Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

¹⁴ I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness,^(A) filled with knowledge^(B) and competent to instruct one another.

Prophecy of Scripture

¹² So I will always remind you of these things,^(A) even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth^(B) you now have.

²¹ I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it^(A) and because no lie comes from the truth.

¹⁰ For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?^(A)

⁷ But not everyone possesses this knowledge.^(A) Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak,^(B) it is defiled.

Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols

8 Now about food sacrificed to idols:^(A) We know that “We all possess knowledge.”^(B) But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers^(A) or addicted to much wine,^(B) but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women^(C) to love their husbands and children,

²⁰ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up^(A) in your most holy faith^(B) and praying in the Holy Spirit,^{(C) 21} keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait^(D) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.^(E)

²² Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them from the fire;^(F) to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.^[a](G)

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;^{(A) 6} and to knowledge, self-control;^(B) and to self-control, perseverance;^(C) and to perseverance, godliness;^{(D) 7} and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.^{(E) 8} For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive^(F) in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.^(G)