Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Idolatry » Saints should » Flee from
So then, my dearly beloved, keep on running from idolatry.
Meat » Sacrificed
I know, and through my union with the Lord Jesus I have a clear conviction, that nothing is unclean in itself; that a thing is unclean only to the person who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is hurt because of the food you eat, you are not living by the standard of love. Stop ruining, by what you eat, the man for whom Christ died. Then stop abusing your rights. read more.
For the kingdom of God does not consist in what we eat and drink, but in doing right, in peace and joy through the Holy Spirit; whoever in this way continues serving Christ is well-pleasing to God and approved by men. So let us keep on pursuing the things that make for peace and our mutual upbuilding. Stop undoing the work of God just for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything when it makes another stumble. The right thing to do is not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything else, that makes your brother stumble. On your part, you must exercise your faith by the standard of yourself in the sight of God. Happy is the man who need not condemn himself for doing the thing that he approves. But the man who has misgivings about eating, if he then eats, has already condemned himself by so doing, because he did not follow his faith, and any action that does not follow one's faith is a sin.
For the kingdom of God does not consist in what we eat and drink, but in doing right, in peace and joy through the Holy Spirit; whoever in this way continues serving Christ is well-pleasing to God and approved by men. So let us keep on pursuing the things that make for peace and our mutual upbuilding. Stop undoing the work of God just for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything when it makes another stumble. The right thing to do is not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything else, that makes your brother stumble. On your part, you must exercise your faith by the standard of yourself in the sight of God. Happy is the man who need not condemn himself for doing the thing that he approves. But the man who has misgivings about eating, if he then eats, has already condemned himself by so doing, because he did not follow his faith, and any action that does not follow one's faith is a sin.
Now about the foods that have been sacrificed to idols: We know that every one of us has some knowledge of the matter. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If a man supposes that he has already gotten some true knowledge, as yet he has not learned it as he ought to know it. But if a man loves God, God is known by him. read more.
So, as to eating things that have been sacrificed to idols, we are sure that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but One. For even if there are so-called gods in heaven or on earth -- as there are, indeed, a vast number of gods and lords -- yet for us there is but one God, the Father, who is the source of all things and the goal of our living, and but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything was made and through whom we live. But it is not in all of you that such knowledge is found. Some, because of their past habits with idols, even down to the present moment, still eat such food as was really sacrificed to an idol, and so their consciences, because they are overscrupulous, are contaminated. Food will never bring us near to God. We are no worse if we do not eat it; we are no better if we do. But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block to overscrupulous people. For if somebody sees you, who have an intelligent view of this matter, partaking of a meal in an idol's temple, will he not be emboldened, with his overscrupulous conscience, to eat the food which has been sacrificed to an idol? Yes, the overscrupulous brother, for whom Christ died, is ruined by your so-called knowledge. Now if in such a way you sin against your brothers and wound their overscrupulous consciences, you are actually sinning against Christ. So then, if food can make my brother fall, I will never, no, never, eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from falling.
So, as to eating things that have been sacrificed to idols, we are sure that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but One. For even if there are so-called gods in heaven or on earth -- as there are, indeed, a vast number of gods and lords -- yet for us there is but one God, the Father, who is the source of all things and the goal of our living, and but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything was made and through whom we live. But it is not in all of you that such knowledge is found. Some, because of their past habits with idols, even down to the present moment, still eat such food as was really sacrificed to an idol, and so their consciences, because they are overscrupulous, are contaminated. Food will never bring us near to God. We are no worse if we do not eat it; we are no better if we do. But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block to overscrupulous people. For if somebody sees you, who have an intelligent view of this matter, partaking of a meal in an idol's temple, will he not be emboldened, with his overscrupulous conscience, to eat the food which has been sacrificed to an idol? Yes, the overscrupulous brother, for whom Christ died, is ruined by your so-called knowledge. Now if in such a way you sin against your brothers and wound their overscrupulous consciences, you are actually sinning against Christ. So then, if food can make my brother fall, I will never, no, never, eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from falling.
