1 Corinthians 10:19-33

New Life Version

¹⁹ What do I mean? Am I saying that a false god or the food brought to it in worship is worth anything? ²⁰ No, not at all! I am saying that the people who do not know God bring gifts of animals in worship. But they have given them to demons, not to God. You do not want to have any share with demons. ²¹ You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons. You cannot eat at the Lord’s table and at the demon’s table. ²² Are we trying to make the Lord jealous? Do we think we are stronger than the Lord?

²³ We are allowed to do anything, but not everything is good for us to do. We are allowed to do anything, but not all things help us grow strong as Christians. ²⁴ Do not work only for your own good. Think of what you can do for others. ²⁵ Eat any meat that is sold in the stores. Ask no questions about it. Then your heart will not say it is wrong. ²⁶ The Holy Writings say, “The earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord.” ^{(A) 27} If a person who is not a Christian wants you to eat with him, and you want to go, eat anything that is on the table. Ask no questions about the food. Then your heart will not say it is wrong. ²⁸ But if someone says, “This meat has been given as a gift to false gods in worship,” do not eat it. In that way, it will not hurt the faith of the one who told you and his heart will have peace. ²⁹ How the other person feels is important. We are not free to do things that will hurt another person. ³⁰ If I can give thanks to God for my food, why should anyone say that I am wrong about eating food I can give thanks for? ³¹ So if you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything to honor God. ³² Do nothing that would make trouble for a Greek or for a Jew or for the church of God. ³³ I want to please everyone in all that I do. I am not thinking of myself. I want to do what is best for them so they may be saved from the punishment of sin.