Romans 14:17

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, etc..] Neither the kingdom of glory, nor the ultimate glory and happiness of the saints in the other world, is attained to by any such things; for neither eating and drinking, nor not eating and drinking, can recommend to the divine favour, or give a meetness for heaven, or a right unto it; (see <460808>1 Corinthians 8:8), nor does the kingdom of grace, the principle of grace, lie in such things, nor in anything that is external; nor does the Gospel, or Gospel church state, which frequently go under this name of the kingdom of God, consist of such things as the ceremonial and the legal dispensation did, but the Gospel and the dispensation of…”

“For the kingdom of God--or, as we should say, Religion; that is, the proper business and blessedness for which Christians are formed into a community of renewed men in thorough subjection to God (compare Co1 4:20). is not meat and drink--"eating and drinking" but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost--a beautiful and comprehensive division of living Christianity. The first--"righteousness"--has respect to God, denoting here "rectitude," in its widest sense (as in Mat 6:33); the second--"peace"--has respect to our neighbors, denoting "concord" among brethren (as is plain from Rom 14:19; compare Eph 4:3; Col 3:14-15); the third--"joy in the Holy Ghost"--has respect to ourselves.…”

“For the kingdom of God - For an explanation of this phrase, see the note at Matthew 3:2. Here it means that the uniquenesses of the kingdom of God, or of the Church of Christ on earth, do not consist in observing the distinctions between meats and drinks, it was true that by these things the Jews had been particularly characterized, but the Christian church was to be distinguished in a different manner. Is not - Does not consist in, or is not distinguished by. Meat and drink - In observing distinctions between different kinds of food, or making such observances a matter of conscience as the Jews did. Moses did not prescribe any particular drink or prohibit any, but the Nazarites abstained…”

“For the kingdom of God - That is, true religion, does not consist in external observances. But in righteousness - The image of God stamped on the heart; the love of God and man, accompanied with the peace that passeth all understanding, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:18”

“kingdom: Dan 2:44; Mat 3:2, Mat 6:33; Luk 14:15, Luk 17:20, Luk 17:21; Joh 3:3, Joh 3:5; Co1 4:20, Co1 6:9; Th1 2:12 is: Co1 8:8; Col 2:16, Col 2:17; Heb 13:9 but: Isa 45:24; Jer 23:5, Jer 23:6; Dan 9:24; Mat 6:33; Co1 1:30; Co2 5:21; Phi 3:9; Pe2 1:1 peace: Rom 5:1-5, Rom 8:6, Rom 8:15, Rom 8:16, Rom 15:13; Isa 55:12, Isa 61:3; Joh 16:33; Act 9:31, Act 13:52; Gal 5:22; Phi 2:1, Phi 3:3, Phi 4:4, Phi 4:7; Col 1:11; Th1 1:6; Pe1 1:8 Romans 14:18”