1 N ow concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

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 B ut if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know.

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

3 B ut if anyone loves God, the same is known by him.

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

4 T herefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

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 F or though there are things that are called “gods”, whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many “gods” and many “lords”;

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

6 y et to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.

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 H owever, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of the idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

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 B ut food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.

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 B ut be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak.

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

10 F or if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol’s temple, won’t his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

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 A nd through your knowledge, he who is weak perishes, the brother for whose sake Christ died.

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 T hus, sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

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

13 T herefore if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more, that I don’t cause my brother to stumble.

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.