8
I am now moving on to speak about meat that someone has offered to another god. All of us {who believe} do know {what is true about other gods. However,} knowing {what is true often} makes people proud. It is loving others that really helps other believers. 2 All people who reckon that they understand something do not yet understand it in the way that they should understand it. 3 However, God understands and cares for all people who love him.4 Now {I will go back to speaking} about whether to eat meat that someone has offered to another god. We {who believe in God} understand that other gods do not really exist. In fact, {we understand} that the only god is the one God. 5 It is true that there are many things that are in heaven or on earth that people call “gods.” In this way, many “gods” and “lords” exist. 6 However, we {who believe} acknowledge one God, who is the Father. He created everything, and we exist to honor him. We also acknowledge one Lord, who is Jesus the Messiah. He created everything with the Father, and we exist by means of what he does {for us}.
7 However, some people do not fully understand {what I have said}. They used to worship other gods in the past, and they incompletely understand what is right and wrong. When they eat meat that someone has offered to another god, they feel guilty. 8 Now food does not connect us with God. Those who do not eat {certain foods} do not miss out {on anything from God}. Also, those who do eat {certain foods} do not receive something extra {from God}. 9 However, you need to be careful about how you live if you know {that food is not significant}. How you live should not cause someone who incompletely understands what is right and wrong to struggle {to follow Jesus}. 10 {You need to be careful} because fellow believers might observe a believer who knows {what is true about other gods} sitting down to eat {meat} in another god’s temple. Those fellow believers, who incompletely understand what is right and wrong, will become confident that they also can eat meat that someone has offered to another god. 11 As a result, by acting based on what you know {is true about other gods}, you harm others who incompletely understand what is right and wrong. These are fellow believers, and the Messiah died for them. 12 When you act in these ways, you sin against fellow believers by leading them, who incompletely understand what is right and wrong, to do what they think is wrong. {When do you this,} you sin against the Messiah too. 13 Consequently, in cases where what I eat would lead a fellow believer to sin, I will never ever eat meat again{, whether someone has offered it to another god or not}. This way, I do not lead any of my fellow believers to sin.