1 Corinthians 8
8
Advice about Food Offered to False Gods
1Now, concerning food offered to false gods: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds them up. 2Those who think they know something still have a lot to learn. 3But if they love God, they are known by God.
4Now about eating food that was offered to false gods: We know that the false gods in this world don’t really exist and that no god exists except the one God. 5People may say that there are gods in heaven and on earth—many gods and many lords, as they would call them. 6But for us,
“There is only one God, the Father.
Everything came from him, and we live for him.
There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ.
Everything came into being through him,
and we live because of him.”
7But not everyone knows this. Some people are so used to worshiping false gods that they believe they are eating food offered to a false god. So they feel guilty because their conscience is weak.
8Food will not affect our relationship with God. We are no worse off if we eat ⌞that food⌟ and no better off if we don’t. 9But be careful that by using your freedom you don’t somehow make a believer who is weak in faith fall into sin. 10For example, suppose someone with a weak conscience sees you, who have this knowledge, eating in the temple of a false god. Won’t you be encouraging that person to eat food offered to a false god? 11In that case, your knowledge is ruining a believer whose faith is weak, a believer for whom Christ died. 12When you sin against other believers in this way and harm their weak consciences, you are sinning against Christ.
13Therefore, if eating food ⌞offered to false gods⌟ causes other believers to lose their faith, I will never eat that kind of food so that I won’t make other believers lose their faith.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
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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