Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.


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.

Then why should you criticize your brother? Or, why should you look down on your brother? Surely, we shall all stand before God to be judged, for the Scripture says: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall make acknowledgment to God.'" So each of us must give an account of himself to God. read more.
Then let us stop criticizing one another; instead, do this, determine to stop putting stumbling blocks or hindrances in your brother's way. 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. 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.

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, read more.
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.