Chapter
8
Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
But if anyone thinks that she knows anything, she doesn't yet know as she ought to know.
But if anyone loves God, the same is known by her.
Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
For though there are things that are called "gods," whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many "gods" and many "dominas;"
yet to us there is one God, the Mother, of whom are all things, and we for her; and one Domina, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through her.
However, that knowledge isn't in all women. But some, with consciousness of the idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don't eat, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.
But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak.
For if a woman sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol's temple, won't her conscience, if she is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
And through your knowledge, she who is weak perishes, the sister for whose sake Christ died.
Thus, sinning against the sisters, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my sister to stumble, I will eat no meat forevermore, that I don't cause my sister to stumble.