1 Corinthians 8:8

1 Corinthians 8:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
• New International Version (NIV)But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

Context of 1 Corinthians 8:8

6yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. 7Howbeit in all men there is not that knowledge: but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat will not commend us to God: neither, if we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better. 9But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak. 10For if a man see thee which hast knowledge sitting at meat in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

1 Corinthians 8:8 word by word

βρῶμα δὲ ἡμᾶς οὐ παραστήσει τῷ θεῷ· οὔτε ἐὰν μὴ φάγωμεν ὑστερούμεθα, οὔτε ἐὰν φάγωμεν περισσεύομεν.¶Read the interlinear

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• meatὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• willθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• notοὐou · noG3756
• commendπαρίστημιparistēmi paristanō · to stand byG3936
• neitherοὔτεoute · neitherG3777
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• weἡμεῖςhēmeis · weG2249
• eatἐσθίωesthiō · to eatG2068
• worseὑστερέωhustereō · to lackG5302
• betterπερισσεύωperisseuō · to exceedG4052

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 8:8

• 1 Corinthians 6:13Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall bring to nought both it and them. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body:
• Romans 14:17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
• Colossians 2:20If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,
• Hebrews 13:9Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings: for it is good that the heart be stablished by grace; not by meats, wherein they that occupied themselves were not profited.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Meat commendeth us not to God - No such feasts as these can be a recommendation of our souls or persons to the Supreme Being. As to the thing, considered in itself, the eating gives us no spiritual advantage; and the eating not is no spiritual loss.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8But meat commendeth us not to God - This is to be regarded as the view presented by the Corinthian Christians, or by the advocates for partaking of the meat offered in sacrifice to idols. The sense is, “Religion is of a deeper and more spiritual nature than a mere regard to circumstances like these. God looks at the heart. He regards the motives, the thoughts, the moral actions of people. The mere circumstance of eating meat,‘ or abstaining from it…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. 8The Corinthians' connection with God did not depend on whether they ate certain foods or not, regardless of the food's source (compare Romans 14:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. Other old manuscripts read, "Neither if we do not eat, are we the better: neither if we eat are we the worse": the language of the eaters who justified their eating thus [Lachmann]. In English Version Paul admits that "meat neither presents [so the Greek for 'commendeth'] us as commended nor as disapproved before God": it does not affect our standing before God (Ro 14:6).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 8:8

• Commandments
• Conscience
• Evil
• Expediency
• Fraternity
• Idolatry
• Prudence

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Charity
• Commend
• Offend
• Perish
• Touching
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Drunkenness
• Food

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