Romans 14:1
Romans 14:11Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions.
Watchtower commentary takes as Paul's instruction not to judge fellow believers on disputable matters. The verse is read as endorsing a category of conscience-issues where Christians may legitimately differ — though in practice the Watchtower's elder body decides which matters fall in the conscience category and which are mandatory organisational positions.
opens the chapter that decisively settles the conscience-and-festivals dispute the Watchtower has reopened. Paul commands: "Welcome the man having weaknesses in his faith, but do not pass judgment on differing opinions." The wider chapter (especially v5-6) rules that one Christian may observe a day to the Lord and another treat all days alike — both are acceptable. Then v10-12 prepares the judgment-seat warning: every believer will give an account "for himself," not for fellow believers' conscience choices. The Watchtower's disfellowshipping practice for celebrating Christmas, voting, birthday parties — all conscience matters that Paul explicitly leaves to the individual's conviction — inverts the verse's command. Paul says do not judge; the Watchtower judges.
The NWT renders ton asthenounta tē pistei (singular participle, "the one weak in faith") as "the man having weaknesses in his faith" — pluralising "weaknesses." Greek has the singular. Consensus reads "weak in faith" (ESV/ NASB/NIV/KJV). The pluralised "weaknesses" subtly shifts focus from a person's whole spiritual state to multiple opinion-points, supporting the JW conscience-on-disputable- things framing where elders identify discrete "weak" positions to address.