Take Care with Your Liberty

8 Now concerning ^(A)things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have ^(B)knowledge. Knowledge ^(C)puffs up, but love ^(D)builds up. ^2 (E)If anyone thinks that he has known anything, he has not yet ^(F)known as he ought to know; ³ but if anyone loves God, he ^(G)has been known by Him.

⁴ Therefore, concerning the eating of ^(H)things sacrificed to idols, we know that ^[a]an idol is ^(I)nothing in the world, and that ^(J)there is no God but one. ⁵ For even if ^(K)there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, ⁶ yet for us ^(L)there is one God, ^(M)the Father, ^(N)from whom are all things and we exist for Him, and ^(O)one Lord, Jesus Christ, ^(P)by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

⁷ However, not all men ^(Q)have this knowledge; but ^(R)some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸ But ^(S)food will not ^[b]commend us to God. We neither lack if we do not eat, nor abound if we do eat. ⁹ But ^(T)see to it that this ^[c]authority of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the ^(U)weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, who have ^(V)knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be built up to eat ^(W)things sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ For through ^(X)your knowledge he who is weak ^(Y)is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. ^12 (Z)And in that way, by sinning against the brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin ^(AA)against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, ^(AB)if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again—ever, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.