1 Corinthians 8
8
Take Care with Your Liberty
1Now about food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge [concerning this]. Knowledge [alone] makes [people self-righteously] arrogant, but love [that unselfishly seeks the best for others] builds up and encourages others to grow [in wisdom]. 2If anyone imagines that he knows and understands anything [of divine matters, without love], he has not yet known as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God [with awe-filled reverence, obedience and gratitude], he is known by Him [as His very own and is greatly loved].
4In this matter, then, of eating food offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world [it has no real existence], 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, #Lit from whom are all things.who is the source of all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things [that have been created], and we [believers exist and have life and have been redeemed] through Him.
7However, not all [believers] have this knowledge. But some, being accustomed [throughout their lives] to [thinking of] the idol until now [as real and living], still eat food #In Paul’s viewpoint, meat sold at the market place (even if it had been used in idol worship) was permissible food because a pagan sacrifice was meaningless, and the meat itself could not be contaminated by any such ritual (cf Mark 7:19). Some who had accepted Christ worried that they were violating their new faith if they ate any meat without knowing its origin first-hand.as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and because their conscience is weak, it is defiled (guilty, ashamed). 8Now food will not commend us to God nor bring us close to Him; we are no worse off if we do not eat, nor are we better if we do eat. 9Only be careful that this liberty of yours [this power to choose] does not somehow become a stumbling block [that is, a temptation to sin] to the weak [in conscience]. 10For if someone sees you, a person having #I.e. the knowledge that no harm can come from eating the meat, since in reality the sacrifice is meaningless (see note v 7).knowledge, #Lit reclining, i.e. the position in which people dined.eating in an idol’s temple, then if he is weak, will he not be encouraged to eat things sacrificed to idols [and violate his own convictions]? 11For through your knowledge (spiritual maturity) this weak man is ruined [that is, he suffers in his spiritual life], the brother for whom Christ died. 12And when you sin against the brothers and sisters in this way and wound their weak conscience [by confusing them], you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if [my eating a certain] food causes my brother to stumble (sin), I will not eat [such] meat ever again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
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1 Corinthians 8
8
Food Offered to Idols
1About food offered to idols: # Ac 15:29; 21:25; 1Co 10:19; Rv 2:14,20 We know that “we all have knowledge.” # See note at 1Co 6:12-13. Knowledge inflates with pride, # 1Co 4:6 but love # 1Co 13:1-13 builds up. 2If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. # 1Co 3:18; 13:8-12; 1Tm 6:4 3But if anyone loves God, # Dt 6:5; Lk 10:27 he is known # Pr 2:6 by Him.
4About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” # Dt 6:4 5For even if there are so-called gods, # 2Th 2:4 whether in heaven or on earth — as there are many “gods” and many “lords” —
6yet for us there is one God, the Father. # Mt 5:16; 11:27; Lk 11:13; Jn 8:42; Eph 5:20
All things are from Him, # Ps 104:24; Col 1:16; Rv 3:14
and we exist for Him.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ.
All things are through Him,
and we exist through Him. # Jn 1:3
7However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. # Rm 14:17 9But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block # Ex 23:33; Rm 14:20 to the weak. 10For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? 11Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died, # Jn 11:51; Rm 5:6,8; 8:34; 14:9,15; 1Co 15:3; Gl 2:21; Eph 5:2; 1Th 5:10 is ruined # Or destroyed # Heb 6:8 by your knowledge. # Mt 25:45 12Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. 13Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, # Dt 12:15 so that I won’t cause my brother to fall.
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