New International Version
1 Corinthians 8:7
7But 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated.
Context of 1 Corinthians 8:7
5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 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. 8But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
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 1:10I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
- 1 Corinthians 8:9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
- 1 Corinthians 10:28But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.
- Romans 14:14I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.
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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