Food Offered to Idols

8 Now about food sacrificed to idols:^(A) We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up,^(B) but love^(C) builds up. ² If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it.^{(D) 3} But if anyone loves God,^(E) he is known^(F) by him.

⁴ About eating food sacrificed to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,”^[a] and that “there is no God but one.”^{(G) 5} For even if there are so-called gods,^(H) whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”— ⁶ yet for us there is one God, the Father.^(I) All things are from him,^(J) and we exist for him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through him, and we exist through him.^(K)

⁷ However, not everyone has this knowledge. Some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸ Food will not bring us close to God.^[b] We are not worse off if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat.^{(L) 9} But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block^(M) to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged^[c] to eat food offered to idols? ¹¹ So the weak person, the brother or sister for whom Christ died,^(N) is ruined^[d](O) by your knowledge.^{(P) 12} Now when you sin like this against brothers and sisters and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food causes my brother or sister to fall, I will never again eat meat,^(Q) so that I won’t cause my brother or sister to fall.