What Does the Bible Say About..? Logo

What Does the Bible Say About..Food Offered to Idols?

Does the Bible allow us to eat food offered to Idols?

Answer

It depends on whether you are Jewish or not, whether you can eat food offered to idols. Actually, there is no specific verse in the Bible that forbids it to even the Jews. They look down on the practice because knowingly eating food offered to idols may be considered as participating in the offering.

Initially, the apostles ruled that Christians should “abstain from meats offered to idols.” (Acts 15:29) Paul, however, seems to take the position that as long as one doesn’t ask whether it was offered to an idol, then it doesn’t matter. Even if you learn that it was offered, then it is up to your own conscience and those with whom you are eating whether it is wrong or not. See 1 Corinthians 8:4-13 and Romans 14:13-23.

Paul’s conclusion is that all food is acceptable if received with thanksgiving, as long as someone else, who doesn’t accept that, is not forced to violate their conscience. Then it would be a sin to eat it.