I Corinthians 8
8
Be Sensitive to Conscience
1Now #Acts 15:20; 1 Cor. 8:4, 7, 10concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have #Rom. 14:14knowledge. #Rom. 14:3Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2And #(1 Cor. 13:8–12); Gal. 6:3; (1 Tim. 6:4)if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
4Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that #Is. 41:24an idol is nothing in the world, #Deut. 4:35, 39; 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:6and that there is no other God but one. 5For even if there are #(John 10:34)so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6yet #Mal. 2:10; Eph. 4:6for us there is one God, the Father, #Acts 17:28of whom are all things, and we for Him; and #John 13:13; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 4:5; (1 Tim. 2:5)one Lord Jesus Christ, #John 1:3; (Col. 1:16, 17); Heb. 1:2through whom are all things, and #Rom. 5:11; Rev. 4:11; 5:9, 10through whom we live.
7However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, #(1 Cor. 10:28)with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is #Rom. 14:14, 22defiled. 8But #(Rom. 14:17)food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.
9But #Gal. 5:13beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become #Rom. 14:13, 21; 1 Cor. 10:28a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not #1 Cor. 10:28the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11And #Rom. 14:15, 20because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12But #Matt. 25:40when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, #Rom. 14:21; 1 Cor. 10:32; 2 Cor. 6:3; 11:29if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
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I Corinthians 8: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 8
8
Food Sacrificed to Statues of Gods
1Now I want to deal with food sacrificed to statues of gods. We know that “We all have knowledge.” But knowledge makes people proud, while love builds them up. 2Those who think they know something still don’t know as they should. 3But whoever loves God is known by God.
4So then, here is what I say about eating food sacrificed to statues of gods. We know that “a god made by human hands is really nothing at all in the world.” We know that “there is only one God.” 5There may be so-called gods either in heaven or on earth. In fact, there are many “gods” and many “lords.” 6But for us there is only one God. He is the Father. All things came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord. He is Jesus Christ. All things came because of him, and we live because of him.
7But not everyone knows this. Some people still think that statues of gods are real gods. They might eat food sacrificed to statues of gods. When they do, they think of it as food sacrificed to real gods. And because those people have a weak sense of what is right and wrong, they feel guilty. 8But food doesn’t bring us close to God. We are no worse if we don’t eat. We are no better if we do eat.
9But be careful how you use your rights. Be sure you don’t cause someone weaker than you to fall into sin. 10Suppose you, with all your knowledge, are eating in a temple of one of those gods. And suppose someone who has a weak sense of what is right and wrong sees you. Won’t that person become bold and eat what is sacrificed to statues of gods? 11If so, then your knowledge destroys that weak brother or sister for whom Christ died. 12Suppose you sin against them in this way. Then you harm their weak sense of what is right and wrong. By doing this, you sin against Christ. 13So suppose what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin. Then what should I do? I will never eat meat again. In that way, I will not cause them to fall.
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