1 Corinthians 8:7
New International Version
But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

New Living Translation
However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated.

English Standard Version
However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Berean Standard Bible
But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

Berean Literal Bible
But this knowledge is not in all. And some, by habit of the idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak, it is defiled.

King James Bible
Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

New King James Version
However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

New American Standard Bible
However, not all people 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.

NASB 1995
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.

NASB 1977
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.

Legacy Standard Bible
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.

Amplified Bible
However, not all [believers] have this knowledge. But some, being accustomed [throughout their lives] to [thinking of] the idol until now [as real and living], still eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and because their conscience is weak, it is defiled (guilty, ashamed).

Christian Standard Bible
However, not everyone has this knowledge. Some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

American Standard Version
Howbeit there is not in all men 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.

Contemporary English Version
Not everyone knows these things. In fact, many people have grown up with the belief that idols have life in them. So when they eat meat offered to idols, they are bothered by a weak conscience.

English Revised Version
Howbeit 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But not everyone knows this. Some people are so used to worshiping false gods that they believe they are eating food offered to a false god. So they feel guilty because their conscience is weak.

Good News Translation
But not everyone knows this truth. Some people have been so used to idols that to this day when they eat such food they still think of it as food that belongs to an idol; their conscience is weak, and they feel they are defiled by the food.

International Standard Version
But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are so accustomed to idolatry that when they eat food that has been offered to an idol, their conscience becomes contaminated because it is weak.

Majority Standard Bible
But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

NET Bible
But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled.

New Heart English Bible
However, not all have this knowledge. But some, being so accustomed to idols until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Webster's Bible Translation
But there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol to this hour eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Weymouth New Testament
But all believers do not recognize these facts. Some, from force of habit in relation to the idol, even now eat idol sacrifices as such, and their consciences, being but weak, are polluted.

World English Bible
However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of an idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
but not in all men [is] the knowledge, and certain with conscience of the idol, until now, eat [it] as a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Berean Literal Bible
But this knowledge is not in all. And some, by habit of the idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak, it is defiled.

Young's Literal Translation
but not in all men is the knowledge, and certain with conscience of the idol, till now, as a thing sacrificed to an idol do eat it, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Smith's Literal Translation
But not in all, knowledge: and some with consciousness of the idol even till now eat as a sacrifice to idols: and their consciousness being weak is contaminated.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But there is not knowledge in every one. For some until this present, with conscience of the idol: eat as a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But knowledge is not in everyone. For some persons, even now, with consent to an idol, eat what has been sacrificed to an idol. And their conscience, being infirm, becomes polluted.

New American Bible
But not all have this knowledge. There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols, their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.

New Revised Standard Version
It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with clear conscience eat that which has been offered to idols as a sacrifice; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But that knowledge has not been in every person, for there are some people even until now in whose conscience eat what is sacrificed to idols, and because their conscience is weak, it is defiled.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But all have not this knowledge; for some, under the persuasion that an idol is a reality, even yet eat meat, as if it were offered to an idol, and their conscience being weak, is defiled.

Godbey New Testament
But there is not knowledge in all people: but some, with the conscience of the idol even until now, eat as if it was sacrificed to the idol; and their conscience being weak is polluted.

Haweis New Testament
Howbeit there is not in all men this knowledge; but some having conscientious respect for the idol to this moment, eat the meat as sacrificed to the idol; and their conscience being weak, is defiled.

Mace New Testament
But every one has not this knowledge: for some still imagine the idol represents a deity: and eat the meat under the notion of an offering to such a being: by which erroneous opinion they are infected with idolatry.

Weymouth New Testament
But all believers do not recognize these facts. Some, from force of habit in relation to the idol, even now eat idol sacrifices as such, and their consciences, being but weak, are polluted.

Worrell New Testament
But this knowledge is not in all; but some, by familiarity with the idol even until now, eat it as an idol-sacrifice; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Worsley New Testament
But there is not in all men this knowledge: and some with a consciousness of the idol unto this day, eat it as a thing sacrificed to an idol, and so their conscience being weak is defiled.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Food Sacrificed to Idols
6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist. 7But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.…

Cross References
Romans 14:14
I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

Romans 14:23
But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.

1 Corinthians 10:28-29
But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience— / the other one’s conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience?

Acts 15:20
Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

1 Timothy 4:2
influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

Titus 1:15
To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

1 Corinthians 10:25
Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,

1 Corinthians 10:32
Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God—

1 Corinthians 6:12
“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.

1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

1 Corinthians 10:23
“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.

1 Corinthians 10:33
as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.

1 Corinthians 9:22
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

1 Corinthians 4:4
My conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who judges me.


Treasury of Scripture

However, there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol to this hour eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

there.

1 Corinthians 1:10,11
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment…

with.

1 Corinthians 8:9,10
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak…

1 Corinthians 10:28,29
But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: …

Romans 14:14,23
I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean…

Jump to Previous
Believers Conscience Conscious Consciousness Defiled Eat Facts Faith Food Force Habit Hitherto Hour Howbeit However Idol Idols Image Minds Offered Possess Recognize Relation Sacrificed Sacrifices Strong Think Troubled Weak
Jump to Next
Believers Conscience Conscious Consciousness Defiled Eat Facts Faith Food Force Habit Hitherto Hour Howbeit However Idol Idols Image Minds Offered Possess Recognize Relation Sacrificed Sacrifices Strong Think Troubled Weak
1 Corinthians 8
1. To abstain from food offered to idols.
8. We must not abuse our Christian liberty, to the offense of our brothers;
11. but must bridle our knowledge with charity.














