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But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer[a] for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers[b] by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:11 Greek brother; also in 8:13.
  2. 8:12 Greek brothers.

But be careful that this liberty of yours does not become a hindrance to the weak. 10 For if someone weak sees you who possess knowledge dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience be “strengthened”[a] to eat food offered to idols? 11 So by your knowledge the weak brother or sister,[b] for whom Christ died, is destroyed.[c] 12 If you sin against your brothers or sisters[d] in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 For this reason, if food causes my brother or sister to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause one of them[e] to sin.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 8:10 tn Or “built up”; This is the same word used in v. 1b. It is used ironically here: The weak person is “built up” to commit what he regards as sin.
  2. 1 Corinthians 8:11 tn Grk “the one who is weak…the brother for whom Christ died,” but see note on the word “Christian” in 5:11.
  3. 1 Corinthians 8:11 tn This may be an indirect middle, “destroys himself.”
  4. 1 Corinthians 8:12 tn See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:10.
  5. 1 Corinthians 8:13 tn Grk “my brother.” Both “my brother or sister” earlier in the verse and “one of them” here translate the same Greek phrase. Since the same expression occurs in the previous line, a pronoun phrase is substituted here to suit English style, which is less tolerant of such repetition.