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Food Offered to Idols

¹ Now about food sacrificed to idols:^(C1) We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up,^(C2) but love^(C3) builds up. ² If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it.^{(C1) 3} But if anyone loves God,^(C1) he is known^(C2) by him.

⁴ About eating food sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,”^(F1) and that “there is no God but one.”^{(C1) 5} For even if there are so-called gods,^(C1) whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”— ⁶ yet for us there is one God, the Father.^(C1) All things are from him,^(C2) and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him.^(C3)

⁷ However, not everyone has this knowledge. Some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸ Food will not bring us close to God.^(F1) We are not worse off if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat.^{(C1) 9} But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block^(C1) to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged^(F1) to eat food offered to idols? ¹¹ So the weak person, the brother or sister for whom Christ died,^(C1) is ruined^(F1)(C2) by your knowledge.^{(C3) 12} Now when you sin like this against brothers and sisters and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food causes my brother or sister to fall, I will never again eat meat,^(C1) so that I won’t cause my brother or sister to fall.