1 Corinthians 8

Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols

1 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that "we all have knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
2 If anyone thinks he knows anything, he has not yet known as it is necessary to know.
3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him.
4 Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that "an idol [is] nothing in the world" and that "[there is] no God except one."
5 For even if after all [there] are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as [there] are many gods and many lords,
6 yet to us [there is] one God, the Father, from whom [are] all [things], and we [are] for him, and [there is] one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom [are] all [things], and we [are] through him.
7 But this knowledge [is] not in everyone. But some, being accustomed until now to the idol, eat [this food] as food sacrificed to idols, and their conscience, [because it] is weak, is defiled.
8 But food does not bring us close to God. For neither if we eat do we have more, nor if we do not eat do we lack.
9 But watch out lest somehow this right of yours becomes a cause for stumbling to the weak.
10 For if someone should see you who has knowledge reclining for a meal in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, [because it] is weak, be strengthened so that [he] eats the food sacrificed to idols?
11 For the one who is weak--the brother for whom Christ died--is destroyed by your knowledge.
12 Now [if you] sin in this way against the brothers and wound their conscience, which is weak, you sin against Christ.
13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat {forever}, in order that I may not cause my brother to sin.

Footnotes 7

  • [a]. Considered by many interpreters to be a slogan used by the Corinthians to justify their behavior
  • [b]. Considered by many interpreters to be slogans used by the Corinthians to justify their behavior
  • [c]. *Here "[because]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("is") which is understood as causal
  • [d]. Some manuscripts omit "For" and have "Neither if we do not eat do we lack, nor if we do eat do we have more"
  • [e]. *Here "[because]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("is") which is understood as causal
  • [f]. *Here "[if]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("sin") which is understood as conditional
  • [g]. Literally "for the age"

1 Corinthians 8 Commentaries

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.