Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Corinthians 8:7

"Howbeit there is not in all men that knowledge: but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as [of] a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled." — 1 Corinthians 8:7 (ASV)

Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge.—The Apostle had admitted that in theory all have knowledge that should render the eating of things offered to idols a matter beyond question; but there are some who, as a matter of fact, are not fully mature—they have not practically attained that knowledge.

Some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol.—Better, some, through their familiarity with the idol, even up to this time eat it as offered to an idol.

The weight of manuscript evidence is in favor of the word “familiarity” instead of the word “conscience,” and connects “even up to this time,” not with “eat,” but with the previous words. Thus the allusion is to pagan converts who, from their previous lifelong belief in the reality of the idol as representing a god, have not been able fully to realize the non-existence of the person thus represented, though they have come to believe that it is not God; and therefore, they regard the meat as offered to some kind of reality, even though it is a demon. (See 1 Corinthians 10:20–21.) The Apostle admits that this is a sign of a weak conscience; and the defilement arises from its being weak.