1 Corinthians 8

Food Offered to Idols

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

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

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