So then, my dearly beloved, keep on running from idolatry. I am speaking to sensible men; decide for yourselves about what I say. Is not the consecrated cup which we consecrate a sign of our sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the loaf which we break a sign of our sharing in the body of Christ? read more.
Because there is only one loaf, so we, though many, are only one body, for we all partake of one loaf. Look at the Israelites in their practices. Are not those who eat the sacrifices in spiritual fellowship with the altar? Then what do I mean? That the sacrifice to an idol is a reality, or that an idol itself is a reality? Of course not! I mean that what the heathen sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be in fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot eat at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons. Or, are we trying to incite the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? Everything is permissible for people, but not everything is good for them. Everything is permissible for people, but not everything builds up their personality. No one should always be looking after his own welfare, but also that of his neighbor. As a rule eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it for conscience' sake, for the earth and everything that it contains belong to the Lord. If some unbelieving heathen invites you to his house, and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question for conscience' sake. But if someone says to you, "This meat has been offered as a heathen sacrifice," make it your rule not to eat it, for the sake of the man who warned you and for conscience' sake; I mean his conscience, not yours. Why then should my personal freedom be limited by another's conscience? If I give thanks and thus partake of food, why am I to be blamed for that for which I give thanks? So if you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything to honor God. Stop being stumbling blocks to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I myself am in the habit of pleasing everybody in everything, not aiming at my own welfare but at that of as many people as possible, in order that they may be saved.
Because there is only one loaf, so we, though many, are only one body, for we all partake of one loaf. Look at the Israelites in their practices. Are not those who eat the sacrifices in spiritual fellowship with the altar? Then what do I mean? That the sacrifice to an idol is a reality, or that an idol itself is a reality? Of course not! I mean that what the heathen sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be in fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot eat at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons. Or, are we trying to incite the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? Everything is permissible for people, but not everything is good for them. Everything is permissible for people, but not everything builds up their personality. No one should always be looking after his own welfare, but also that of his neighbor. As a rule eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it for conscience' sake, for the earth and everything that it contains belong to the Lord. If some unbelieving heathen invites you to his house, and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question for conscience' sake. But if someone says to you, "This meat has been offered as a heathen sacrifice," make it your rule not to eat it, for the sake of the man who warned you and for conscience' sake; I mean his conscience, not yours. Why then should my personal freedom be limited by another's conscience? If I give thanks and thus partake of food, why am I to be blamed for that for which I give thanks? So if you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything to honor God. Stop being stumbling blocks to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I myself am in the habit of pleasing everybody in everything, not aiming at my own welfare but at that of as many people as possible, in order that they may be saved.
Partaking » Who partakes with the lord
You must submit to discipline. God is dealing with you as His sons. For who is the son that his father never disciplines? Now if you are without any discipline, in which all true sons share, you are only illegitimate children and not true sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we used to treat them with respect; how much more cheerfully should we submit to the Father of our spirits, and live! read more.
For they disciplined us only a short time, as it seemed proper to them, but He does it for our good, in order that we may share His holy character.
For they disciplined us only a short time, as it seemed proper to them, but He does it for our good, in order that we may share His holy character.
This is why I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the heathen -- that is, if you have heard how God's favor has been entrusted to me for you, and how by revelation the secret was made known to me, as I have briefly written before. read more.
By reading this you will be able to understand my insight into the secret about the Christ -- which in the earlier ages, so different from the present, was not made known to mankind as fully as now, but through the Spirit it has been revealed to His Holy apostles and prophets -- that the heathen through union with Christ Jesus are fellow-heirs with the Jews, are members with them of the same body, and sharers with them of the promise through the good news,
By reading this you will be able to understand my insight into the secret about the Christ -- which in the earlier ages, so different from the present, was not made known to mankind as fully as now, but through the Spirit it has been revealed to His Holy apostles and prophets -- that the heathen through union with Christ Jesus are fellow-heirs with the Jews, are members with them of the same body, and sharers with them of the promise through the good news,
I say then, God has not disowned His people, has He? Of course not! Why, I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. No, God has not disowned His people, on whom He set His heart beforehand. Do you know what the Scripture says in Elijah's case, how he pleaded with God against Israel? "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone have been left, and they are trying to kill me." read more.
