Old/New Testament

Concerning Food Sacrificed To Idols: Let Love Guide Your Exercise of “Rights”

8 Now concerning the foods-sacrificed-to-idols, we know that we all have knowledge^[a]. Knowledge puffs-up, but love builds-up. ² If anyone thinks that he has come-to-know anything, he did not-yet know as he ought-to know. ³ But if one loves^[b] God, this one has been known by Him. ⁴ Therefore concerning the eating of the foods-sacrificed-to-idols— we know that an idol is nothing^[c] in the world, and that there is no God except one. ⁵ For even if-indeed there are ones being called gods, whether in heaven or on earth— as-indeed there are many^[d] gods and many lords— ⁶ yet for us there is One God the Father, from Whom are all things, and we are^[e] for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things, and we are through Him. ⁷ But this knowledge is not in all people. But some, by the accustomed-habit^[f] of the idol until now, eat this food as^[g] food-sacrificed-to-an-idol. And their conscience, being weak, is stained^[h]. ⁸ But food will not bring us^[i] near^[j] to God— neither if we do not eat are we lacking, nor if we eat are we abounding. ⁹ But be watching-out that this right^[k] of yours does not somehow become an opportunity-for-stumbling to the weak ones. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, the one having knowledge, reclining [to eat] in an idol-temple, will not his conscience, being weak, be built-up so as to eat the foods-sacrificed-to-idols? ¹¹ For the one being weak is being destroyed^[l] by your knowledge— the brother for the sake of whom Christ died! ¹² And in this manner sinning against the brothers and striking^[m] their conscience while being weak, you are sinning against Christ.

On The One Hand, I Will Not Do Anything That Hinders People’s Spiritual Advance

¹³ For-this-very-reason, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never eat meats, ever— in-order-that I may not cause my brother to fall.