Book of Common Prayer

8 Now here is what I say about food given to idols. We all know something about this matter. Yet knowledge makes us proud. Love is the real teacher.

² If anyone thinks he knows much, then he does not know what he really should know.

³ But if anyone loves God, then God knows him.

⁴ So here is what I say about eating food that has been given to idols or false gods. We know that an idol really is nothing in this world. There is only one true and living God.

⁵ There are things in the sky and on earth which are called gods. Yes, there are many gods and lords.

⁶ Yet for us there is only one God. He is the Father. All things come from him. He is the one for whom we live. And there is only one Lord. He is Jesus Christ. He made all things. He is the one who gives us life.

⁷ But not every Christian knows these things. Some of them have always believed in idols. And when they eat food which has been given to an idol, they think the food belongs to the idol. And because they are weak Christians they feel they do wrong when they eat it.

⁸ One thing is sure, food will not bring us closer to God. If we eat it, it will not make us right with God. And if we do not eat, it will not make us wrong.

⁹ Perhaps you feel it is all right for you to do it. But be careful! It might make the weak Christian do wrong.

¹⁰ You know it is not wrong for you to eat these things. But if a weak Christian sees you eating in the idol's house, he will also want to eat food that has been given to an idol. He will do what is against his own belief.

¹¹ You know the truth, and yet your knowledge will make your weak brother do wrong. You have hurt the faith of a brother, for whom Christ died.

¹² In this way you do wrong to your brother. You hurt him because he is weak. And in so doing you do wrong to Christ.

¹³ If eating such food makes my brother do wrong, I will never eat it. I do not want my brother to do wrong.

¹³ `Go in by the small gate. The gate is big and the road is wide that goes to death. Many people go that way.

¹⁴ The gate is small and the road is not wide that goes to life. Not many people find it.'

¹⁵ `Take care. There are prophets who are not true. They come to you dressed like sheep, but inside they are like wolves, bad animals that kill sheep.

¹⁶ You will know them by the things they do. People do not pick fruit like grapes from thistles. They do not pick fruit like figs from thorn trees.

¹⁷ In the same way, every good tree has good fruit. But a bad tree has bad fruit.

¹⁸ A good tree cannot have bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot have good fruit.

¹⁹ Every tree that does not have good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire.

²⁰ So you will know them by the things they do, good or bad fruit.'

²¹ `Some people say to me, "Lord, Lord". But not all who say that will go into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do what my Father in heaven wants, will go in.