Suppose a person whose conscience is weak in this matter sees you, who have so-called "knowledge," eating in the temple of an idol; will not this encourage him to eat food offered to idols?

None of you should be looking out for your own interests, but for the interests of others.

that is, not your own conscience, but the other person's conscience. "Well, then," someone asks, "why should my freedom to act be limited by another person's conscience?

"If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea.

How terrible for the world that there are things that make people lose their faith! Such things will always happen---but how terrible for the one who causes them!

"See that you don't despise any of these little ones. Their angels in heaven, I tell you, are always in the presence of my Father in heaven.

Jesus said to his disciples, "Things that make people fall into sin are bound to happen, but how terrible for the one who makes them happen!

It would be better for him if a large millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.

Do not, because of food, destroy what God has done. All foods may be eaten, but it is wrong to eat anything that will cause someone else to fall into sin.

The right thing to do is to keep from eating meat, drinking wine, or doing anything else that will make other believers fall.

As for you, my friends, you were called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead, let love make you serve one another.

Live as free people; do not, however, use your freedom to cover up any evil, but live as God's slaves.

They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits---for we are slaves of anything that has conquered us.

Live in such a way as to cause no trouble either to Jews or Gentiles or to the church of God.

Do not curse the deaf or put something in front of the blind so as to make them stumble over it. Obey me; I am the LORD your God.

The LORD says, "Let my people return to me. Remove every obstacle from their path! Build the road and make it ready!

"Mortal man," he said, "these men have given their hearts to idols and are letting idols lead them into sin. Do they think I will give them an answer?

But because they conducted the worship of idols for the people of Israel and in this way led the people into sin, I, the Sovereign LORD, solemnly swear that they must be punished.

So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make others stumble or fall into sin.

If you hurt others because of something you eat, then you are no longer acting from love. Do not let the food that you eat ruin the person for whom Christ died!

As for you, my friends, you were called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead, let love make you serve one another.

But there are a few things I have against you: there are some among you who follow the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak how to lead the people of Israel into sin by persuading them to eat food that had been offered to idols and to practice sexual immorality.

And in this way you will be sinning against Christ by sinning against other Christians and wounding their weak conscience.

Among the weak in faith I become weak like one of them, in order to win them. So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible.

Give strength to hands that are tired and to knees that tremble with weakness.

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions.

Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables.

We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves.

I am ashamed to admit that we were too timid to do those things! But if anyone dares to boast about something---I am talking like a fool---I will be just as daring.