1 Corinthians 8
8
Food Offered to Idols
1Now about food sacrificed to idols:#Ac 15:29; 21:25; 1Co 10:19; Rv 2:14,20 We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up,#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 sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,”#8:4 Or an idol has no real existence 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. Some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8Food will not bring us close to God.#8:8 Or bring us before (the judgment seat of) God We are not worse off 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 knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged#8:10 Or built up to eat food offered to idols? 11So the weak person, the brother or sister 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#8:11 Or destroyed#Heb 6:8 by your knowledge.#Mt 25:45 12Now when you sin like this against brothers and sisters and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. 13Therefore, if food causes my brother or sister to fall, I will never again eat meat,#Dt 12:15 so that I won’t cause my brother or sister to fall.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
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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