7 However not all men have this knowledge ; but some , being accustomed to the idol until now , eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol ; and their conscience being weak is defiled . 8 But food will not commend us to God ; we are neither the worse if we do not eat , nor the better if we do eat . 9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak . 10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge , dining in an idol's temple , will not his conscience , if he is weak , be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols ? 11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined , the brother for whose sake Christ died . 12 And so , by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak , you sin against Christ . 13 Therefore , if food causes my brother to stumble , I will never e eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Corinthians 8:7-13
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 8:7-13
(Read 1 Corinthians 8:7-13)
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 Christians, are done to Christ; but most of all, the entangling them in guilt: wounding their consciences, is wounding him. We should be very tender of doing any thing that may occasion stumbling to others, though it may be innocent in itself. And if we must not endanger other men's souls, how much should we take care not to destroy our own! Let Christians beware of approaching the brink of evil, or the appearance of it, though many do this in public matters, for which perhaps they plead plausibly. Men cannot thus sin against their brethren, without offending Christ, and endangering their own souls.