God’s Word Translation
1 Corinthians 8:7
7But not everyone knows this. Some people are so used to worshiping false gods that they believe they are eating food offered to a false god. So they feel guilty because their conscience is weak.
1 Corinthians 8:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
- New International Version (NIV)But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.
- English Standard Version (ESV)However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
- New King James Version (NKJV)However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
Context of 1 Corinthians 8:7
5People may say that there are gods in heaven and on earth—many gods and many lords, as they would call them. 6But for us, “There is only one God, the Father. Everything came from him, and we live for him. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. Everything came into being through him, and we live because of him.” But not everyone knows this. Some people are so used to worshiping false gods that they believe they are eating food offered to a false god. So they feel guilty because their conscience is weak. 8Food will not affect our relationship with God. We are no worse off if we eat ⌞that food⌟ and no better off if we don’t. 9But be careful that by using your freedom you don’t somehow make a believer who is weak in faith fall into sin.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 81 Corinthians 8:7 word by word
ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις· τινὲς δὲ τῇ συνηθείᾳ ἕως ἄρτι τοῦ εἰδώλου ὡς εἰδωλόθυτον ἐσθίουσιν, καὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτῶν ἀσθενὴς οὖσα μολύνεται.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Howbeitἀλλάalla · butG235
- notοὐou · noG3756
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- every manπᾶςpas · allG3956
- that knowledgeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- that knowledgeγνῶσιςgnōsis · knowledgeG1108
- forδέde · thenG1161
- someτιςtis · oneG5100
- with conscienceσυνείδησιςsuneidēsis · conscienceG4893
- of the idolεἴδωλονeidōlon · idolG1497
- untoἕωςheōs · untilG2193
- this hourἄρτιarti · nowG737
- eatἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- a thing offered unto an idolεἰδωλόθυτοςeidōlothuton · sacrificed to idolsG1494
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- weakἀσθενήςasthenēs · weakG772
- is defiledμολύνωmolunō · to defileG3435
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 8:7
- 1 Corinthians 1:10Brothers and sisters, I encourage all of you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to agree with each other and not to split into opposing groups. I want you to be united in your understanding and opinions.
- 1 Corinthians 8:9But be careful that by using your freedom you don’t somehow make a believer who is weak in faith fall into sin.
- 1 Corinthians 10:28However, if someone says to you, “This was sacrificed to a god,” don’t eat it because of the one who informed you and because of conscience.
- Romans 14:14The Lord Jesus has given me the knowledge and conviction that no food is unacceptable in and of itself. But it is unacceptable to a person who thinks it is.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7There is not in every man that knowledge - This is spoken in reference to what is said, 1 Corinthians 8:4; : We know that an idol is nothing in the world; for some with a conscience of the idol, viz. that it is something, eat it - the flesh that was offered to the idol, as a thing thus offered, considering the feast as a sacred banquet, by which they have fellowship with the idol. And their conscience being weak - not properly instructed in Divine things…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Howbeit - But. In the previous verses Paul had stated the argument of the Corinthians - that they all knew that an idol was nothing; that they worshipped but one God; and that there could be no danger of their falling into idolatry, even should they partake of the meat offered in sacrifice to idols. Here he replies, that though this might be generally true, yet it was not universally; for that some were ignorant on this subject, and supposed that an idol…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 Eating one kind of food, and abstaining from another, have nothing in them to recommend a person to God. But the apostle cautions against putting a stumbling-block in the way of the weak; lest they be made bold to eat what was offered to the idol, not as common food, but as a sacrifice, and thereby be guilty of idolatry. He who has the Spirit of Christ in him, will love those whom Christ loved so as to die for them. Injuries done to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Many Corinthian believers grew up in a pagan world and saw eating such meat as worshiping the god it was sacrificed to. For these Christians, eating meat offered to an idol would go against their weak consciences (see 8:10–12; 10:28–29; Romans 14:13–23).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Howbeit--Though to us who "have knowledge" (1Co 8:1, 4-6) all meats are indifferent, yet "this knowledge is not in all" in the same degree as we have it. Paul had admitted to the Corinthians that "we all have knowledge" (1Co 8:1), that is, so far as Christian theory goes; but practically some have it not in the same degree. with conscience--an ancient reading; but other very old manuscripts read "association" or "habit." In either reading the meaning…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 8:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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