¹⁹ So, what am I saying? That food sacrificed to idols has any significance in itself? or that an idol has significance in itself? ²⁰ No, what I am saying is that the things which pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice not to God but to demons; and I don’t want you to become sharers of the demons! ²¹ You can’t drink both a cup of the Lord and a cup of demons, you can’t partake in both a meal of the Lord and a meal of demons. ²² Or are we trying to make the Lord jealous? We aren’t stronger than he is, are we?

²³ “Everything is permitted,” you say? Maybe, but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permitted?” Maybe, but not everything is edifying. ²⁴ No one should be looking out for his own interests, but for those of his fellow. ²⁵ Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, ²⁶ for the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.^{[a] 27} If some unbeliever invites you to a meal, and you want to go, eat whatever is put in front of you without raising questions of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This meat was offered as a sacrifice,” then don’t eat it, out of consideration for the person who pointed it out and also for conscience’s sake — ²⁹ however, I don’t mean your conscience but that of the other person. You say, “Why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience? ³⁰ If I participate with thankfulness, why am I criticized over something for which I myself bless God?” ³¹ Well, whatever you do, whether it’s eating or drinking or anything else, do it all so as to bring glory to God. ³² Do not be an obstacle to anyone — not to Jews, not to Gentiles, and not to God’s Messianic Community. ³³ Just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not looking out for my own interests but for those of the many, so that they may be saved;