commitment rather than passive tolerance. 'Edification' (οἰκοδομή, literally building up) is the positive counterpart to 'stumbling block'; believers construct one another's faith through restraint and encouragement.

Voice

Paul, offering a comprehensive ethical norm

Significance

This principle of pursuing peace and edification recurs throughout Paul's letters (1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 14:12, 26); here it serves as the summative criterion for adjudicating all disputed practices.

17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

18For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

19So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.

21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.

Read all of Romans 14 — One person eats everything; another eats only vegetables. One observes a holy day; another doesn't. Stop passing judgment — each person stands before God.