First Letter to the Corinthians -- Chapter 8
Having concluded his thoughts on marriage Paul continues on by discussing our Christian freedom by means of the topic of food sacrificed to idols. “Now about food sacrificed to idols” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Matthew Henry adequately rephrased this concern and question that the Corinthians had: “Christians lived among idolaters, had many relations and friends that were such, with whom they must keep up acquaintance and maintain good neighborhood, and therefore have occasion to eat at their tables, what should they do if any thing that had been sacrificed should be set before them?” This is the question that Paul will set out to answer but before getting into it more deeply he starts with a few important preface points, reminding us that the knowledge and wisdom of men is nothing before God: “We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:1-2). No matter how much knowledge we have in this life it is useless apart from God and His love. Paul is quick to point out to the Corinthians (Greeks who were obsessed with knowledge and wisdom) that human knowledge can only puff us up, making us big in our perception but truly empty and hollow within. Like a balloon, knowledge can inflate us to outward seeming growth while in reality any trouble or thorn in life will quickly bring all that knowledge to naught, showing us we are only full of hot, meaningless air. True wisdom therefore lies in knowing that we are foolish, and true knowledge lies in recognizing our ignorance. “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:12). “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). “If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a ‘fool’ so that he may become wise” (1 Corinthians 3:18). “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3). As Paul says, if we think we know something then we do know anything at all. Therefore it is ironically only the man who realizes he knows nothing that in reality knows something. True wisdom lies in seeing that before God Almighty we are less than nothing and that all our perceived knowledge amounts to a big fat zero.
Paul continues on: “But the man who loves God is known by God” (1 Corinthians 8:3). Here Paul reveals what is truly significant. The important thing is not what or how much we know, but who we are known by. Some will argue that we need to know Jesus Christ (and indeed we do), but we only know Christ because Christ knew us, seeking us out and saving us thru His blood. We do not rest content in our knowledge of God, we rest content because thru Jesus Christ we are known and loved by God; all of our knowledge of God is worthless if we are not known by Him. A song by Daniel Lanois entitled “The Maker” illustrates this beautifully: “Oh deep water, black and cold like the night. I stand with arms wide open; I’ve run a twisted mile. I'm a stranger in the eyes of the Maker. I could not see for fog in my eyes, I could not feel for the fear in my life.” In these couple lines we see how even though our arms are wide open and all our best efforts are put forth we can do nothing but run a twisted and depraved mile. We are blind and unfeeling despite all the knowledge, seeking, trying, choices, efforts, and wisdom of this life. Thru our empty knowledge we are nothing but strangers in the eyes of the Maker; nothing we can do can make God know us. The song continues: “From across the great divide, in the distance I saw a Light, John Baptist walking to me with the Maker. My body is bent and broken by long and dangerous sleep, I can work the fields of Abraham and turn my head away. I’m not a stranger in the eyes of the Maker.” Across the great divide of our helplessness came Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Thru Him and His work we ceased being strangers in the eyes of our Father, we became known by God.
Having laid the foundation with these key points Paul continues on to the specific topic the Corinthians were interested about: “So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). All the powers and gods of this world are nothing in spite of all their feigned knowledge and wisdom; they are literally powerless against us because we are known by God in Jesus Christ our Lord. The idols, false gods, and false religions of the world are themselves nothing at all and therefore their practices, rites, and rituals are also nothing. Therefore Paul tells us that food sacrificed to an idol is simply this: food. Just because something of God’s creation is perverted and twisted by unbelievers doesn’t make it perverted for us. Empty belief in powerless idols does not affect or alter the truth of the one God who is revealed in Jesus Christ. “But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do” (1 Corinthians 8:7). Even though these idols are nothing some believers and Christians do not know this. The modern day equivalent of this is how some Christians struggle with things like Halloween (I speak of the “holiday”, not actual devil worship), the rituals of other religions, the fact that some Christian traditions were derived from pagan customs, tattoos, piercings, etc. Thru the Scriptures however we know that everything in God’s creation is made clean for us thru the blood of Christ so when we have a strong conscience and faith we can participate in all sorts of things that have been perverted by unbelievers, because thru God’s Word they are sanctified and consecrated to us. “Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4-5). As Paul says, food is just food, therefore it doesn’t matter to the believer one way or another. The problem arises when we do not respect and bear with those who have a lack of knowledge and a weak conscience or faith, and we rub our Christian freedom in their face.
Therefore Paul continues in this warning: “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge” (1 Corinthians 8:9-11). We must be extremely careful not to cause those around us to stumble in their faith because of some knowledge that we have (we must always remember it is not our knowledge that makes us a Christian, but instead God’s knowledge of us). Someone who is less informed than we are or who is new or weak in faith might see us partaking in things that we know are perfectly fine, however this may cause them to stumble into idolatry if they begin to think the false teaching or empty ritual is actually something of substance and ok to follow. Some simply do not yet have the knowledge to see the freedoms and victory we have in Christ over all things. For instance, participating in Halloween is a perfectly fine thing when we realize that such pagans things are nothing and have no power over us, however if our fellow believer somehow comes to think that demon worship or séances are acceptable because we go to a Halloween party then we will have failed them. Christ died for this person so we should treat them with the tender loving care they need and not abuse or break them thru our knowledge. “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (Isaiah 40:11). “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Isaiah 42:3).
