Food Offered to Idols
1 In your letter you asked me about food offered to idols. All of us know something about this subject. But knowledge makes us proud of ourselves, while love makes us helpful to others. 2 In fact, people who think they know so much don't know anything at all. 3 But God has no doubts about who loves him.
4 Even though food is offered to idols, we know that none of the idols in this world are alive. After all, there is only one God. 5 Many things in heaven and on earth are called gods and lords, but none of them really are gods or lords. 6 We have only one God, and he is the Father. He created everything, and we live for him. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. Everything was made by him, and by him life was given to us.
7 Not everyone knows these things. In fact, many people have grown up with the belief that idols have life in them. So when they eat meat offered to idols, they are bothered by a weak conscience. 8 But food doesn't bring us any closer to God. We are no worse off if we don't eat, and we are no better off if we do.
9 Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything. 10 You know all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. 11 Then what you know has destroyed someone Christ died for. 12 When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live.
Par elku upuriem
1 Par elku upuriem – skaidrs, ka mums visiem ir zināšanas, un zināšanas rada augstprātību, bet mīlestība – tā veido cilvēku. 2 Ja kāds domā ko sapratis, tad viņš vēl nezina, kā būtu jāsaprot. 3 Bet, ja kāds mīl Dievu, tas ir Dieva atzīts. 4 Par elku upuru ēšanu mēs zinām, ka nekādu elku pasaulē nav un ka neviens cits nav Dievs kā viens Vienīgais. 5 Lai gan ir tā sauktie dievi – vai nu debesīs, vai uz zemes – kā ir daudzi dievi, ir arī daudzi kungi, 6 bet mums ir viens Dievs – Tēvs, no kā ir viss, un mēs esam viņā, un viens Kungs – Jēzus Kristus, caur kuru ir viss un caur viņu mēs. 7 Bet ne visiem ir šīs zināšanas; daži, kas pie elkiem pieraduši, līdz pat šim ēd šo barību kā elku upurus, un viņu sirdsapziņa, būdama vāja, tiek sagānīta. 8 Barība mūs netuvinās Dievam; nedz mēs ko zaudējam, ja neēdam, nedz iegūstam, ja ēdam. 9 Bet pielūkojiet, ka jūsu brīvība nekļūst par klupšanu vājajiem. 10 Ja kāds redzēs tevi, zinošo, elku templī pie mielasta sēžam, vai vāja cilvēka sirdsapziņa netiks vedināta ēst elku upurus? 11 Tavas zināšanas dēļ tomēr iet pazušanā vājais; brālis, par kuru Kristus ir miris. 12 Tā, pret brāļiem grēkodami un viņu vājo sirdsapziņu ievainodami, jūs grēkojat pret Kristu. 13 Tādēļ, ja barība ved grēkā manu brāli, es vairs neēdīšu gaļu, lai manis dēļ mans brālis nekristu grēkā.
