Now about food sacrificed to idols:
We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love
builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet
know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God. 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.
But not everyone possesses this
knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat
sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, 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.
Be careful,
however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to
the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your
knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat
what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ
died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin
against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against
Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into
sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. I Corinthians 8:1-13
What makes us a better Christian –
Understanding the Scriptures or implementing their precepts into our lives? One
of the gravest enemies to Christian brotherhood is a knowledge that results in arrogance.
One who has studied the Scriptures for 30 years fails to show forbearance to
the one who still sins because they are yet unaware that their behavior
displeases God. One who has accepted the teaching of biblical scholars that
some practices commanded in the Bible were only applicable to the people of
biblical times and in their specific situation may feel released from the
obligation to follow certain practices commanded in the Bible. Now they think
that their brothers and sisters who still feel those certain practices are
relevant for today are backwards and ignorant.
In this chapter, the Apostle Paul
challenges the church about our attitudes. He calls us to examine ourselves.
Have we allowed our knowledge to puff us up? In our freedom, have we endangered
our “less enlightened” brother or sister’s faith? If we have, what are the
eternal consequences of these things? Does not our pride open the door for sin
within our own lives? Does our lack of conscience towards our brother or sister’s
welfare endanger their relationship with God?
How great is our need for
knowledge and freedom if we misuse it once we have it? With greater knowledge,
we should desire greater charity towards those who do not yet have it. When we
find greater freedom, we should desire greater concern for our brother and
sister still in bonds.
