Study Desk

But not all people know this. Some have had the habit of worshiping idols. So now when they eat meat, they still feel as if it belongs to an idol. They are not sure that it is right to eat this meat. So when they eat it, they feel guilty.

But food will not bring us closer to God. Refusing to eat does not make us less pleasing to God, and eating does not make us closer to him.

But be careful with your freedom. Your freedom to eat anything may make those who have doubts about what they can eat fall into sin.

You understand that it's all right to eat anything, so you can eat even in an idol's temple. But someone who has doubts might see you eating there, and this might encourage them to eat meat sacrificed to idols too. But they really think it is wrong.

Others may not accept me as an apostle, but surely you do. You are proof that I am an apostle in the Lord.

Others have this right to get things from you. So surely we have this right too. But we don't use this right. No, we endure everything ourselves so that we will not stop anyone from obeying the Good News of Christ.

But I have not used any of these rights, and I am not trying to get anything from you. That is not my purpose for writing this. I would rather die than to have someone take away what for me is a great source of pride.

If I did it because it was my own choice, I would deserve to be paid. But I have no choice. I must tell the Good News. So I am only doing the duty that was given to me.

I am free. I belong to no other person, but I make myself a slave to everyone. I do this to help save as many people as I can.

To the Jews I became like a Jew so that I could help save Jews. I myself am not ruled by the law, but to those who are ruled by the law I became like someone who is ruled by the law. I did this to help save those who are ruled by the law.

To those who are without the law I became like someone who is without the law. I did this to help save those who are without the law. (But really, I am not without God's law—I am ruled by the law of Christ.)

You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one runner gets the prize. So run like that. Run to win!

All who compete in the games use strict training. They do this so that they can win a prize—one that doesn't last. But our prize is one that will last forever.

But God was not pleased with most of those people, so they were killed in the desert.

The only temptations that you have are the same temptations that all people have. But you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to endure it.

But I am saying that when food is sacrificed to idols, it is an offering to demons, not to God. And I don't want you to share anything with demons.

"All things are allowed," you say. But not all things are good. "All things are allowed." But some things don't help anyone.

But if someone tells you, "That food was offered to idols," then don't eat it. That's because some people think it is wrong, and it might cause a problem for the person who told you that.

I don't mean that you think it is wrong. But the other person might think it is wrong. That's the only reason not to eat it. My own freedom should not be judged by what another person thinks.

But I want you to understand this: The head of every man is Christ. And the head of a woman is the man. And the head of Christ is God.