Be Sensitive to Conscience

8 Now aconcerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have bknowledge. cKnowledge 1puffs up, but love 2edifies. 2 And dif anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that ean idol is nothing in the world, fand that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are gso-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet hfor us there is one God, the Father, iof whom are all things, and we for Him; and jone Lord Jesus Christ, kthrough whom are all things, and lthrough whom we live.

7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, mwith consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is ndefiled. 8 But ofood does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

9 But pbeware lest somehow this liberty of yours become qa 3stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not rthe conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And sbecause of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But twhen you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, uif food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

A Pattern of Self-Denial

9 Am aI not an apostle? Am I not free? bHave I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? cAre you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are dthe 1seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 eDo we have no 2right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along 3a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, fthe brothers of the Lord, and gCephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I hwho have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever igoes to war at his own expense? Who jplants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who ktends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, l“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that mhe who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 nIf we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

oNevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things plest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 qDo you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the rtemple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so sthe Lord has commanded tthat those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

15 But uI have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for vit would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for wnecessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, xI have a reward; but if against my will, yI have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That zwhen I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel 4of Christ without charge, that I amay not abuse my authority in the gospel.

Serving All Men

19 For though I am bfree from all men, cI have made myself a servant to all, dthat I might win the more; 20 and eto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the 5law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 fto gthose who are without law, as without law h(not being without 6law toward God, but under 7law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 ito the weak I became 8as weak, that I might win the weak. jI have become all things to all men, kthat I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Striving for a Crown

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? lRun in such a way that you may 9obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize 1is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for man imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: nnot with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 oBut I discipline my body and pbring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become qdisqualified.

Old Testament Examples

10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under athe cloud, all passed through bthe sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same cspiritual food, 4 and all drank the same dspiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies ewere scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as fthey also lusted. 7 gAnd do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, h“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 iNor let us commit sexual immorality, as jsome of them did, and kin one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us 1tempt Christ, as lsome of them also tempted, and mwere destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as nsome of them also complained, and owere destroyed by pthe destroyer. 11 Now 2all these things happened to them as examples, and qthey were written for our 3admonition, rupon whom the ends of the ages have come.

12 Therefore slet him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but tGod is faithful, uwho will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to 4bear it.

Flee from Idolatry

14 Therefore, my beloved, vflee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wwise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 xThe cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the 5communion of the blood of Christ? yThe bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For zwe, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

18 Observe aIsrael bafter the flesh: cAre not those who eat of the sacrifices 6partakers of the altar? 19 What am I saying then? dThat an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles esacrifice fthey sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 gYou cannot drink the cup of the Lord and hthe cup of demons; you cannot partake of the iLord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we jprovoke the Lord to jealousy? kAre we stronger than He?

All to the Glory of God

23 All things are lawful 7for me, but not all things are lhelpful; all things are lawful 7for me, but not all things 8edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one mthe other’s well-being.

25 nEat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for o“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, peat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it qfor the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; 9for r“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For swhy is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food tover which I give thanks?

31 uTherefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 vGive no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just was I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.