1 Corinthians 8
8
Concerning food sacrificed to idols
1Now about food sacrificed to idols: we know that ‘We all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3But whoever loves God is known by God.#8:2,3 An early manuscript and another ancient witness think they have knowledge do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves truly knows.
4So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that ‘An idol is nothing at all in the world’ and that ‘There is no God but one.’ 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
7But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling-block to the weak. 10For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®
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1 Corinthians 8
8
The Question About Food Sacrificed to Idols
1Now I’d like to talk about food that has been sacrificed to statues of gods. We know that “We all have knowledge.” But knowledge makes people proud, while love builds them up. 2Those who think they know something still don’t know as they should. 3But whoever loves God is known by God.
4So then, here’s what I say about eating food sacrificed to idols. We know that “an idol really is nothing at all in the world.” We know that “there is only one God.” 5There may be so-called gods either in heaven or on earth. In fact, there are many “gods” and many “lords.” 6But for us there is only one God, the Father. All things came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things came through him and we live through him.
7But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food, they think of it as having been sacrificed to real gods. And because their conscience is weak, they feel guilty. 8Eating sacrificial food doesn’t prove how close to God we are. We aren’t any worse off if we don’t eat it, and we aren’t any better off if we do.
9So be careful how you use your rights. Make sure you don’t cause someone who’s weaker than you to fall into sin. 10Suppose that you, with all of your knowledge, are eating in a temple of one of those gods. And suppose someone whose conscience is weak sees you. Won’t that person think it’s okay to eat food sacrificed to honor “gods” and be encouraged to do so? 11If that happens, then your knowledge will destroy that weaker brother or sister Christ died for. 12If you sin against them that way and wound their weak conscience, you’re actually sinning against Christ. 13So if eating food sacrificed to idols would cause my brother or sister to fall into sin, I’ll never eat that food again. That way, I won’t ever cause them to fall.
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