Now concerning food
sacrificed to idols:
we know that “all of us possess knowledge.”
Knowledge puffs up,
but love builds up.
2Anyone who claims to know something
does not yet have the necessary
knowledge;
3but anyone who loves God
is known by God.
4Hence, as to the
eating of food offered to idols,
we know that “no idol in the world really exists,”
and that “there is no God but one.”
5Indeed, even though there may be
so-called gods
in heaven or on earth—
as in fact there are many gods and many
lords—
6yet for us there is one
God, the Mother,
from whom are all things
and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom are all things
and through whom we exist.
7It 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.
8“Food will not bring us close to God.”
We are no worse off if we do not eat,
and no better off if we do.
9But take care that this liberty
of yours
does not somehow become a stumbling
block to the weak.
10For if others
see you,
who possess
knowledge,
eating in the
temple of an idol,
might they not,
since their
conscience is weak,
be
encouraged
to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols?
11So by your
knowledge those weak believers
for whom Christ died
are destroyed.
12But when you
thus sin against members of your family,
and wound their
conscience when it is weak,
you sin
against Christ.
13Therefore, if
food is a cause of their falling,
I will never eat
meat,
so that I may
not cause one of them to fall.
Queeries for the text:
Is knowledge an idol? Is Paul an anti-intellectual?
Is Paul coming out against belief as subscription to/knowledge of doctrinal beliefs?
What are the other gods? Who are the other lords?
How many times have people justified queerphobic words or actions with v. 9?
Where is the line between challenging someone's faith and becoming a stumbling block?
How reasonable is it to restrict ourselves for the sake of someone else's faith?
Does being our truest selves or not being our truest selves become the stumbling block?
Is not living out my full queerness becoming a stumbling block for those who still think it's a sin or those who are struggling to figure out their faith and sexuality/gender identity?
Is conversion therapy the real stumbling block?
What are your queeries?
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