1 Corinthians 8:4

Bible in Basic English (1941)

So, then, as to the question of taking food offered to images, we are certain that an image is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Περὶ τῆς βρώσεως οὖν τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων, οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς Θεὸς ἕτερος εἰ μὴ εἷς.

Transliteration

Peri the brōseōs oun of the eidōlothytōn, we oidamen that ouden eidōlon in kosmō, and that oudeis Theos heteros ei mē heis.

Grammar Details

• *Peri*: preposition + genitive - concerning/about
• *brōseōs*: genitive, feminine, singular - eating/food
• *oun*: inferential particle - therefore/then
• *eidōlothytōn*: genitive, neuter, plural - things sacrificed to idols
• *oidamen*: perfect, 1st plural, active - we know [with continuing results]
• *ouden*: nominative, neuter, singular - nothing/no
• *eidōlon*: nominative, neuter, singular - idol
• *kosmō*: dative, masculine, singular - world
• *oudeis*: nominative, masculine, singular - no one/none
• *Theos*: nominative, masculine, singular - God
• *heteros*: nominative, masculine, singular - other/another
• *ei* *mē*: conjunctive phrase - except/if not
• *heis*: nominative, masculine, singular, numeral - one

Word Meanings

• *brōseōs*: eating/food/consumption
• *eidōlothytōn*: idol sacrifices/food offered to idols
• *eidōlon*: idol/image/false god
• *kosmō*: world/universe/ordered system
• *heteros*: other/another/different

Referenced Verses

• Deut 6:4 : 4 Give ear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord:
• Deut 4:39 : 39 So today be certain, and keep the knowledge deep in your hearts, that the Lord is God, in heaven on high and here on earth; there is no other God.
• Eph 4:6 : 6 One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
• 1 Tim 2:5 : 5 For there is one God and one peacemaker between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
• Isa 41:24 : 24 But you are nothing, and your work is of no value: foolish is he who takes you for his gods.
• Isa 44:6 : 6 The Lord, the King of Israel, even the Lord of armies who has taken up his cause, says, I am the first and the last, and there is no God but me.
• Isa 44:24 : 24 The Lord, who has taken up your cause, and who gave you life in your mother's body, says, I am the Lord who makes all things; stretching out the heavens by myself, and giving the earth its limits; who was with me?
• Mark 12:29 : 29 Jesus said in answer, The first is, Give ear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord;
• Acts 14:15 : 15 Good people, why are you doing these things? We are men with the same feelings as you, and we give you the good news so that you may be turned away from these foolish things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all things in them:
• Acts 19:26 : 26 And you see, for it has come to your ears, that not only at Ephesus, but almost all through Asia, this Paul has been teaching numbers of people and turning them away, saying that those are not gods who are made by men's hands:
• 1 Cor 8:1 : 1 Now about things offered to images: we all seem to ourselves to have knowledge. Knowledge gives pride, but love gives true strength.
• 1 Cor 8:6-7 : 6 There is for us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we are for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we have our being through him. 7 Still, all men have not that knowledge: but some, being used till now to the image, are conscious that they are taking food which has been offered to the image; and because they are not strong in the faith, their minds are troubled.
• 1 Cor 8:10 : 10 For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, taking food as a guest in the house of an image, will it not give him, if he is feeble, the idea that he may take food offered to images?
• 1 Cor 10:19-20 : 19 Do I say, then, that what is offered to images is anything, or that the image is anything? 20 What I say is that the things offered by the Gentiles are offered to evil spirits and not to God; and it is not my desire for you to have any part with evil spirits.
• Isa 45:5 : 5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God but me: I will make you ready for war, though you had no knowledge of me:
• Isa 45:14 : 14 The Lord says, The workmen of Egypt, and the traders of Ethiopia, and the tall Sabaeans, will come over the sea to you, and they will be yours; they will go after you; in chains they will come over: and they will go down on their faces before you, and will make prayer to you, saying, Truly, God is among you; and there is no other God.
• Jer 10:10 : 10 But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and an eternal king: when he is angry, the earth is shaking with fear, and the nations give way before his wrath.
• Jer 10:14 : 14 Then every man becomes like a beast without knowledge; every gold-worker is put to shame by the image he has made: for his metal image is deceit, and there is no breath in them.
• Jer 51:17-18 : 17 Then every man becomes like a beast without knowledge; every gold-worker is put to shame by the image he has made: for his metal image is deceit, and there is no breath in them. 18 They are nothing, a work of error: in the time of their punishment, destruction will overtake them.
• Hab 2:19-20 : 19 A curse on him who says to the wood, Awake! to the unbreathing stone, Up! let it be a teacher! See, it is plated with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it. 20 But the Lord is in his holy Temple: let all the earth be quiet before him.
• Isa 44:8-9 : 8 Have no fear, be strong in heart; have I not made it clear to you in the past, and let you see it? and you are my witnesses. Is there any God but me, or a Rock of whom I have no knowledge? 9 Those who make a pictured image are all of them as nothing, and the things of their desire will be of no profit to them: and their servants see not, and have no knowledge; so they will be put to shame.
• Deut 3:24 : 24 O Lord God, you have now for the first time let your servant see your great power and the strength of your hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth able to do such great works and such acts of power?
• Deut 4:35 : 35 All this he let you see, so that you might be certain that the Lord is God and there is no other.
• Deut 32:39 : 39 See now, I myself am he; there is no other god but me: giver of death and life, wounding and making well: and no one has power to make you free from my hand.
• Ps 115:4-8 : 4 Their images are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. 5 They have mouths, but no voice; they have eyes, but they see not; 6 They have ears, but no hearing; they have noses, but no sense of smell; 7 They have hands without feeling, and feet without power of walking; and no sound comes from their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; and so is everyone who puts his faith in them.
• Isa 37:16 : 16 O Lord of armies, the God of Israel, seated between the winged ones, you only are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.
• Isa 37:20 : 20 But now, O Lord our God, give us salvation from his hand, so that it may be clear to all the kingdoms of the earth that you, and you only, are the Lord.
• Jude 1:25 : 25 To the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, let us give glory and honour and authority and power, before all time and now and for ever. So be it.
• 1 Tim 1:17 : 17 Now to the King eternal, ever-living, unseen, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. So be it.