Take Care with Your Liberty

8 Now concerning ^(A)food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have ^(B)knowledge. Knowledge ^[a](C)makes one conceited, but love ^(D)edifies people. ^2 (E)If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet ^(F)known as he ought to know; ³ but if anyone loves God, he ^(G)is known by Him.

⁴ Therefore, concerning the eating of ^(H)food sacrificed to idols, we know that an ^(I)idol is ^[b]nothing at all in the world, and that ^(J)there is no God but one. ⁵ For even if ^(K)there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, ⁶ yet for us ^(L)there is only one God, ^(M)the Father, ^(N)from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and ^(O)one Lord, Jesus Christ, ^(P)by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

⁷ However, not all people ^(Q)have this knowledge; but ^(R)some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸ Now ^(S)food will not bring us ^[c]close to God; we are neither ^[d]the worse if we do not eat, nor ^[e]the better if we do eat. ⁹ But ^(T)take care that this ^[f]freedom of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the ^(U)weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, the one who has ^(V)knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will his conscience, if he is weak, not be strengthened to eat ^(W)things sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ For through ^(X)your knowledge the one who is weak ^(Y)is ruined, the brother or sister for whose sake Christ died. ^12 (Z)And so, by sinning against the brothers and sisters and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin ^(AA)against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, ^(AB)if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to sin.

Avoid Israel’s Mistakes

10 For ^(A)I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all ^(B)under the cloud and they all ^(C)passed through the sea; ² and they all were ^(D)baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³ and they all ^(E)ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all ^(F)drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was ^[a]Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased; for their dead bodies were ^(G)spread out in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things happened as ^(H)examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as ^(I)they indeed craved them. ⁷ Do not be ^(J)idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “^(K)The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to ^(L)play.” ⁸ Nor are we to commit sexual immorality, as ^(M)some of them ^[b]did, and ^(N)twenty-three thousand fell in one day. ⁹ Nor are we to put the Lord to the test, as ^(O)some of them ^[c]did, and were killed by the snakes. ¹⁰ Nor ^(P)grumble, as some of them ^[d]did, and ^(Q)were killed by the ^(R)destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as an ^(S)example, and ^(T)they were written for our instruction, upon whom ^(U)the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let the one who ^(V)thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and ^(W)God is faithful, ^[e]so He will not allow you to be ^(X)tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

¹⁴ Therefore, my ^(Y)beloved, flee from ^(Z)idolatry. ¹⁵ I speak as to wise people; you then, judge what I say. ¹⁶ Is the ^(AA)cup of blessing which we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is the ^(AB)bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Since there is one loaf, we ^(AC)who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf. ¹⁸ Look at ^[f]the people of ^(AD)Israel; are those who ^(AE)eat the sacrifices not partners in the altar? ¹⁹ What do I mean then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or ^(AF)that an idol is ^[g]anything? ²⁰ No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they ^(AG)sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons. ^21 (AH)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^(AI)the table of demons. ²² Or do we ^(AJ)provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not ^(AK)stronger than He, are we?

^23 (AL)All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things ^[h](AM)build people up. ²⁴ No one is to ^(AN)seek his own advantage, but rather that of his ^[i]neighbor. ^25 (AO)Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions, for the sake of conscience; ^26 (AP)for the earth is the Lord’s, and ^[j]all it contains. ²⁷ If ^(AQ)one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, ^(AR)eat anything that is set before you without asking questions, for the sake of conscience. ²⁸ But ^(AS)if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of that one who informed you and for the sake of conscience; ²⁹ Now by “conscience” I do not mean your own, but the other person’s; for ^(AT)why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, ^(AU)why am I slandered about that for which I ^(AV)give thanks?

³¹ Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or ^(AW)whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God. ^32 (AX)Do not offend Jews or Greeks, or ^(AY)the church of God; ³³ just as I also ^(AZ)please everyone in all things, ^(BA)not seeking my own benefit but the benefit of the many, ^(BB)so that they may be saved.