Open English Translation 1COR Chapter 8

8 Now, concerning food that’s been sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have ‘knowledge’—knowledge breeds conceit but love gives inner strength. 2 Anyone who thinks they know something usually doesn’t know what they don’t know, 3 but anyone who loves God is known by God.

4 Now back to eating food that’s been offered to idols, we know that there’s only one God and so worldly idols are really nothing at all. 5 Even though there are many so-called ‘gods’ and ‘masters’ said to live in the heavens or earth, 6 we know there’s only one God, who is the Father who created everything and we exist to honour him. And we only have one master, Yeshua Messiah who created everything and is also the source of our existence.

7 But not everyone knows this. Some people have been so used to trusting idols that even now as believers when they eat food that’s been sacrificed to idols, they still think it’s wrong and so their weak consciences become defiled. 8 But food doesn’t bring us closer to God—what we eat makes us no better or worse off spiritually.

9 However, be careful in case your freedom becomes a reason that weaker believers might get confused and stumble in their spiritual walk. 10 Yes, if someone with a weaker conscience sees you eating at a place with an idol, they might be encouraged to eat food that’s offered to idols against their conscience, 11 thus this weaker believer who the messiah also died for, might end up being destroyed. 12 If you end up sinning against other believers and wounding their weak consciences, you sin against Messiah. 13 Therefore, if food might cause a fellow believer to stumble, I’ll certainly never eat meat, so that I won’t cause them to stumble.