Take Care with Your Liberty

1 Now concerning athings sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have bknowledge. Knowledge 1cmakes arrogant, but love dedifies.

2 aIf anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet bknown as he ought to know;

3 but if anyone loves God, he ais known by Him.

4 Therefore concerning the eating of athings sacrificed to idols, we know that 1there is bno such thing as an idol in the world, and that cthere is no God but one.

5 For even if athere are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,

6 yet for us athere is but one God, bthe Father, cfrom whom are all things and we exist for Him; and done Lord, Jesus Christ, eby whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

7 However not all men ahave this knowledge; but bsome, 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 But afood will not 1commend us to God; we are neither 2the worse if we do not eat, nor 3the better if we do eat.

9 But atake care that this 1liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the bweak.

10 For if someone sees you, who have aknowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat bthings sacrificed to idols?

11 For through ayour knowledge he who is weak bis ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.

12 aAnd so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin bagainst Christ.

13 Therefore, aif food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.