But not everyone has this knowledge
The phrase "this knowledge" refers to the understanding that idols are nothing and that there is only one God, as discussed earlier in the chapter. The Greek word for "knowledge" here is "gnōsis," which implies a deep, experiential understanding. In the early church, not all believers had reached the same level of spiritual maturity or understanding. This highlights the diversity within the body of Christ and the need for patience and teaching. Historically, the early church was a melting pot of Jewish and Gentile believers, each bringing their own backgrounds and struggles into their new faith.

Some people are still so accustomed to idols
The word "accustomed" comes from the Greek "sunētheia," meaning a habitual practice or custom. For many Gentile converts, idol worship was a deeply ingrained part of their previous lives. Archaeological findings reveal the prevalence of idol worship in Corinth, with temples and altars dedicated to various gods. This cultural backdrop made it challenging for new believers to completely detach from their past practices. The phrase underscores the struggle of leaving behind old ways and the transformative journey of sanctification.

that when they eat such food, they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol
The act of eating food sacrificed to idols was a common practice in Corinth, where meat from pagan temples often ended up in the marketplace. The Greek word for "sacrificed" is "eidōlothuton," which directly refers to offerings made to idols. For those who had recently converted, eating such food could trigger memories of their former idol worship, making it difficult to separate the act of eating from its previous religious connotations. This phrase highlights the importance of understanding the personal and cultural history of fellow believers.

and since their conscience is weak
The term "conscience" in Greek is "syneidēsis," which refers to an internal sense of right and wrong. A "weak" conscience indicates a lack of confidence or assurance in one's understanding of Christian liberty. This weakness is not a moral failing but rather a stage in spiritual growth. The early church had to navigate these differences with sensitivity, recognizing that not all believers were at the same point in their faith journey. This calls for a compassionate approach to discipleship and community life.

it is defiled
The Greek word for "defiled" is "molynō," meaning to stain or pollute. In this context, it refers to the spiritual and emotional turmoil experienced by those whose conscience is troubled by actions they perceive as sinful. The defilement is not in the food itself but in the violation of one's conscience. This serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting the convictions of others and the potential harm of causing a fellow believer to stumble. The verse calls for a loving and considerate approach to Christian freedom, prioritizing the spiritual well-being of others over personal liberty.

(7) Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge.--The Apostle had admitted that in theory all have knowledge which should render the eating of things offered to idols a matter beyond question; but there are some who, as a matter of fact, are not fully grown--have not practically attained that knowledge.

Some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol.--Better, some, through their familiarity with the idol, even up to this time eat it as offered to an idol.

The weight of MSS. evidence is in favour of the word "familiarity" instead of the word "conscience," and joins "even up to this time," not with "eat," but with the previous words. Thus the allusion is to heathen converts who, from their previous lifelong belief in the reality of the idol as representing a god, have not been able fully to realise the non-existence of the person thus represented, though they have come to believe that it is not God; and therefore, they regard the meat as offered to some kind of reality, even though it be a demon. (See 1Corinthians 10:20-21.) The Apostle admits that this is a sign of a weak conscience; and the defilement arises from its being weak.

Verse 7. - There is not in every man that knowledge. A correction of the somewhat haughty assertion of the Corinthians in ver. 1. With conscience of the idol; literally, by their consciousness of the idol. In eating meat offered to any god whom they had been accustomed to worship, "being used to the idol," as the Revised Version renders it (reading "by familiarity with," συνηθείᾳ for συνειδήσει) cannot dismiss from their minds the palatal sense that, in eating the idol sacrifice, they are participating in the idol worship. Their conscience being weak is defiled. Being Gentiles who till recently had been idolaters, the apparent participation in their old idolatry wore to them the semblance of apostacy. The thing which they were eating was, in its own essence, indifferent or clean, but since they could not help esteeming it unclean, they defied a conscientious doubt, and so their conduct, not being of faith, became sinful (Romans 14:14, 23). St Paul admits that this was the sign of a conscience intellectually weak; but the weakness was the result of past habit and imperfect enlightenment, and it was entitled to forbearance and respect.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
Ἀλλ’ (All’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

not
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

everyone
πᾶσιν (pasin)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

[has]
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

this
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

knowledge.
γνῶσις (gnōsis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1108: Knowledge, doctrine, wisdom. From ginosko; knowing, i.e. knowledge.

Some
τινὲς (tines)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

[people]
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

are still so accustomed
συνηθείᾳ (synētheia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4914: A custom, habit, practice. From a compound of sun and ethos; mutual habituation, i.e. Usage.

to idols
εἰδώλου (eidōlou)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 1497: An idol, false god. From eidos; an image; by implication, a heathen god, or the worship of such.

[that] they eat [such food]
ἐσθίουσιν (esthiousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2068: Strengthened for a primary edo; used only in certain tenses, the rest being supplied by phago; to eat.

as if
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

it were sacrificed to an idol.
εἰδωλόθυτον (eidōlothyton)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1494: Neuter of a compound of eidolon and a presumed derivative of thuo; an image-sacrifice, i.e. Part of an idolatrous offering.

And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[since] their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

conscience
συνείδησις (syneidēsis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4893: The conscience, a persisting notion. From a prolonged form of suneido; co-perception, i.e. Moral consciousness.

is
οὖσα (ousa)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

weak,
ἀσθενὴς (asthenēs)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 772: (lit: not strong), (a) weak (physically, or morally), (b) infirm, sick. Strengthless.

it is defiled.
μολύνεται (molynetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3435: To soil, stain, pollute, defile, lit. and met. Probably from melas; to soil.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 8:7 However that knowledge isn't in all men (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 8:6
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