But how did God reply to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have never bent their knees to Baal." So it is at the present time; a remnant remains, in accordance with God's unmerited favor. But if it is by His unmerited favor, it is not at all conditioned on what they have done. If that were so, His favor would not be favor at all. What are we then to conclude? Israel has failed to obtain what it is still in search for, but His chosen ones have obtained it. The rest have become insensible to it, as the Scripture Says, "God has given them over to an attitude of insensibility, so that their eyes cannot see and their ears cannot hear, down to this very day." And David said: "Let their food become a snare and a trap to them, their pitfall and retribution; Let their eyes be darkened, so they cannot see, and forever bend their backs beneath the load." I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall in utter ruin, did they? Of course not! On the contrary, because of their stumbling, salvation has come to heathen peoples, to make the Israelites jealous. But if their stumbling has resulted in the enrichment of the world, and their overthrow becomes the enrichment of heathen peoples, how much richer the result will be when the full quota of Jews comes in! Yes, I now am speaking to you who are a part of the heathen peoples. As I am an apostle to the heathen peoples, I am making the most of my ministry to them, to see if I can make my fellow-countrymen jealous, and so save some of them. For if the rejection of them has resulted in the reconciling of the world, what will the result be of the final reception of them but life from the dead? If the first handful of dough is consecrated, so is the whole mass; if the tree's root is consecrated, so are the branches. If some of the branches have been broken off, and yet you, although you were wild olive suckers, have been grafted in among the native branches, and been made to share the rich sap of the native olive's root,
But how did God reply to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have never bent their knees to Baal." So it is at the present time; a remnant remains, in accordance with God's unmerited favor. But if it is by His unmerited favor, it is not at all conditioned on what they have done. If that were so, His favor would not be favor at all. What are we then to conclude? Israel has failed to obtain what it is still in search for, but His chosen ones have obtained it. The rest have become insensible to it, as the Scripture Says, "God has given them over to an attitude of insensibility, so that their eyes cannot see and their ears cannot hear, down to this very day." And David said: "Let their food become a snare and a trap to them, their pitfall and retribution; Let their eyes be darkened, so they cannot see, and forever bend their backs beneath the load." I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall in utter ruin, did they? Of course not! On the contrary, because of their stumbling, salvation has come to heathen peoples, to make the Israelites jealous. But if their stumbling has resulted in the enrichment of the world, and their overthrow becomes the enrichment of heathen peoples, how much richer the result will be when the full quota of Jews comes in! Yes, I now am speaking to you who are a part of the heathen peoples. As I am an apostle to the heathen peoples, I am making the most of my ministry to them, to see if I can make my fellow-countrymen jealous, and so save some of them. For if the rejection of them has resulted in the reconciling of the world, what will the result be of the final reception of them but life from the dead? If the first handful of dough is consecrated, so is the whole mass; if the tree's root is consecrated, so are the branches. If some of the branches have been broken off, and yet you, although you were wild olive suckers, have been grafted in among the native branches, and been made to share the rich sap of the native olive's root,
So then, my dearly beloved, keep on running from idolatry. I am speaking to sensible men; decide for yourselves about what I say. Is not the consecrated cup which we consecrate a sign of our sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the loaf which we break a sign of our sharing in the body of Christ? read more.
Because there is only one loaf, so we, though many, are only one body, for we all partake of one loaf. Look at the Israelites in their practices. Are not those who eat the sacrifices in spiritual fellowship with the altar?
Because there is only one loaf, so we, though many, are only one body, for we all partake of one loaf. Look at the Israelites in their practices. Are not those who eat the sacrifices in spiritual fellowship with the altar?
