1 Corinthians 8
8
About Food Offered to Idols
1Now I will write about meat that is sacrificed to idols. We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs you up with pride, but love builds up. 2Whoever thinks he knows something does not yet know anything as he should. 3But he who loves God is known by God.
4So this is what I say about eating meat sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is really nothing in the world. And we know that there is only one God. 5It is really not important if there are things called gods, in heaven or on earth. (And there are many things that people call “gods” and “lords.”) 6But for us there is only one God. He is our Father. All things came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord—Jesus Christ. All things were made through Jesus, and we also have life through him.
7But not all people know this. Until now, some people have had the habit of worshiping idols. So now when they eat meat, they still feel as if it belongs to an idol. They are not sure that it is right to eat this meat. When they eat it, they feel guilty. 8But food will not make us closer to God. Refusing to eat does not make us less pleasing to God. And eating does not make us better in God’s sight.
9But be careful with your freedom. Your freedom may cause those who are weak in faith to fall into sin. 10Suppose one of you who has knowledge eats in an idol’s temple.# Building where a false god is worshiped. Someone who is weak in faith might see you eating there. This would encourage him to eat meat sacrificed to idols. But he really thinks it is wrong. 11So this weak brother is ruined because of your “knowledge.” And Christ died for this brother. 12When you sin against your brothers in Christ like this and cause them to do what they feel is wrong, you are also sinning against Christ. 13So if the food I eat makes my brother fall into sin, I will never eat meat again. I will stop eating meat, so that I will not cause my brother to sin.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
1 Corinthians 8
8
1Now about “food sacrificed to idols.”#8:1. Paul continues answering the issues the Corinthians have raised. So “we all have knowledge” about this subject. Knowledge makes us proud, but love strengthens us. 2If anyone thinks they know anything, they don't know as they really should know! 3But whoever loves God is known by God.
4So regarding eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that there are no such things as idols in the world, and that there is only one real God. 5Even though there are some things called “gods,” whether in heaven or on earth—in fact there are many “gods” and “lords.” 6But for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything was made, and he is the goal of our existence; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything was made, and he is the means of our existence.#8:6. This is a complex verse the meaning of which is much debated. It is seen as an early “creed” or declaration, identifying God as Creator and Re-creator, the focus of our lives. It literally says, “But to us one God the Father, from whom the all and we into him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the all and we through him.”
7But not everyone has this “knowledge.”#8:7. Paul takes issue with this knowledge being misapplied, as seen in verse 10 when it could be seen as being proud and arrogant. Some who up to now have been so used to idols as a reality that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience (which is weak) tells them they have defiled themselves. 8But food doesn't gain us God's approval! If we don't eat this food, we're not bad, and if we do eat this food, we're not good. 9Just take care not to use this freedom you have to eat food sacrificed to idols to become offensive to those with a weaker attitude. 10If another believer sees you who have such “better knowledge”#8:10. See under 8:7. eating food in an idol temple, won't his weak conscience be convinced to eat food sacrificed to idols?#8:10. In other words, deciding to follow another's example, while still believing it is a sin. 11By your “better knowledge” the weaker believer is destroyed, a believer for whom Christ died. 12In this way you sin against other believers, wounding their weaker consciences, and you sin against Christ. 13So if eating food sacrificed to idols would cause my fellow believer to stumble, I will never eat such meat ever again, so that I don't offend any believer.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com