Food sacrificed to idols
1Now about food sacrificed to idols. We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2If anyone imagines he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. 4So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods, in heaven or on earth — and indeed there are many gods and many lords — 6for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we live; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things come and through whom we live. 7But not everyone has this knowledge. Some, so used until now to the idol, eat the food as truly sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is stained. 8Food will not bring us before God: we are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9But take care that this right of yours does not become a stumbling stone to the weak. 10For if someone sees you, with your knowledge, at table in an idol’s temple, will his conscience, weak as it is, not be built up — built up to eat food sacrificed to idols? 11So the weak one is destroyed by your knowledge — the brother for whom the Christ died. 12And when you sin like this against your brothers and strike at their weak conscience, you sin against the Christ. 13That is why, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat again, rather than make my brother stumble.
