Food Offered to Idols
1 In your letter you asked me about food offered to idols. All of us know something about this subject. But knowledge makes us proud of ourselves, while love makes us helpful to others. 2 In fact, people who think they know so much don't know anything at all. 3 But God has no doubts about who loves him.
4 Even though food is offered to idols, we know that none of the idols in this world are alive. After all, there is only one God. 5 Many things in heaven and on earth are called gods and lords, but none of them really are gods or lords. 6 We have only one God, and he is the Father. He created everything, and we live for him. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. Everything was made by him, and by him life was given to us.
7 Not everyone knows these things. In fact, many people have grown up with the belief that idols have life in them. So when they eat meat offered to idols, they are bothered by a weak conscience. 8 But food doesn't bring us any closer to God. We are no worse off if we don't eat, and we are no better off if we do.
9 Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything. 10 You know all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. 11 Then what you know has destroyed someone Christ died for. 12 When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live.
1 And as touching things sacrificed vnto idols, wee knowe that wee all haue knowledge: knowledge puffeth vp, but loue edifieth. 2 Nowe, if any man thinke that hee knoweth any thing, hee knoweth nothing yet as hee ought to knowe. 3 But if any man loue God, the same is knowen of him. 4 Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed vnto idoles, we knowe that an idole is nothing in the worlde, and that there is none other God but one. 5 For though there bee that are called gods, whether in heauen, or in earth (as there be many gods, and many lords) 6 Yet vnto vs there is but one God, which is that Father, of whome are all things, and we in him: and one Lord Iesus Christ, by whome are all things, and we by him. 7 But euery man hath not that knowledge: for many hauing conscience of the idole, vntill this houre, eate as a thing sacrificed vnto the idole, and so their conscience being weake, is defiled. 8 But meate maketh not vs acceptable to God, for neither if we eate, haue we the more: neither if we eate not, haue we the lesse. 9 But take heede lest by any meanes this power of yours be an occasion of falling, to them that are weake. 10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge, sit at table in the idoles temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weake, be boldened to eate those things which are sacrificed to idoles? 11 And through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish, for whome Christ died. 12 Nowe when ye sinne so against the brethren, and wound their weake conscience, ye sinne against Christ. 13 Wherefore if meate offende my brother, I wil eate no flesh while the world standeth, that I may not offend my brother.