This verse appears to introduce a more general thought, since it refers to meat in general, not specifically to meat offered to idols. The two words are not related in Greek. It is true that the general word for food has already been used in verse 8. In Rom 14.2, 21 Paul refers to Christians whose conscience forbade them to eat any meat at all. So it is possible that there were similar people in the church in Corinth. Some Christians may have refused to eat any meat in order to be sure of not eating meat that had been dedicated to idols.

The words my brother’s falling and my brother to fall continue the image of destroying someone by making him stumble (compare verse 9). As in verse 12 and elsewhere, Good News Bible‘s “a believer” means “a fellow Christian.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .