1 Corinthians 8
8
Meat sacrificed to false gods
1Now concerning meat that has been sacrificed to a false god: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds people up. 2If anyone thinks they know something, they don’t yet know as much as they should know. 3But if someone loves God, then they are known by God.
4So concerning the actual food involved in these sacrifices to false gods, we know that a false god isn’t anything in this world, and that there is no God except for the one God. 5Granted, there are so-called “gods,” in heaven and on the earth, as there are many gods and many lords. 6However, for us believers,
There is one God the Father.
All things come from him, and we belong to him.
And there is one Lord Jesus Christ.
All things exist through him, and we live through him.
7But not everybody knows this. Some are eating this food as though it really is food sacrificed to a real idol, because they were used to idol worship until now. Their conscience is weak because it has been damaged. 8Food won’t bring us close to God. We’re not missing out if we don’t eat, and we don’t have any advantage if we do eat. 9But watch out or else this freedom of yours might be a problem for those who are weak. 10Suppose someone sees you (the person who has knowledge) eating in an idol’s temple. Won’t the person with a weak conscience be encouraged to eat the meat sacrificed to false gods? 11The weak brother or sister for whom Christ died is destroyed by your knowledge. 12You sin against Christ if you sin against your brothers and sisters and hurt their weak consciences this way. 13This is why, if food causes the downfall of my brother or sister, I won’t eat meat ever again, or else I may cause my brother or sister to fall.
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 8
8
Love Is Greater Than Knowledge
1Now let me address the issue of food offered in sacrifice to idols. It seems that everyone believes his own opinion is right on this matter. # 8:1 Or “we all have knowledge.” How easily we get puffed up over our opinions! But love builds up the structure of our new life. # 8:1 That is, knowledge may make a person look important, but it is only through love that we reach our full maturity. It is simply “Love builds up.” It builds up our lives, our churches, our families, and others. Love is the most powerful substance for building what will last forever. 2If anyone thinks of himself as a know-it-all, he still has a lot to learn. 3But if a person passionately loves God, he will possess the knowledge of God. # 8:3 Explicit in the Aramaic and implied in the Greek, which can also be translated, “is known [acknowledged] by God.”
4Concerning food sacrificed as offerings to idols, we all know that an idol is nothing, for there is no God but one. # 8:4 See Deut. 6:4. 5Although there may be many so-called gods in this world, and in heaven there may be many “gods,” “lords,” and “masters,” 6yet for us there is only one God—the Father. Out of him is all things, and our lives are lived for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus, the Anointed One, through whom we and all things exist.
7But not everyone has this revelation. For some were formerly idolaters, who consider idols as real and living. That’s why they consider the food offered to that “god” as defiled. And their weak consciences become defiled if they eat it. 8Yes, we know that what you eat will not bring you closer to God. You are no better if you don’t eat certain foods and no better if you do. 9But you must be careful that the liberty you exercise in eating food offered to idols doesn’t offend the weak believers. 10For if a believer with a weak conscience sees you, who have a greater understanding, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t this be a temptation to him to violate his own conscience # 8:10 Or “have his conscience built up.” Ironically, this is the same Greek word Paul used in v. 1 for love “builds up.” The implication is that the weak believer will be emboldened to violate his conscience by watching a more mature believer freely eating food offered to idols. and eat food offered to idols? 11So, in effect, by exercising your understanding of freedom, you have ruined this weak believer, # 8:11 This is because the “freedom” of the mature could lead the immature believer back into what he feels is idol worship. a brother for whom Christ has died! 12And when you offend weaker believers by wounding their consciences in this way, you also offend # 8:12 That is, “They bring an offense against the teachings of Christ,” as translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “When you sin against a weaker believer . . . you also sin against Christ.” the Anointed One!
13So I conclude that if my eating certain food deeply offends # 8:13 The Greek word skandalizō (from which we get our English word scandal) means “to throw a snare in front of someone purposely to trip them up.” my brother and hinders his advance in Christ, I will never eat it again. I don’t want to be guilty of causing my brother or sister to be wounded and defeated.
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