1 Now concerningmver. 4, 7, 10; See Acts 15:29 food offered to idols: we know thatnSee Rom. 15:14 “all of us possess knowledge. ” This “knowledge ”oRom. 14:3 puffs up,pch. 13:4-13 but love builds up. 2 qGal. 6:3; [ch. 3:18] If anyone imagines that he knows something,r[ch. 13:8, 9, 12; 1 Tim. 6:3, 4] he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God,sGal. 4:9; [Ex. 33:12, 17; Jer. 1:5; Nah. 1:7; 2 Tim. 2:19] he is known by God.
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know thattch. 10:19; Isa. 41:24; [Acts 14:15] “an idol has no real existence, ” and thatuver. 6; See Deut. 4:35, 39 “there is no God but one. ” 5 For although there may bev2 Thess. 2:4 so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods ” and many “lords ” — 6 yetwver. 4; Mal. 2:10; Eph. 4:6 for us there is one God, the Father,xSee Rom. 11:36 from whom are all things and for whom we exist, andyEph. 4:5; [ch. 1:2; 1 Tim. 2:5]; See John 13:13 one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things andzJohn 1:3; Col. 1:16 through whom we exist.
7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some,a[Rom. 14:14, 22, 23] through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, andbch. 10:25, 28, 29 their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 cRom. 14:17 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take cared[ch. 10:23; Rom. 14:21; Gal. 5:13] that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling blockeRom. 14:1, 2 to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged,2Or fortified; Greek built up if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person isfRom. 14:15, 20 destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers andg[Zech. 2:8; Matt. 18:6] wounding their conscience when it is weak,h[Matt. 25:45] you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore,iRom. 14:13, 21; [2 Cor. 6:3; 11:29] if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.