¹Now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs a person up, whereas love edifies. ²And if anyone thinks he knows anything, he has not yet come to knowledge of anything in the way it is necessary to know it. ³But if anyone loves God, he is known by him. ⁴Concerning food which has been offered to idols, then, we know that there is no self-existent idol in the universe, and that there is no other God besides the one. ⁵For indeed, although there are those called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, ⁶yet to us there is one God, the father, from whom all things come, including us for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things come, including us through him. ⁷But knowledge is not prevalent among all. And some still eat that which has been offered to idols with consciousness of the idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸But food does not commend us to God. For neither if we eat do we gain anything, nor if we do not eat do we lose anything. ⁹But watch out that this warrant of yours does not become a cause of stumbling to those who are weak. ¹⁰For if anyone sees you – you who have knowledge – reclining at table in an idolatrous temple, will not his conscience, with him being weak, be indoctrinated with the matter of eating things offered to idols? ¹¹And the weak brother, for whose sake Christ died, will be lost when confronted with your knowledge. ¹²And in this way, in sinning against the brothers and wounding their weak conscience, you would be sinning against Christ. ¹³That is why if food causes offence to my brother, I certainly will never eat meat, in order not to cause offence to my brother.