1 أ مّا فِي ما يَتَعَلَّقُ بِالذَّبائِحِ المُقَدَّمَةِ لِلأوثانِ، فَصَحِيحٌ قُولُكُمْ: «كُلُّنا نَعْرِفُ!» لَكِنَّ المَعْرِفَةَ تَنفُخُ النّاسَ بِالكِبرِياءِ، أمّا المَحَبَّةُ فَتَبنِيهِمْ.

I want to write about food that has been given as a gift in worship to a false god. We all know something about it. Knowing about it makes one feel important. But love makes one strong.

2 ف َإنْ ظَنَّ أحَدُهُمْ أنَّهُ يَعْرِفُ، فَإنَّهُ لا يَعْرِفُ كَما يَنبَغِي.

The person who thinks he knows all the answers still has a lot to learn.

3 ل َكِنْ مَنْ يُحِبُّ اللهَ، فَإنَّهُ يَكُونُ مَعرُوفاً مِنَ اللهِ.

But if he loves God, he is known by God also.

4 ف َفِي ما يَتَعَلَّقُ بِأكلِ لَحمِ الذَّبائِحِ المُقَدَّمَةِ لِلأوثانِ، نَعْرِفُ أنَّهُ لا يُوجَدُ وَثَنٌ حَقِيقِيٌّ فِي العالَمِ، وَأنَّهُ لا إلَهَ آخَرَ إلّا اللهُ وَحدَهُ.

What about food that has been given as a gift to a false god in worship? Is it right? We know that a false god is not a god at all. There is only one God! There is no other.

5 ن َعْرِفُ أنَّ هُناكَ ما يُسَمَّى «آلِهَةً،» سَواءٌ أفِي السَّماءِ أمْ عَلَى الأرْضِ، وَأنَّ هُناكَ «آلِهَةً» كَثِيرِينَ وَ«أرباباً» كَثِيرِيْنَ.

Men have thought there are many such gods and lords in the sky and on the earth.

6 أ مّا بِالنِّسبَةِ لَنا، فَلا يُوجَدُ إلّا إلَهٌ واحِدٌ هُوَ الآبُ، الَّذِي مِنهُ تَأتِي كُلُّ الأشياءِ وَلَهُ نَحيا. وَلا يُوجَدُ إلّا رَبٌّ واحِدٌ، هُوَ يَسُوعُ المَسِيحُ الَّذِي بِهِ تُوجَدُ كُلُّ الأشياءِ وَبِهِ نَحيا.

But we know there is only one God. He is the Father. All things are from Him. He made us for Himself. There is one Lord. He is Jesus Christ. He made all things. He keeps us alive.

7 ل َكِنْ لا يعرِفُ الجَمِيعُ هَذِهِ الحَقيقةَ. فَبَعضُ النّاسِ كانوا قَدِ اعْتادُوا عَلَى عِبادَةِ الأوثانِ، فَعِنْدَما يَأكُلُونَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ اللَّحمِ مُعتَقِدِينَ أنَّهُ ذُبِحَ لِوَثَنٍ، يَشعُرُونَ بِالذَّنبِ لِأنَّ ضَمِيرَهُمْ ضَعِيفٌ.

Not all men know this. They have given food as a gift in worship to a god as if the god were alive. Some men have done this all their lives. If they eat such food, their hearts tell them it is wrong.

8 غ َيرَ أنَّ الطَّعامَ لا يُقَرِّبُنا مِنَ اللهِ. فَنَحنُ لا نَصِيرُ أسوَأ إنْ لَمْ نَأْكُلَ، وَلا نَكُونُ أًفضَلَ إنْ أكَلنا.

Food will not bring us near to God. We are no worse if we do not eat it, or we are no better if we eat it.

9 ل َكِنِ انتَبِهُوا لِئَلّا يَصِيرَ حَقُّكُمْ فِي تَناوُلِ مِثلِ هَذِهِ الأطعِمَةِ سَبَباً فِي تَعَثُّرِ الضُّعَفاءِ.

Since you are free to do as you please, be careful that this does not hurt a weak Christian.

10 ف َيا صاحِبَ المَعْرِفَةِ، ماذا لَو رَآكَ أحَدٌ ذُو ضَمِيرٍ ضَعِيفٍ تَجلِسُ وَتَأكُلُ فِي مَعبَدٍ لِلأوثانِ، ألا يَتَشَجَّعُ ضَمِيرُهُ فَيَأكُلَ مِنَ الأطعِمَةِ المُقَدَّمَةِ لِلأوثانِ؟

A Christian who is weak may see you eat food in a place where it has been given as a gift to false gods in worship. Since he sees you eat it, he will eat it also.

11 و َهَكَذا تُؤدِّي مَعرِفَتُكَ إلَى تَدمِيرِ هَذا المُؤمِنِ، وَهُوَ أخُوكَ الَّذِي ماتَ المَسِيحُ مِنْ أجلِهِ!

You may make the weak Christian fall into sin by what you have done. Remember, he is a Christian brother for whom Christ died.

12 و َإذْ تُخطِئونَ فِي حَقِّ إخْوَتِكُمْ وَتَجرَحُونَ ضَمِيرَهُمُ الضَّعِيفَ، فإنَّكُمْ تُخطِئونَ إلَى المَسِيحِ نَفسِهِ.

When you sin against a weak Christian by making him do what is wrong, you sin against Christ.

13 ف َإنْ كانَ الطَّعامُ يَتَسَبَّبُ فِي أنْ يُخطِئَ أخِي، فَلَنْ آكُلَ لَحماً مَرَّةً أُخْرَى لِئلّا يُخطِئَ أخِي.

So then, if eating meat makes my Christian brother trip and fall, I will never eat it again. I do not want to make my Christian brother sin.