1 Corinthians 8:4–6
Paul: idols are nothing; for us there is one God, the Father
Study it word by word4So, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.
5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),
6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we for him, and one Lord, Jesus the Messiah, through whom are all things, and we through him.
In its context
2If anyone thinks he has come to know something, he has not yet known as he ought to know.
3But if anyone loves God, that one is known by him.
…
7But not in everyone is this knowledge; but some, through being accustomed until now to the idol, eat the food as sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
8Now food will not bring us close to God; for neither if we eat are we better off, nor if we do not eat are we worse off.
Its words in the original
- βρώσεωςbrōseōs· food, eating
Eating; food, nourishment. In Matthew 6:19-20, what eats things away: moth or rust.
- εἰδωλοθύτωνeidōlothytōn· food offered to idols
What has been sacrificed to an idol, especially meat.
- οἴδαμενoidamen· know
Know, understand; also see.
- εἴδωλονeidōlon· idol
Idol, image of a false god.
- κόσμῳkosmōi· world
World: what God created; also humanity, and humanity living with its back turned to God.
- θεὸςtheos· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- εἷςheis· one
One.
- εἴπερeiper· since, if indeed
"Since", "if indeed", "if it is true that".
- εἰσὶνeisin· be
Be, exist.
- λεγόμενοιlegomenoi· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- εἴτεeite· whether, or
"Whether ... or", "if".
- οὐρανῷouranōi· heaven, sky
Heaven: the sky and, above all, the place of God. "The heavens" is sometimes a respectful way of saying "God".
- γῆςgēs· earth, land
Earth: the ground, a country, or the whole world.
- ὥσπερhōsper· just as
Just as, in the same way as.
- πολλοὶpolloi· much, many
Much, great; in the plural, many.
- κύριοιkyrioi· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- πατήρpatēr· father, Father
Father; also ancestor.
- ἸησοῦςIēsous· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- ΧριστόςChristos· Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.