1 Corinthians 8
8
About Food Offered to Idols
1Now I will write about meat that is sacrificed#8:1 sacrificed Killed and offered as a gift to show worship. Also in verse 10. to idols. It is certainly true that “we all have knowledge,” as you say. But this knowledge only fills people with pride. It is love that helps the church grow stronger. 2Those who think they know something do not yet know anything as they should. 3But whoever loves God is known by God.
4So this is what I say about eating meat: We know that an idol is really nothing in the world, and we know that there is only one God. 5It’s really not important if there are things called gods in heaven or on earth—and there are many of these “gods” and “lords” out there. 6For us there is only one God, and he is our Father. All things came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things were made through him, and we also have life through him.
7But not all people know this. Some have had the habit of worshiping idols. So now when they eat meat, they still feel as if it belongs to an idol. They are not sure that it is right to eat this meat. So when they eat it, they feel guilty. 8But food will not bring us closer to God. Refusing to eat does not make us less pleasing to God, and eating does not make us closer to him.
9But be careful with your freedom. Your freedom to eat anything may make those who have doubts about what they can eat fall into sin. 10You understand that it’s all right to eat anything, so you can eat even in an idol’s temple. But someone who has doubts might see you eating there, and this might encourage them to eat meat sacrificed to idols too. But they really think it is wrong. 11So this weak brother or sister—someone Christ died for—is lost because of your better understanding. 12When you sin against your brothers and sisters in Christ in this way and you hurt them by causing them to do things they feel are wrong, you are also sinning against Christ. 13So if the food I eat makes another believer fall into sin, I will never eat meat again. I will stop eating meat, so that I will not make my brother or sister sin.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
1 Corinthians 8
8
Food Sacrificed to Idols
(Ezekiel 14:1–11; Romans 14:13–23)
1Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But the one who loves God is known by God.
4So 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 there are many so-called gods and lords), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.
7But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.
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