Glorify God in Body and Spirit

^12 (A)All things are lawful for me, but all things are not ^[a]helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of ^[b]any.

All to the Glory of God^(A)

²³ All things are lawful ^[a]for me, but not all things are ^(B)helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things ^[b]edify. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own, but each one ^(C)the other’s well-being.

^25 (D)Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; ²⁶ for ^(E)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

²⁷ If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, ^(F)eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it ^(G)for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; ^[c]for ^(H)“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” ²⁹ “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For ^(I)why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? ³⁰ But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food ^(J)over which I give thanks?

^31 (K)Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ^32 (L)Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, ³³ just ^(M)as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

^27 (A)But I discipline my body and ^(B)bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become ^(C)disqualified.

¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone ^(A)fall short of the grace of God; lest any ^(B)root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; ¹⁶ lest there be any ^(C)fornicator or ^[a]profane person like Esau, ^(D)who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

The Law of Love

¹⁴ I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus ^(A)that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵ Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. ^(B)Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. ^16 (C)Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; ^17 (D)for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and ^(E)peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ For he who serves Christ in ^[a]these things ^(F)is acceptable to God and approved by men.

^19 (G)Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which ^(H)one may ^[b]edify another. ^20 (I)Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. ^(J)All things indeed are pure, ^(K)but it is evil for the man who eats with ^[c]offense. ²¹ It is good neither to eat ^(L)meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles ^[d]or is offended or is made weak. ^22 [e]Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. ^(M)Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. ²³ But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for ^(N)whatever is not from faith is ^[f]sin.

⁷ However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, ^(A)with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is ^(B)defiled. ⁸ But ^(C)food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

⁹ But ^(D)beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become ^(E)a ^[a]stumbling block to those who are weak. ¹⁰ For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not ^(F)the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? ¹¹ And ^(G)because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? ¹² But ^(H)when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, ^(I)if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

⁹ not because we do not have ^(A)authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

¹² These are ^[a]spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried ^[b]about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;

⁴ Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that ^(A)an idol is nothing in the world, ^(B)and that there is no other God but one.