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Take Care with Your Liberty

¹ Now concerning ^(C1)things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have ^(C2)knowledge. Knowledge ^(C3)puffs up, but love ^(C4)builds up.^2 (C1)If anyone thinks that he has known anything, he has not yet ^(C2)known as he ought to know;³ but if anyone loves God, he ^(C1)has been known by Him.

⁴ Therefore, concerning the eating of ^(C1)things sacrificed to idols, we know that ^(F1)an idol is ^(C2)nothing in the world, and that ^(C3)there is no God but one.⁵ For even if ^(C1)there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,⁶ yet for us ^(C1)there is one God, ^(C2)the Father, ^(C3)from whom are all things and we exist for Him, and ^(C4)one Lord, Jesus Christ, ^(C5)by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

⁷ However, not all men ^(C1)have this knowledge; but ^(C2)some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.⁸ But ^(C1)food will not ^(F1)commend us to God. We neither lack if we do not eat, nor abound if we do eat.⁹ But ^(C1)see to it that this ^(F1)authority of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the ^(C2)weak.¹⁰ For if someone sees you, who have ^(C1)knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be built up to eat ^(C2)things sacrificed to idols?¹¹ For through ^(C1)your knowledge he who is weak ^(C2)is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.^12 (C1)And in that way, by sinning against the brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin ^(C2)against Christ.¹³ Therefore, ^(C1)if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again—ever, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.