1 Corinthians 8-10

1Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

2The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

3But the one who loves God is known by God.

4So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.

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

6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

7But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

8But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

9Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

10For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols?

11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.

12By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.

1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you yourselves not my workmanship in the Lord?

2Even if I am not an apostle to others, surely I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3This is my defense to those who scrutinize me:

4Have we no right to food and to drink?

5Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

6Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living?

7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk?

8Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?

9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?

10Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.

11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?

12If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

13Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?

14In the same way, the Lord has prescribed that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that something be done for me. Indeed, I would rather die than let anyone nullify my boast.

16Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

17If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.

18What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.

19Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law.

21To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.

22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.

25Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.

26Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.

27No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

1I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea.

2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

3They all ate the same spiritual food

4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.

6These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.

7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”

8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

9We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.

10And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.

13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

15I speak to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say.

16Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

17Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.

18Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?

19Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.

22Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

23“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.

24No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.

25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,

26for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

27If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience.

28But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience—

29the other one’s conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience?

30If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

32Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God—

33as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.