Chapter 14.—Three Good Reasons for Abstaining from Certain Kinds of Food. 31.  But, you reply, the apostle says, "It is good, brethren, neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine."172  No one denies that this is good, provided that it is for the end already mentioned, of which it is said, "Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof;"173 or for the ends pointed out by the apostle, namely, either to check the appetite, which is apt to go to a more wild and uncontrollable excess in these things than in others, or lest a brother should be offended, or lest the weak should hold fellowship with an idol.  For at the time when the apostle wrote, the flesh of sacrifices was often sold in the market.  And because wine, too, was used in libations to the gods of the Gentiles, many weaker brethren, accus- tomed to purchase such things, preferred to abstain entirely from flesh and wine rather than run the risk of having fellowship, as they considered it, with idols, even ignorantly.  And, for their sakes, even those who were stronger, and had faith enough to see the insignificance of these things, knowing that nothing is unclean except from an evil conscience, and holding by the saying of the Lord, "Not that which entereth into your mouth defileth you, but that which cometh out of it," 174 still, lest these weaker brethren should stumble, were bound to abstain from these things.  And this is not a mere theory, but is clearly taught in the epistles of the apostle himself.  For you are in the habit of quoting only the words, "It is good, brethren, neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine," without adding what follows, "nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended or is made weak."  These words show the intention of the apostle in giving the admonition. 32.  This is evident from the preceding and succeeding context.  The passage is a long one to quote, but, for the sake of those who are indolent in reading and searching the sacred Scriptures, we must give the whole of it.  "Him that is weak in the faith," says the apostle, 78 "receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.  For one believeth that he may eat all things:  another, who is weak, eateth herbs.  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth, for God hath received him.  Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth; yea, he shall be holden up:  for God is able to make him stand.  One man esteemeth one day above an- other; another esteemeth every day alike.  Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it to the Lord.  He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord:  whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.  For to this end Christ both lived, and died and rose again, that He 172 Rom. xiv. 21. 173 Rom. xiii. 14. 174 Matt. xv. 2. Three Good Reasons for Abstaining from Certain Kinds of Food. 133 Three Good Reasons for Abstaining from Certain Kinds of Food.