1 Corinthians 8

₁You have asked me if believers may eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols and I will answer you now. Many people think that they know all about this, but remember, when someone thinks he knows everything and he boasts about it, he makes other people sad. But when someone loves other people, then he helps them. ₂If anyone thinks he knows everything, then he has not learned everything that he must know. ₃Someone who loves God knows God and God also knows that person.

₄Now I want to talk about meat that has been sacrificed to idols. We all know that no idol in the world is alive. We know that there is only one true living God. ₅Yes, many people say there are gods in heaven or on earth and we know that people worship many gods and say they are lords. ₆But to us there is only one God. He is the Father who made everything and we must live for Him. There is only one Lord. He is Jesus Christ. He has worked with the Father to make everything and He gave us true_life.

₇But not all the believers understand that there is only one God. They served these idols for many years before they became believers. They think that when they eat meat that was sacrificed to idols, they serve those idols. And because these believers feel guilty very easily, they think that they have sinned. ₈But food can not help us or make God love us more or less. If we don't eat meat that was sacrificed to idols, then it does not mean that our faith is weak. And if we eat that meat, it does not mean that our faith is strong.

₉Those of you who think it is not wrong to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols must be careful because other believers may sin when they see what you eat. ₁₀If you think it is not wrong to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols and someone who does not have a strong faith sees you eating in a temple of an idol, what will he think? He will think that he too can eat there and maybe he will then start to serve those idols. ₁₁His faith is not strong and because you think it is not wrong to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols, he may be lost. But he is a believer, and Christ died for him. ₁₂When you do something that would make other believers feel guilty, then you sin_against them and against Christ. ₁₃That is why, if food makes someone sin, and that person believes in Christ like I do, then I will never eat meat again so that I will not make other believers sin.