Romans 14:20

Meat. Gr. broma, food in general.

Destroy. Gr. kataluo, literally, “to loosen down.” The word is used to describe the pulling down of something that has been built up and thus carries on, by contrast, the figure begun by “edify,” literally, “build up,” in v. 19. For the sake of mere food Christians are not to fight against God by tearing down and destroying what He has built up.

The work of God. Compare 1 Cor. 3:9; Eph. 2:10.

Pure. See v. 14; cf. 1 Cor. 10:23.

With offence. This may refer either to the strong brother who, by taking advantage of his own liberty, offends his “weak” brother, or to the “weak” (v. 1) brother who, by the example of his strong brother, is emboldened to eat that which his conscience does not allow (see 1 Cor. 8:10). Most commentators seem to prefer the first interpretation. If this is correct, Paul is saying that “it is wrong for a man to be a stumbling block to others by what he eats.”