1 Corinthians 8

1 Now about [concerning, regarding] food [things] sacrificed to idols [images, false gods]: We know [perceive, are aware] that we all [every one of us] have knowledge [insight, understanding]. Knowledge [spiritual awareness] puffs up [inflates, makes proud], but love [unconditional affection, charity] builds up [edifies, strengthens]. word study 2 The one [any person, someone] who thinks [supposes, has an opinion] he knows [is aware of, understands] something [anything, a thing] does not yet [at this point, still not] know [understand, recognize] as [in the way, just as] he ought to know [should be aware, must understand]. word study 3 But the one [any person, whoever] who loves [shows esteem and goodwill towards, has affection for] God [the one true deity, Almighty] is known [recognized, understood, perceived] by [under the awareness of, in the sight of] God [the all-knowing, omniscient]. word study 4 So about [regarding, concerning] eating food [things] sacrificed to idols [images, false gods]: We know [perceive, understand] that an idol [a false god] is nothing [none, without significance] at all in the world [the cosmos, creation], and that there is no [none, not any] God [the one true deity] but one [alone, unique]. word study 5 For even if there are so-called [supposed, claimed to be] gods, whether [if, in the case that] in heaven [the spiritual realm, the sky] or on earth [the physical world, soil] (as there are many [a large number of, numerous] so-called [false, pretended] gods and lords [authorities, masters]), word study 6 yet for us there is but one [sole, unique] God, the Father [our heavenly Parent], from whom [as the source] all things came [originated, were created] and for whom [toward, in relation to] we exist [have our being, live]. And there is but one [single, unified] Lord, Jesus Christ [the Messiah, our Savior], through whom [as the means, the agent] all things came [were made, created] and through whom [by means of, because of] we exist [have life, are sustained]. word study 7 But not everyone has this [spiritual understanding, knowledge of the truth] knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to [false gods] idols that they eat such food as if it were [offered as a sacrifice to, dedicated to] sacrificed to an idol. And since their [moral awareness, inner guide] conscience is [lacking strength, feeble] weak, it is [spiritually stained, polluted] defiled. word study 8 But food [physical or spiritual nourishment] does not bring us closer to God [the one true deity]: We are no worse [lacking, inferior] if we do not eat [partake, consume], and no better [exceeding, superior] if we do [participate, indulge]. word study 9 Be careful [take heed, watch out], however, that your [given to you, entrusted] freedom [authority, liberty] does not become [turn into, result in] a stumbling block [an obstacle, a cause for sin] to the [those who are, characterized as] weak [feeble, lacking strength]. word study 10 For [as a reason, to explain] if someone with a weak [lacking strength, feeble] conscience [moral awareness, inner guide] sees you who are well informed [having knowledge, understanding] eating [consuming food, participating] in an idol’s [false god, pagan deity] temple [place of worship, shrine], will he not be encouraged [emboldened, persuaded] to eat food [things, sacrifices] sacrificed to idols [offered to false gods, pagan rituals]? word study 11 So this weak [feeble, morally frail] brother [fellow Christian, sibling in faith], for whom Christ [the Anointed, Messiah] died [passed away, sacrificed], is destroyed [ruined spiritually, lost completely] by your knowledge [understanding, spiritual insight]. word study 12 By sinning [doing wrong, missing the mark] against your brothers [fellow believers, brethren] in this way [thus, like this] and wounding [striking, causing pain to] their weak [feeble, fragile] conscience [moral awareness, inner sense of right and wrong], you sin [fall short, miss the mark] against Christ [the Anointed One, Jesus]. word study 13 Therefore, if what I [as a believer] eat [partake of, consume] causes my brother [fellow Christian, sibling in faith] to stumble [be led into sin, offended], I will never eat meat [flesh, animal food] again, so that I will not cause him [my brother, fellow believer] to stumble [fall into sin, be offended]. word study