1 Corinthians 8
1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
With reference to food that has been offered in sacrifice to idols – We are aware that all of us have knowledge! Knowledge breeds conceit, while love builds up character.
2 But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know.
If someone thinks that they know anything, they have not yet reached that knowledge which they ought to have reached.
3 But anyone who loves God is known by him.
On the other hand, if a person loves God, they are known by God.
4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
With reference, then, to eating food that has been offered to idols – we are aware that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.
5 For though there are things that are called “gods”, whether in the heavens or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”—
Even supposing that there are so-called ‘gods’ either in heaven or on earth – and there are many such ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ –
6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.
Yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom all things come (and for him we live), and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things come (and through him we live).
7 However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of an idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
Still, it is not everyone that has this knowledge. Some people, because of their association with idols, continued down to the present time, eat the food as food offered to an idol; and their consciences, while still weak, are dulled.
8 But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat are we the worse, nor if we eat are we the better.
What we eat, however, will not bring us nearer to God. We lose nothing by not eating this food, and we gain nothing by eating it.
9 But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak.
But take care that this right of yours does not become in any way a stumbling-block to the weak.
10 For if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol’s temple, won’t his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
For if someone should see you who possess this knowledge, feasting in an idol’s temple, will not their conscience, if they are weak, become so hardened that they, too, will eat food offered to idols?
11 And through your knowledge, he who is weak perishes, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
And so, through this knowledge of yours, the weak person is ruined – someone for whose sake Christ died!
12 Thus, sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
In this way, by sinning against your fellow followers of the Lord and injuring their consciences, while still weak, you sin against Christ.
