Romans 14:10-12 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

But why dost thou judge Or condemn; thy Gentile brother Because he neglects the distinction of meats and days? Or why dost thou O Gentile believer; set at naught And deride, as weak or superstitious, thy Jewish brother, who conscientiously observes that burdensome ritual, from which thou art so happy as to apprehend thyself free? This censoriousness, or contempt, is greatly to be blamed; and, as well as the judging and condemning just mentioned, must very ill become the state in which we are, and must quickly be: for no principle of our common faith is more certain than this, that we shall all stand and take our trial before the judgment-seat of Christ And it is surely a dangerous presumption to anticipate that judgment. For it is written In the Jewish Scriptures, (Isaiah 45:23,) As I live, saith the Lord An oath proper to him, because he only possesseth life infinite and independent; every knee shall bow to me Shall stoop to my dominion; and every tongue shall confess to God Shall acknowledge my sovereignty, which shall be done most fully and perfectly at the day of judgment. The Lord grant we may find mercy in that day! And may it also be imparted to those who have differed from us! Yea, to those who have censured and condemned us for things which we have done from a desire to please him, or have refused to do from a fear of offending him. So then every one of us The high, as well as the low, the rich, as well as the poor; shall give account of himself to God Of his own conduct, and not of the weaknesses of others; and therefore we should not trouble ourselves about them, but look to ourselves.