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book 8 |
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| 1 | Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
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| 2 | But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn't yet know as he ought to know.
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| 3 | But if anyone loves God, the same is known by him.
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| 4 | Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
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| 5 | For though there are things that are called "gods," whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many "gods" and many "lords;"
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| 6 | yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we to him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.
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| 7 | However, that knowledge isn't in all men. But some, being used until now to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
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| 8 | But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don't eat, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.
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| 9 | But be careful that by any means this liberty of yours doesn't become a stumbling block to the weak.
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| 10 | For if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol's temple, won't his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
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| 11 | And through your knowledge, he who is weak perishes, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
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| 12 | Thus, sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
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| 13 | Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forevermore, that I don't cause my brother to stumble.
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