1 Corinthians 8-10

English Standard Version

Food Offered to Idols

8 Now concerning^{[a] (A)}food offered to idols: we know that ^(B)“all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” ^(C)puffs up, ^(D)but love builds up. ^2 (E)If anyone imagines that he knows something, ^(F)he does not yet know as he ought to know. ³ But if anyone loves God, ^(G)he is known by God.^[b]

⁴ Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ^(H)“an idol has no real existence,” and that ^(I)“there is no God but one.” ⁵ For although there may be ^(J)so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— ⁶ yet ^(K)for us there is one God, the Father, ^(L)from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and ^(M)one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and ^(N)through whom we exist.

⁷ However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, ^(O)through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and ^(P)their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ^8 (Q)Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. ⁹ But take care ^(R)that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block ^(S)to the weak. ¹⁰ For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating^[c] in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged,^[d] if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? ¹¹ And so by your knowledge this weak person is ^(T)destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. ¹² Thus, sinning against your brothers^[e] and ^(U)wounding their conscience when it is weak, ^(V)you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, ^(W)if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Paul Surrenders His Rights

9 ^(X)Am I not free? ^(Y)Am I not an apostle? ^(Z)Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? ^(AA)Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? ² If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are ^(AB)the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

³ This is my defense to those who would examine me. ^4 (AC)Do we not have the right to eat and drink? ^5 (AD)Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife,^[f] as do the other apostles and ^(AE)the brothers of the Lord and ^(AF)Cephas? ⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? ^7 (AG)Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? ^(AH)Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

⁸ Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses, ^(AI)“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written ^(AJ)for our sake, because ^(AK)the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. ^11 (AL)If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? ¹² If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?

Nevertheless, ^(AM)we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything ^(AN)rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. ¹³ Do you not know that ^(AO)those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord commanded that ^(AP)those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

¹⁵ But ^(AQ)I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone ^(AR)deprive me of my ground for boasting. ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For ^(AS)necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with ^(AT)a stewardship. ¹⁸ What then is my reward? That in my preaching ^(AU)I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

¹⁹ For ^(AV)though I am free from all, ^(AW)I have made myself a servant to all, that I might ^(AX)win more of them. ^20 (AY)To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. ²¹ To ^(AZ)those outside the law I became ^(BA)as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but ^(BB)under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. ^22 (BC)To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. ^(BD)I have become all things to all people, that ^(BE)by all means I might save some. ²³ I do it all for the sake of the gospel, ^(BF)that I may share with them in its blessings.

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives ^(BG)the prize? So ^(BH)run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every ^(BI)athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we ^(BJ)an imperishable. ²⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I ^(BK)do not box as one ^(BL)beating the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and ^(BM)keep it under control,^[g] lest after preaching to others ^(BN)I myself should be ^(BO)disqualified.

Warning Against Idolatry

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,^[h] that our fathers were all under ^(BP)the cloud, and all ^(BQ)passed through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and ^(BR)all ate the same ^(BS)spiritual food, ⁴ and ^(BT)all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for ^(BU)they were overthrown^[i] in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as ^(BV)they did. ^7 (BW)Do not be idolaters ^(BX)as some of them were; as it is written, ^(BY)“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” ^8 (BZ)We must not indulge in sexual immorality ^(CA)as some of them did, and ^(CB)twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. ⁹ We must not put Christ^[j] to the test, ^(CC)as some of them did and ^(CD)were destroyed by serpents, ¹⁰ nor grumble, ^(CE)as some of them did and ^(CF)were destroyed by ^(CG)the Destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as an example, but ^(CH)they were written down for our instruction, ^(CI)on whom the end of the ages has come. ¹² Therefore ^(CJ)let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. ^(CK)God is faithful, and ^(CL)he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved, ^(CM)flee from idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak ^(CN)as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ^16 (CO)The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? ^(CP)The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one bread, we who are many are ^(CQ)one body, for we all partake of the one bread. ¹⁸ Consider ^(CR)the people of Israel:^{[k] (CS)}are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? ¹⁹ What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that ^(CT)an idol is anything? ²⁰ No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice ^(CU)they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. ^21 (CV)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and ^(CW)the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^(CX)the table of demons. ^22 (CY)Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? ^(CZ)Are we stronger than he?

Do All to the Glory of God

^23 (DA)“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. ^24 (DB)Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. ^25 (DC)Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁶ For ^(DD)“the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” ²⁷ If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, ^(DE)eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— ²⁹ I do not mean ^(DF)your conscience, but his. For ^(DG)why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that ^(DH)for which I give thanks?

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or ^(DI)whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ^32 (DJ)Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to ^(DK)the church of God, ³³ just as ^(DL)I try to please everyone in everything I do, ^(DM)not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.