1 Corinthians 8
1 And as touching things sacrificed vnto idols, wee knowe that wee all haue knowledge: knowledge puffeth vp, but loue edifieth.
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 Nowe, if any man thinke that hee knoweth any thing, hee knoweth nothing yet as hee ought to knowe.
If a man thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet reached that knowledge which he ought to have reached.
3 But if any man loue God, the same is knowen of him.
On the other hand, if a man loves God, he is known by God.
4 Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed vnto idoles, we knowe that an idole is nothing in the worlde, and that there is none 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 bee that are called gods, whether in heauen, or in earth (as there be 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 vnto vs there is but one God, which is that Father, of whome are all things, and we in him: and one Lord Iesus Christ, by whome are all things, and we by 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 But euery man hath not that knowledge: for many hauing conscience of the idole, vntill this houre, eate as a thing sacrificed vnto the idole, and so their conscience being weake, is defiled.
Still, it is not every one 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 meate maketh not vs acceptable to God, for neither if we eate, haue we the more: neither if we eate not, haue we the lesse.
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 take heede lest by any meanes this power of yours be an occasion of falling, to them that are weake.
But take care that this right of yours does not become in any way a stumbling-block to the weak.
10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge, sit at table in the idoles temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weake, be boldened to eate those things which are sacrificed to idoles?
For if some one should see you who possess this knowledge, feasting in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is a weak man, become so hardened that he, too, will eat food offered to idols?
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish, for whome Christ died.
And so, through this knowledge of yours, the weak man is ruined — your Brother for whose sake Christ died!
12 Nowe when ye sinne so against the brethren, and wound their weake conscience, ye sinne against Christ.
In this way, by sinning against your Brothers and injuring their consciences, while still weak, you sin against Christ.
