New Testament · 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 8

Things Sacrificed to Idols

(Ezekiel 14:1–11; Romans 14:13–23)

1Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: we know that we all have knowledge^a; knowledge puffs up, but love^b builds up. 2If anyone thinks he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3but if anyone loves^c God, this man is known by Him.

4Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth — as indeed there are many gods and many lords — 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Yeshua Messiah, through whom are all things and we exist through Him.

7However not all have this knowledge; but some, with conscience^d of the idol until now, eat as if it were something sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8But food will not commend us to God; we are neither worse if we do not eat, nor better if we do eat.

9But take care that this liberty^e of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, while he is weak, be built up to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11For through your knowledge the weak brother is destroyed — he for whom Messiah died. 12And by sinning against the brothers and wounding their conscience while it is weak, you sin against Messiah.

13Therefore, if food causes to stumble my brother, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause to stumble my brother.^f