Moving on, Paul warns us to be extra sensitive because causing our weak brother to stumble is in fact sinning against Christ Himself: “When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ” (1 Corinthians 8:12). Therefore we need to pay special attention to those who are infants in Christ, so that our actions, freedoms, and knowledge will not crush their weak consciences. “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall” (1 Corinthians 8:13). We should willingly forsake all our rights, liberties, knowledge, and freedoms for the sake of our brother. His soul and life means far more than any right or freedom we have. What good are our freedoms in Christ if we use them without love towards our fellow man? Let us therefore pray that we willingly put aside our selfish desires, knowledge, and freedoms when needed so that thru our patient bearing of our fellow man we will effectively bear witness to the love of God that has been given to us all in Jesus Christ crucified. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).
Paul continues on: “But the man who loves God is known by God” (1 Corinthians 8:3). Here Paul reveals what is truly significant. The important thing is not what or how much we know, but who we are known by. Some will argue that we need to know Jesus Christ (and indeed we do), but we only know Christ because Christ knew us, seeking us out and saving us thru His blood. We do not rest content in our knowledge of God, we rest content because thru Jesus Christ we are known and loved by God; all of our knowledge of God is worthless if we are not known by Him. A song by Daniel Lanois entitled “The Maker” illustrates this beautifully: “Oh deep water, black and cold like the night. I stand with arms wide open; I’ve run a twisted mile. I'm a stranger in the eyes of the Maker. I could not see for fog in my eyes, I could not feel for the fear in my life.” In these couple lines we see how even though our arms are wide open and all our best efforts are put forth we can do nothing but run a twisted and depraved mile. We are blind and unfeeling despite all the knowledge, seeking, trying, choices, efforts, and wisdom of this life. Thru our empty knowledge we are nothing but strangers in the eyes of the Maker; nothing we can do can make God know us. The song continues: “From across the great divide, in the distance I saw a Light, John Baptist walking to me with the Maker. My body is bent and broken by long and dangerous sleep, I can work the fields of Abraham and turn my head away. I’m not a stranger in the eyes of the Maker.” Across the great divide of our helplessness came Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Thru Him and His work we ceased being strangers in the eyes of our Father, we became known by God.
Having laid the foundation with these key points Paul continues on to the specific topic the Corinthians were interested about: “So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). All the powers and gods of this world are nothing in spite of all their feigned knowledge and wisdom; they are literally powerless against us because we are known by God in Jesus Christ our Lord. The idols, false gods, and false religions of the world are themselves nothing at all and therefore their practices, rites, and rituals are also nothing. Therefore Paul tells us that food sacrificed to an idol is simply this: food. Just because something of God’s creation is perverted and twisted by unbelievers doesn’t make it perverted for us. Empty belief in powerless idols does not affect or alter the truth of the one God who is revealed in Jesus Christ. “But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do” (1 Corinthians 8:7). Even though these idols are nothing some believers and Christians do not know this. The modern day equivalent of this is how some Christians struggle with things like Halloween (I speak of the “holiday”, not actual devil worship), the rituals of other religions, the fact that some Christian traditions were derived from pagan customs, tattoos, piercings, etc. Thru the Scriptures however we know that everything in God’s creation is made clean for us thru the blood of Christ so when we have a strong conscience and faith we can participate in all sorts of things that have been perverted by unbelievers, because thru God’s Word they are sanctified and consecrated to us. “Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4-5). As Paul says, food is just food, therefore it doesn’t matter to the believer one way or another. The problem arises when we do not respect and bear with those who have a lack of knowledge and a weak conscience or faith, and we rub our Christian freedom in their face.
Therefore Paul continues in this warning: “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge” (1 Corinthians 8:9-11). We must be extremely careful not to cause those around us to stumble in their faith because of some knowledge that we have (we must always remember it is not our knowledge that makes us a Christian, but instead God’s knowledge of us). Someone who is less informed than we are or who is new or weak in faith might see us partaking in things that we know are perfectly fine, however this may cause them to stumble into idolatry if they begin to think the false teaching or empty ritual is actually something of substance and ok to follow. Some simply do not yet have the knowledge to see the freedoms and victory we have in Christ over all things. For instance, participating in Halloween is a perfectly fine thing when we realize that such pagans things are nothing and have no power over us, however if our fellow believer somehow comes to think that demon worship or séances are acceptable because we go to a Halloween party then we will have failed them. Christ died for this person so we should treat them with the tender loving care they need and not abuse or break them thru our knowledge. “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (Isaiah 40:11). “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Isaiah 42:3).
Moving on, Paul warns us to be extra sensitive because causing our weak brother to stumble is in fact sinning against Christ Himself: “When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ” (1 Corinthians 8:12). Therefore we need to pay special attention to those who are infants in Christ, so that our actions, freedoms, and knowledge will not crush their weak consciences. “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall” (1 Corinthians 8:13). We should willingly forsake all our rights, liberties, knowledge, and freedoms for the sake of our brother. His soul and life means far more than any right or freedom we have. What good are our freedoms in Christ if we use them without love towards our fellow man? Let us therefore pray that we willingly put aside our selfish desires, knowledge, and freedoms when needed so that thru our patient bearing of our fellow man we will effectively bear witness to the love of God that has been given to us all in Jesus Christ crucified. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).
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