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1 Corinthians 8 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

Food Offered to Idols

1Co 8:1

1Co 8:1Now concerning[fn] food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.

1Co 8:2

1Co 8:2If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.

1Co 8:3

1Co 8:3But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.[fn]

1Co 8:4

1Co 8:4Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”

1Co 8:5

1Co 8:5For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—

1Co 8:6

1Co 8:6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

1Co 8:7

1Co 8:7However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

1Co 8:8

1Co 8:8Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.

1Co 8:9

1Co 8:9But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

1Co 8:10

1Co 8:10For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating[fn] in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged,[fn] if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?

1Co 8:11

1Co 8:11And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.

1Co 8:12

1Co 8:12Thus, sinning against your brothers[fn] and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

1Co 8:13

1Co 8:13Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
ESV Footnotes
The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians’ letter; see 7:1
Greek him
Greek reclining at table
Or fortified; Greek built up
Or brothers and sisters
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1 Corinthians Chapter 8 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Morphological Greek New Testament Textus Receptus Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras