1 Corintios 8
1 En cuanto a lo sacrificado a los ídolos, sabemos que todos tenemos ciencia. La ciencia envanece, mas la caridad edifica.
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 Y si alguno piensa que sabe algo, aún no sabe nada como le conviene saber.
If someone thinks that they know anything, they have not yet reached that knowledge which they ought to have reached.
3 Mas el que ama a Dios, el tal es enseñado de Dios.
On the other hand, if a person loves God, they are known by God.
4 Acerca, pues, de las viandas que son sacrificadas a los ídolos, sabemos que el ídolo nada es en el mundo, y que no hay más que un sólo Dios.
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 Porque aunque haya algunos que se llamen dioses, o en el cielo, o en la tierra (como hay muchos dioses y muchos señores),
Even supposing that there are so-called “gods” either in heaven or on earth – and there are many such “gods” and “lords” –
6 nosotros, sin embargo, no tenemos más que un Dios, el Padre, del cual son todas las cosas, y nosotros en él; y un Señor, Jesús, el Cristo, por el cual son todas las cosas, y nosotros por él.
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 Mas no en todos hay esta ciencia, porque algunos con conciencia del ídolo hasta ahora, lo comen como sacrificado a ídolos; y su conciencia, siendo flaca, es contaminada.
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 La vianda no nos hace más aceptos a Dios; ni porque comamos, seremos más ricos; ni porque no comamos, seremos más pobres.
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 Pero mirad que esta libertad vuestra no sea tropezadero a los que son débiles.
But take care that this right of yours does not become in any way a stumbling-block to the weak.
10 Porque si te ve alguno, a ti que tienes esta ciencia, sentado a la mesa en el lugar de los ídolos, ¿la conciencia de aquel que es débil, no será llevada a comer de lo sacrificado a los ídolos?
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 Y por tu ciencia se perderá el hermano débil por el cual el Cristo murió.
And so, through this knowledge of yours, the weak person is ruined – someone for whose sake Christ died!
12 De esta manera, pues, pecando contra los hermanos, e hiriendo su flaca conciencia, contra Cristo pecáis.
In this way, by sinning against your fellow followers of the Lord and injuring their consciences, while still weak, you sin against Christ.
