1 Now I will answer what you asked about us believers eating meat that has been sacrificed to idols. We know what some of you say, that God has enabled all of us to know the truth about things such as idols. But often we become proud because we say that we know all those things. But instead of being proud about what we know, we should show that we love our fellow believers by helping them to become spiritually mature. 2 Those who think that they thoroughly know something do not yet know it as they should. 3 But as for those who love God, they know that they belong to him.

4 So I will tell you about eating meat that people have sacrificed to idols. We know that it is true, as you say, that idols are not really alive. We also know that there is only one real God. 5 It is true that there are gods whom people think live in the heavens or whom they think live on earth. Truly, there are many beings that people call gods, and whom they call lords. 6 But for us believers there is only one real God. He is our heavenly Father who created everything. He is the one whom we worship and serve. Also, for us believers Jesus Christ is the one and only Lord. He is the one whom God caused to create everything. It is because of what he has done that we have spiritual life.

7 Nevertheless, some people do not understand that idols are not really alive. In the past, some among you who are believers now were accustomed to believing that idols were really alive. As a result, when they eat such meat now, they still think that it was sacrificed to an idol that is alive. They are not sure that God allows believers to eat meat that has been offered to idols. So, when they eat such meat, they think that they have sinned. 8 But God will not think more highly about us if we eat certain foods, or if we do not eat certain foods. That is, we are not more acceptable to God if we do not eat certain foods, nor are we more acceptable to him if we eat those foods. 9 However, be sure that you do not do anything that God allows you to do, if by doing that you would encourage any of your fellow believers to do something that they are not sure God allows them to do. As a result, you would be causing them to sin. 10 For example, you know that idols are not really alive. Suppose that in a temple where they worship idols you eat food that has been sacrificed to idols. Suppose that someone who is not sure whether God allows us to eat that food sees you eating it. ◄ You would be encouraging him to eat it, too./Wouldn't you be encouraging him to eat it, too?► [RHQ] 11 As a result, you who know that idols are not really alive, might cause that fellow believer, one for whom Christ died, ◄to be ruined spiritually/to stop believing in Christ►. 12 By sinning against your fellow believer by causing him to do something that he thinks God does not allow us to do, it is as though you are sinning against Christ himself! 13 So if I, Paul, think that by eating a certain food I might cause a fellow believer to be ruined spiritually, I will never eat such food again. I do not want to cause any fellow believer ◄to be ruined spiritually/to stop believing in Christ►. And you should ◄ do as I do/imitate my example►.