1 Corinthians 8
8
Honouring God instead of idols
Food offered to idols
1In your letter you asked me about food offered to idols. All of us know something about this subject. But knowledge makes us proud of ourselves, while love makes us helpful to others. 2In fact, people who think they know so much don't know anything at all. 3But God has no doubts about who loves him.
4Even though food is offered to idols, we know that none of the idols in this world are alive. After all, there is only one God. 5Many things in heaven and on earth are called gods and lords, but none of them really are gods or lords. 6We have only one God, and he is the Father. He created everything, and we live for him. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. Everything was made by him, and by him life was given to us.
7Not everyone knows these things. In fact, many people have grown up with the belief that idols have life in them. So when they eat meat offered to idols, they are bothered by a weak conscience. 8But food doesn't bring us any closer to God. We are no worse off if we don't eat, and we are no better off if we do.
9Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything. 10You know-all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. 11Then what you know has destroyed someone Christ died for. 12When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
1 Corinthians 8
8
1And concerning the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that we all have knowledge: knowledge puffeth up, but love buildeth up;
2and if any one doth think to know anything, he hath not yet known anything according as it behoveth [him] to know;
3and if any one doth love God, this one hath been known by Him.
4Concerning the eating then of the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that an idol [is] nothing in the world, and that there is no other God except one;
5for even if there are those called gods, whether in heaven, whether upon earth — as there are gods many and lords many —
6yet to us [is] one God, the Father, of whom [are] the all things, and we to Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom [are] the all things, and we through Him;
7but not in all men [is] the knowledge, and certain with conscience of the idol, till now, as a thing sacrificed to an idol do eat [it], and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
8But victuals do not commend us to God, for neither if we may eat are we in advance; nor if we may not eat, are we behind;
9but see, lest this privilege of yours may become a stumbling-block to the infirm,
10for if any one may see thee that hast knowledge in an idol's temple reclining at meat — shall not his conscience — he being infirm — be emboldened to eat the things sacrificed to idols,
11and the brother who is infirm shall perish by thy knowledge, because of whom Christ died?
12and thus sinning in regard to the brethren, and smiting their weak conscience — in regard to Christ ye sin;
13wherefore, if victuals cause my brother to stumble, I may eat no flesh — to the age — that my brother I may not cause to stumble.
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