1 Wakorintho 8
1 Sasa kuhusu vyakula vilivyotolewa sadaka kwa sanamu: tunajua ya kwamba “sisi sote tuna maarifa.” Maarifa huleta majivuno, bali upendo hujenga.
Now about “food sacrificed to idols.” So “we all have knowledge” about this subject. Knowledge makes us proud, but love strengthens us.
2 Ikiwa mtu yeyote anadhani kwamba anajua jambo fulani, mtu huyo bado hajui kama impasavyo kujua.
If anyone thinks they know anything, they don't know as they really should know!
3 Lakini ikiwa mmoja wapo akimpenda Mungu, mtu huyo anajulikana naye.
But whoever loves God is known by God…
4 Basi kuhusu kula vyakula vilivyotolewa sadaka kwa sanamu: twajua kuwa “sanamu si kitu katika dunia hii,” na ya kuwa hakuna Mungu ila mmoja tu.”
So regarding eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that there are no such things as idols in the world, and that there is only one real God.
5 Kwa maana kuna wengi waitwao miungu ikiwa ni mbinguni au duniani, kama vile walivyo “miungu na mabwana wengi.”
Even though there are some things called “gods,” whether in heaven or on earth—in fact there are many “gods” and “lords.”
6 “Ijapokuwa kwetu kuna Mungu mmoja tu ambaye ni Baba, vitu vyote vimetoka kwake, nasi tunaishi kwake, na Bwana mmoja Yesu Kristo, ambaye kwake vitu vyote vimekuwapo, na kwa yeye sisi tupo.”
But for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything was made, and he is the goal of our existence; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything was made, and he is the means of our existence.
7 Hata hivyo, ujuzi huu haupo ndani ya kila mmoja. Badala yake, wengine walishiriki ibada za sanamu hapo zamani, na hata sasa wanakula vyakula hivi kana kwamba ni kitu kilichotolewa sadaka kwa sanamu. Dhamiri zao zimepotoshwa kwa kuwa ni dhaifu.
But not everyone has this “knowledge.” Some who up to now have been so used to idols as a reality that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience (which is weak) tells them they have defiled themselves.
8 Lakini chakula hakitatuthibitisha sisi kwa Mungu. Sisi sio wabaya sana kama tusipo kula, wala wema sana ikiwa tutakula.
But food doesn't gain us God's approval! If we don't eat this food, we're not bad, and if we do eat this food, we're not good.
9 Lakini iweni makini ya kwamba uhuru wenu usiwe sababu ya kumkwaza aliye dhaifu katika imani.
Just take care not to use this freedom you have to eat food sacrificed to idols to become offensive to those with a weaker attitude.
10 Hebu fikiri kwamba mtu amekuona, wewe uliye na ujuzi, unakula chakula katika hekalu la sanamu. Dhamiri yake mtu huyo haitathibitika hata yeye naye ale vitu vilivyotolewa sadaka kwa sanamu?
If another believer sees you who have such “better knowledge” eating food in an idol temple, won't his weak conscience be convinced to eat food sacrificed to idols?
11 Kwa hiyo kwa sababu ya ufahamu wako wa ukweli juu ya asili ya sanamu, kaka au dada yako aliye dhaifu, ambaye pia Kristo alikufa kwa ajili yake, anaangamizwa.
By your “better knowledge” the weaker believer is destroyed, a believer for whom Christ died.
12 Hivyo, unapofanya dhambi dhidi ya kaka na dada zako na kuzijeruhi dhamiri zao zilizo dhaifu, mnatenda dhambi dhidi ya Kristo.
In this way you sin against other believers, wounding their weaker consciences, and you sin against Christ.
13 Kwa hiyo, ikiwa chakula kinasababisha kumkwaza kaka au dada, sitakula nyama kamwe, ili nisimsababishe kaka au dada yangu kuanguka. (aiōn g165)
So if eating food sacrificed to idols would cause my fellow believer to stumble, I will never eat such meat ever again, so that I don't offend any believer. (aiōn g165)
