Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. 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. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak (1 Corinthians 8:4-9).
The purpose of offering meat to an idol was to remove evil spirits from the food. It was thought that evil spirits would attach themselves to the meat in order to seek entrance into a person's life through the digestive tract. Offering the meat as a sacrifice would decontaminate the meat making it safe to eat. Not all of the food offered to the idol would be burned up in the sacrifice and the remaining portions would be offered in idol feasts. What remained after that would be sold in the market (The MacArthur Study Bible).
Some believers, while truly saved, still held a contradictory understanding that there was some benefit from eating this meat. So, they ate and their conscience, being weak, was defiled.
Of course there is no such thing as an idol. Therefore, knowledgeable believers could eat this meat with a clear conscience. The problem is this, if the weaker brother sees the knowledgeable brother eat this meat, he might see this as license, and be led to eat against his conscience. Or, he may become judgemental condemning the knowledgeable brother.
For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble (1 Corinthians 8:10-13).
So, Paul encourages believers to be careful with the use of their liberties. Of course the overarching factor here is love. How we live our lives should be governed by our love for God and others. As Christ said, Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
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