1 Corinthians (1 Co) 8
8
1Now about food sacrificed to idols: we know that, as you say, “We all have knowledge.” Yes, that is so, but “knowledge” puffs a person up with pride; whereas love builds up. 2The person who thinks he “knows” something doesn’t yet know in the way he ought to know. 3However, if someone loves God, God knows him.
4So, as for eating food sacrificed to idols, we “know” that, as you say, “An idol has no real existence in the world, and there is only one God.” 5For even if there are so-called “gods,” either in heaven or on earth — as in fact there are “gods” and “lords” galore — 6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, through whom were created all things and through whom we have our being.
7But not everyone has this knowledge. Moreover, some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat food which has been sacrificed to them, they think of it as really affected by the idol; and their consciences, being weak, are thus defiled. 8Now food will not improve our relationship with God — we will be neither poorer if we abstain nor richer if we eat. 9However watch out that your mastery of the situation does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10You have this “knowledge”; but suppose someone with a weak conscience sees you sitting, eating a meal in the temple of an idol. Won’t he be built up wrongly to eat this food which has been sacrificed to idols? 11Thus by your “knowledge” this weak person is destroyed, this brother for whom the Messiah died; 12and so, when you sin against the brothers by wounding their conscience when it is weak, you are sinning against the Messiah!
13To sum up, if food will be a snare for my brother, I will never eat meat again, lest I cause my brother to sin.
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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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