1 Corinthians 8 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Now, about food that's been offered to idols — we know that "we all have knowledge" about this. But knowledge inflates your ego, while love builds others up.

If anyone thinks they've figured it all out, they don't yet understand the way they need to.

But if anyone loves God, that person is known by God.

So about eating food offered to idols — we know that an idol has no real existence in the world, and that there is no God but one.

Sure, there are so-called "gods" out there — whether in the sky or on the earth — and people certainly worship plenty of "gods" and "lords."

But for us there is one God — the Father — from whom everything exists and for whom we live. And there is one Lord — Jesus the One — through whom everything exists and through whom we live.

But not everyone has this understanding. Some people, because of their long familiarity with idols, still feel like the food is actually dedicated to a real god when they eat it — and their conscience, being vulnerable, gets contaminated.

Food won't bring us closer to God — we're no worse off if we don't eat it, and no better off if we do.

But be careful that this freedom of yours doesn't become a stumbling block for people who are more vulnerable.

Think about it — if someone with a vulnerable conscience sees you, the person who "has knowledge," eating in an idol's temple, won't they be encouraged to eat food offered to idols too, even though it goes against their conscience?

So this vulnerable person — a brother or sister for whom the One died — is destroyed by your "knowledge."

When you fail your brothers and sisters like this and wound their vulnerable conscience, you're failing the One himself.

So if food is going to cause my brother or sister to stumble, I will never eat meat again — I'd rather go without forever than be the reason someone else falls.