This is why, ever since I heard of it, I have never ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you, through full wisdom and spiritual insight, with a clear knowledge of His will, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord to His full satisfaction, by perennially bearing fruit in every good enterprise and by a steady growth in fuller knowledge of God; then you will be perfectly empowered by His glorious might for every sort of joyous endurance and forbearance, read more.
and you will always be thanking the Father who has qualified you to share the lot of His people in the realm of light. It is God who has delivered us out of the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of His dearly loved Son, by whom we possess the ransom from captivity, which means the forgiveness of our sins.
and you will always be thanking the Father who has qualified you to share the lot of His people in the realm of light. It is God who has delivered us out of the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of His dearly loved Son, by whom we possess the ransom from captivity, which means the forgiveness of our sins.
All who are under the yoke of slavery must esteem their masters to be deserving the highest respect, so that the name of God and our teaching may not be abused. Those who have Christian masters must not pay them less respect because they are brothers; they must serve them all the better, because those who get the benefit of their service are believers and so are dear to them. These are the things that you must continue to teach and urge them to do.
Dearly beloved, do not be astonished that a test by fire is coming upon you, as though something strange were happening to you, but so far as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, keep on rejoicing, so that at the uncovering of His glory you may rejoice triumphantly. If you are suffering abuse because you bear the name of Christ, you are happy, because the glorious Spirit of God is resting upon you.
Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have obtained the same precious faith that we have: spiritual blessing and peace be to you in increasing abundance through a full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; because His divine power has given us everything that is needful for life and piety, through our full knowledge of Him who through His glory and excellence has called us to Him. read more.
It is through these that He has given us His precious and glorious promises, so that through them, after you have escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires, you may come to share in the divine nature.
It is through these that He has given us His precious and glorious promises, so that through them, after you have escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires, you may come to share in the divine nature.
Sacrifice » Meat » Idols
I know, and through my union with the Lord Jesus I have a clear conviction, that nothing is unclean in itself; that a thing is unclean only to the person who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is hurt because of the food you eat, you are not living by the standard of love. Stop ruining, by what you eat, the man for whom Christ died. Then stop abusing your rights. read more.
For the kingdom of God does not consist in what we eat and drink, but in doing right, in peace and joy through the Holy Spirit; whoever in this way continues serving Christ is well-pleasing to God and approved by men. So let us keep on pursuing the things that make for peace and our mutual upbuilding. Stop undoing the work of God just for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything when it makes another stumble. The right thing to do is not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything else, that makes your brother stumble. On your part, you must exercise your faith by the standard of yourself in the sight of God. Happy is the man who need not condemn himself for doing the thing that he approves. But the man who has misgivings about eating, if he then eats, has already condemned himself by so doing, because he did not follow his faith, and any action that does not follow one's faith is a sin.
For the kingdom of God does not consist in what we eat and drink, but in doing right, in peace and joy through the Holy Spirit; whoever in this way continues serving Christ is well-pleasing to God and approved by men. So let us keep on pursuing the things that make for peace and our mutual upbuilding. Stop undoing the work of God just for the sake of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything when it makes another stumble. The right thing to do is not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything else, that makes your brother stumble. On your part, you must exercise your faith by the standard of yourself in the sight of God. Happy is the man who need not condemn himself for doing the thing that he approves. But the man who has misgivings about eating, if he then eats, has already condemned himself by so doing, because he did not follow his faith, and any action that does not follow one's faith is a sin.
Now about the foods that have been sacrificed to idols: We know that every one of us has some knowledge of the matter. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If a man supposes that he has already gotten some true knowledge, as yet he has not learned it as he ought to know it. But if a man loves God, God is known by him. read more.
So, as to eating things that have been sacrificed to idols, we are sure that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but One. For even if there are so-called gods in heaven or on earth -- as there are, indeed, a vast number of gods and lords -- yet for us there is but one God, the Father, who is the source of all things and the goal of our living, and but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything was made and through whom we live. But it is not in all of you that such knowledge is found. Some, because of their past habits with idols, even down to the present moment, still eat such food as was really sacrificed to an idol, and so their consciences, because they are overscrupulous, are contaminated. Food will never bring us near to God. We are no worse if we do not eat it; we are no better if we do. But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block to overscrupulous people. For if somebody sees you, who have an intelligent view of this matter, partaking of a meal in an idol's temple, will he not be emboldened, with his overscrupulous conscience, to eat the food which has been sacrificed to an idol? Yes, the overscrupulous brother, for whom Christ died, is ruined by your so-called knowledge. Now if in such a way you sin against your brothers and wound their overscrupulous consciences, you are actually sinning against Christ. So then, if food can make my brother fall, I will never, no, never, eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from falling.
