Be Sensitive to Conscience

8 Now aconcerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have bknowledge. cKnowledge 1puffs up, but love 2edifies. 2 And dif anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that ean idol is nothing in the world, fand that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are gso-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet hfor us there is one God, the Father, iof whom are all things, and we for Him; and jone Lord Jesus Christ, kthrough whom are all things, and lthrough whom we live.

7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, mwith consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is ndefiled. 8 But ofood does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

9 But pbeware lest somehow this liberty of yours become qa 3stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not rthe conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And sbecause of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But twhen you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, uif food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

A Pattern of Self-Denial

9 Am aI not an apostle? Am I not free? bHave I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? cAre you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are dthe 1seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 eDo we have no 2right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along 3a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, fthe brothers of the Lord, and gCephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I hwho have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever igoes to war at his own expense? Who jplants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who ktends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, l“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that mhe who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 nIf we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

oNevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things plest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 qDo you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the rtemple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so sthe Lord has commanded tthat those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

15 But uI have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for vit would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for wnecessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, xI have a reward; but if against my will, yI have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That zwhen I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel 4of Christ without charge, that I amay not abuse my authority in the gospel.

Serving All Men

19 For though I am bfree from all men, cI have made myself a servant to all, dthat I might win the more; 20 and eto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the 5law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 fto gthose who are without law, as without law h(not being without 6law toward God, but under 7law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 ito the weak I became 8as weak, that I might win the weak. jI have become all things to all men, kthat I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.