1 Corinthians 8:7
in 1 Corinthians 8But 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 8
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But conscious of what it was, and not having such knowledge as other Corinthians boasted of, namely, that an idol is nothing and can therefore neither pollute nor sanctify meats, they by eating them sin against conscience (compare Ro 14:15-23).
This site's exposition
But not everyone has this knowledge
on 1 Corinthians 8:7-8
Some believers, probably recent converts from idolatry, eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol, and their weak conscience is defiled. Food does not bring us closer to God, so the question is one of conscience and love.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"For I would not that ye should have fellowship with demons," says the apostle; since the food of those who are saved and those who perish is separate. We must therefore abstain from these viands not for fear (because there is no power in them); but on account of our conscience, which is holy, and out of detestation of the demons to which they are dedicated, are we to loathe them; and further, on account of the instability of those who regard many things in a way that makes them prone to fall, "whose conscience, being weak, is defiled: for meat commendeth us not to God." "For it is not that which entereth in that defileth a man, but that which goeth out of his mouth."
But, so sinning, by shocking the weak consciences of the brethren thoroughly, they will sin against Christ." By this time, indeed, (he mentions individuals) by name: "Or have we not a power of eating.
"But not in all is knowledge," saith he. What knowledge doth he mean? about God, or about things offered in sacrifice to idols? For either he here glances at the Greeks who say that there are many gods and lords, and who know not Him that is truly God; or at the converts from among Greeks who were still rather infirm, such as did not yet know clearly that they ought not to fear idols and that "an idol is nothing in the world." But in saying this, he gently soothes and encourages the latter. For there was no need of mentioning all he had to reprove, particularly as he intended to visit them again with more severity. "But some being used to the idol eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience being weak is defiled." They still tremble at idols, he saith. For tell me not of the present establishment, and that you have received the true religion from your ancestors. But carry back your thoughts to those times, and consider when the Gospel was just set on foot, and impiety was still at its height, and altars burning, and sacrifices and libations offering up, and the greater part of men were Gentiles; think, I say, of those who from their ancestors had received impiety, and who were the descendants of fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers like themselves, and who had suffered great miseries from the demons. How must they have felt after their sudden change! How would they face and tremble at the assaults of the demons! […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
Not all, he says, know that God is one and not many gods, or that idols are nothing.
He said indefinitely: "some," wishing to expose them before all. For there were many who had passed from idol-worship to the faith, but who even until now, that is, even after they had believed, eat idol-sacrifices as sacrifices to idols. "With a conscience acknowledging idols," …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Some eat, with consciousness of the idol - That is, fancying it is something, and that it makes the meat unlawful to be eaten. And their conscience, being weak - Not rightly informed. Is defiled - contracts guilt by doing it.
Howbeit, there is not in every man that knowledge,....
3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him. The apostle comes here to the case of things that had been offered to idols, concerning which some of them sought satisfaction: a case that frequently occurred in that age of Christianity, when the church of Christ was among the heathen, and the Israel of God must live among the Canaanites.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
There is not in every man that knowledge - This is spoken in reference to what is said, 1Co 8:4: We know that an idol is nothing in the world; for some with a conscience of the idol, viz. that it is something, eat it - the flesh that was offered to the idol, as a thing thus offered, considering the feast as a sacred banquet, by which they have fellowship with the idol. And their conscience being weak - not properly instructed in Divine things, is defiled - he performs what he does as an act of religious worship, and thus his conscience contracts guilt through this idolatry. As in the commencement of Christianity, among the Jews that were converted, there were many found who incorporated the rites of the law with the principles of the Gospel; so, doubtless, among the Gentiles, there were several who did not at once throw aside all their idolatry or idolatrous notions, but preserved some of its more spiritual and imposing parts, and might think it necessary to mingle idolatrous feasts with the rites of Christianity; as the sacrament of the Lord’s supper was certainly considered as a feast upon a sacrifice, as I have proved in my Discourse on the Nature and Design of the Eucharist. As the minds of many of these young Gentile converts could not, as yet, have been deeply endued with spiritual knowledge, they might incorporate these feasts, and confound their nature and properties.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Howbeit - But. In the previous verses Paul had stated the argument of the Corinthians - that they all knew that an idol was nothing; that they worshipped but one God; and that there could be no danger of their falling into idolatry, even should they partake of the meat offered in sacrifice to idols.
The words behind it
24 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | But | G235 → | 635 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πᾶσιν | pasin | all [is] | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἡ | he | this | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γνῶσις· | gnosis | knowledge; | G1108 → | 29 times |
| τινὲς | tines | Some | G5100 → | 528 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συνηθείᾳ | sunetheia | by custom | G4914 → | |
| ἕως | he'os | until | G2193 → | 146 times |
| ἄρτι | arti | now | G737 → | 36 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| εἰδώλου | eidolou | idol | G1497 → | 11 times |
| ὡς | hos | as of | G5613 → | 500 times |
| εἰδωλόθυτον | eidolothuton | an idol-sacrifice | G1494 → | 9 times |
| ἐσθίουσιν, | esthiousin | eat, | G2068 → | 65 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συνείδησις | suneidesis | conscience | G4893 → | 30 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀσθενὴς | asthenes | weak | G772 → | 26 times |
| οὖσα | ousa | being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| μολύνεται. | molunetai | it is defiled. | G3435 → |
ἀλλ᾽But
all᾽G235 →635 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
πᾶσινall [is]
pasinG3956 →1235 times
ἡthis
heG3588 →19766 times
γνῶσις·knowledge;
gnosisG1108 →29 times
τινὲςSome
tinesG5100 →528 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
συνηθείᾳby custom
sunetheiaG4914 →
ἕωςuntil
he'osG2193 →146 times
ἄρτιnow
artiG737 →36 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
εἰδώλουidol
eidolouG1497 →11 times
ὡςas of
hosG5613 →500 times
εἰδωλόθυτονan idol-sacrifice
eidolothutonG1494 →9 times
ἐσθίουσιν,eat,
esthiousinG2068 →65 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
συνείδησιςconscience
suneidesisG4893 →30 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
ἀσθενὴςweak
asthenesG772 →26 times
οὖσαbeing
ousaG1510 →2333 times
μολύνεται.it is defiled.
molunetaiG3435 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 14:14I 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.
it leads to
- 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 Timothy 4:4
For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,
- Romans 14:2
For one person has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats only vegetables.
- Acts 10:14–15
“No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
- Acts 11:8–9
‘No, Lord,’ I said, ‘for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
- Titus 1:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor Book 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 20; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On Modesty and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.