So, as to eating things that have been sacrificed to idols, we are sure that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but One. For even if there are so-called gods in heaven or on earth -- as there are, indeed, a vast number of gods and lords -- yet for us there is but one God, the Father, who is the source of all things and the goal of our living, and but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything was made and through whom we live. But it is not in all of you that such knowledge is found. Some, because of their past habits with idols, even down to the present moment, still eat such food as was really sacrificed to an idol, and so their consciences, because they are overscrupulous, are contaminated. Food will never bring us near to God. We are no worse if we do not eat it; we are no better if we do. But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block to overscrupulous people. For if somebody sees you, who have an intelligent view of this matter, partaking of a meal in an idol's temple, will he not be emboldened, with his overscrupulous conscience, to eat the food which has been sacrificed to an idol? Yes, the overscrupulous brother, for whom Christ died, is ruined by your so-called knowledge. Now if in such a way you sin against your brothers and wound their overscrupulous consciences, you are actually sinning against Christ. So then, if food can make my brother fall, I will never, no, never, eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from falling.
So then, my dearly beloved, keep on running from idolatry. I am speaking to sensible men; decide for yourselves about what I say. Is not the consecrated cup which we consecrate a sign of our sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the loaf which we break a sign of our sharing in the body of Christ? read more.
Because there is only one loaf, so we, though many, are only one body, for we all partake of one loaf. Look at the Israelites in their practices. Are not those who eat the sacrifices in spiritual fellowship with the altar? Then what do I mean? That the sacrifice to an idol is a reality, or that an idol itself is a reality? Of course not! I mean that what the heathen sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be in fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot eat at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons. Or, are we trying to incite the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? Everything is permissible for people, but not everything is good for them. Everything is permissible for people, but not everything builds up their personality. No one should always be looking after his own welfare, but also that of his neighbor. As a rule eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it for conscience' sake, for the earth and everything that it contains belong to the Lord. If some unbelieving heathen invites you to his house, and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question for conscience' sake. But if someone says to you, "This meat has been offered as a heathen sacrifice," make it your rule not to eat it, for the sake of the man who warned you and for conscience' sake; I mean his conscience, not yours. Why then should my personal freedom be limited by another's conscience? If I give thanks and thus partake of food, why am I to be blamed for that for which I give thanks? So if you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything to honor God. Stop being stumbling blocks to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I myself am in the habit of pleasing everybody in everything, not aiming at my own welfare but at that of as many people as possible, in order that they may be saved.
Because there is only one loaf, so we, though many, are only one body, for we all partake of one loaf. Look at the Israelites in their practices. Are not those who eat the sacrifices in spiritual fellowship with the altar? Then what do I mean? That the sacrifice to an idol is a reality, or that an idol itself is a reality? Of course not! I mean that what the heathen sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be in fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot eat at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons. Or, are we trying to incite the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we? Everything is permissible for people, but not everything is good for them. Everything is permissible for people, but not everything builds up their personality. No one should always be looking after his own welfare, but also that of his neighbor. As a rule eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question about it for conscience' sake, for the earth and everything that it contains belong to the Lord. If some unbelieving heathen invites you to his house, and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question for conscience' sake. But if someone says to you, "This meat has been offered as a heathen sacrifice," make it your rule not to eat it, for the sake of the man who warned you and for conscience' sake; I mean his conscience, not yours. Why then should my personal freedom be limited by another's conscience? If I give thanks and thus partake of food, why am I to be blamed for that for which I give thanks? So if you eat or drink or do anything else, do everything to honor God. Stop being stumbling blocks to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I myself am in the habit of pleasing everybody in everything, not aiming at my own welfare but at that of as many people as possible, in order that they may be saved.