Food Sacrificed to Idols
(Parallel teachings: Romans 14:13-23; Acts 15:19-29)
(Thematic parallels: Mark 7:14–23; Acts 10:9–16)
- 1 Now, about food sacrificed to idols. We *know that we all have knowledge; knowledge puffs up, but ^love builds up.
- 2 If anyone thinks that he has known anything, he didn’t yet know as it’s necessary to know.
- 3 But if anyone ^loves God, he is *known by Him.
- 4 Therefore, about food sacrificed to idols, we *know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there’s no God except One.fnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 6:4 (also quoted/alluded to by Mark 12:29; Jas 2:19)
- 5 For indeed, even if some are called gods,fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 82:6. (also quoted/alluded to by John 10:34) whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lordsfnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 10:17 (also quoted/alluded to by 1 Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14, 19:16)),
- 6 But for us, there’s one God – the Fatherfnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 6:4 and Malachi 2:10 (also quoted/alluded to by Mark 12:29; Jas 2:19; Eph 4:6) – from whom are all things, and we exist for Him, and one Lord – Jesus the Anointed – through whom all things exist, and we exist through Him.
- 7 But this knowledge isn’t in all men. And until now, some are accustomedfn“accustomed” many later manuscripts have “conscience” here. to eating food sacrificed to an idol as if the idol is real, and their conscience – being weak – is defiled.
- 8 But food won’t bring us close to God, [for] we neither fall short if we don’t eat, nor excel if we do eat.
- 9 But beware, lest your liberty in this somehow might become a stumbling block to the weak.
- 10 For if someone sees you (the man having knowledge) reclining at the table in an idol’s temple, with his conscience being weak, won’t he be emboldenedfn“emboldened” this Greek word more literally means to “build up”. Here, it’s used in an ironic sense where the weaker brother is “built up” to do the wrong thing by defying his conscience. to eat the things sacrificed to idols?
- 11 For then the weak man — the brother for whom the Anointed died — is ruined by your knowledge.
- 12 And thus, by sinning against the brothers and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against the Anointed.
- 13 Therefore, if food ensnares my brother, I definitely wouldn’t eat meat sacrificed to idols throughout the age, so that I wouldn’t ensnare my brother.