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First Corinthians Chapter Eight

by Paul George  
11/20/2008 / Bible Studies

1 Corinthians. 8:1-13

Quotes from World English Bible unless noted otherwise

Paul's approach to correcting errors in the Corinthian church is to give his opponents some leave way at the beginning of the argument, only to show they are wrong by the time he ends the argument.

The question of eating meat offered to idols is not new, but a question that arose shortly after Gentiles began to come to faith in Christ. The apostles and early church leaders at Jerusalem considered the matter and concluded that Gentile Christians should not eat meat offered to idols, along with avoiding blood, things strangled, and fornication. A group of Corinthian Christians claimed that meats offered to idols could be eaten by professing Christians. They even went so far as to look down on those who refused to eat meat offered to idols. Those who were eating the meat offered to idols seem to have taken pride in their superior knowledge of good and evil and their spirituality. Paul has some things to say to these men. Using their own assumptions, Paul will show that they have fallen short of true knowledge, true love, and true spirituality.

Paul sets the stage for his teaching on meats offered to idols in verses one through three. In these three verses, Paul lays down four foundational truths.

First, an ancient heresy known as Gnosticism had made its way into the church. Gnostics pride themselves in possessing knowledge not found in Scripture, but outside of biblical revelation, and handed down orally to a select few. Paul denies that there is any such knowledge by claiming knowledge is not restricted to a few but is available to all.

Second, knowledge breeds arrogance but love edifies

Third, in verse two Paul made this claim, "But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn't yet know as he ought to know." This is a polite way of saying you do not know what you are talking about.

Fourth, in verse three make this claim, "But if anyone loves God, the same is known by him." The way to God is through the love that God has instilled within us and not because of our knowledge of God. If these all-knowing, professing Christians knew more about God than others did, then they were the spiritual elite. However, they have placed knowledge above love. They know less about God than those who truly love God.

Beginning with verse four Paul addresses the question concerning the things sacrificed to idols.

In the Corinthian church were twisting the teachings of Paul to justify eating meat offered to idols. Note what Paul wrote in verses four through six, "Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For though there are things that are called "gods," whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many "gods" and many "lords;" yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him."

Paul's point is there is but one God. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is the One from whom all things come, and for whom all things exist. Here, Paul speaks only of Father and Son as the one true God, but it is clear that while he distinguishes Father and Son, he also considers them as One. The Father is the One from whom all things have come; the Son is the One through whom all things are, and through whom we exist. From this foundational truth concerning God, the Corinthians sought to build an argument that rationalized the eating of meats offered to idols. Every detestable behavior in the twenty-first century is rationalized using the foundational truth concerning God the Corinthians used to rationalize the eating of meat offered to idols.

Those who eating the meat offered to idols used the argument, if there is but one God and all true followers of Jesus know this to be true, then there are no other "gods." Idols are symbols or representations of the gods that exist only in the minds of their pagan worshipers, and not in reality. Since there are no other gods then the one true God, idols really have no meaning or significance, they represent nothing. Idols are like counterfeit money, it is worthless. If idols are nothing, then the foods offered to them are of no significance either. If this is true, meats offered to idols are certainly free of moral contamination. The Corinthians based their argument regarding the meats offered to idols on a lack of knowledge, not an abundance of knowledge. The same argument is used to today regarding the evil and wickedness in our society.

Paul has shown the Corinthians how their knowledge has been twisted to excuse and even encourage sin; now he will show them how their love is lacking as well. Paul shows the deficiency of their love in verses seven through thirteen. It may be that these Corinthians prided themselves on their love, as well as their knowledge. Paul will show them that their love no more meets God's standards than does their knowledge.

The Corinthians defective knowledge and love was an obstacle to one who appeared to be a weaker brother. Paul will show them that one who loves his brother would surrender any right that would be detrimental to the weaker brother. For the time being, Paul allows some false assumptions to stand unchallenged. He allows those who are eating meat offered to idols to think they are more spiritual than those who refuse to eat the meat offered to idols.

Paul opens his argument against eating the meat offered to idols using the assumptions of those who are eating the meat offered to idols. We can apply this argument to those who rationalize the evil and wickedness in the world and our society today.

In the Corinthian church the professing Christians claiming superior knowledge claimed they had the right to eat meat offered to idols and indulge in degrading lifestyles. However, there were others who have not come to this same knowledge. Using the assumptions of those claiming superior knowledge the question that needs to be answered is how does the one with this superior knowledge respond to the one without it; what does a man do about eating meat offered to idols or indulging in degrading lifestyles when a man or woman, without this superior knowledge believes it is wrong to eat meat offered to idols or indulge in degrading lifestyles?
In verses eight and nine Paul told the Corinthians while neither eating the meat offered to idols nor abstaining from it changes their spiritual status, what they do can have a great impact on a brother who does have the superior knowledge those who are eating the meat offered to idols claim. There are legitimate activities in life we can be involved in that will not change our spiritual status. Paul told the Corinthians a truly weaker brother does not have the same liberty those who claim a superior knowledge enjoy. If a truly weaker brother views those who claim a superior knowledge in spiritual matters as a stronger brother, he does not see eating this meat as a liberty, but as a sin. If a weaker brother, views the stronger brother's lifestyle as an example to follow since his conscience is not clear with respect to good and evil his following the example will be a sin for him.

In verses eleven and twelve, Paul shows that eating meat offered to idols is not only a sin against a brother; it is a sin against Christ. Christ died for sinners, to save them from their sin and to sanctify them. Christ's work on the cross of Calvary was to set men free from their sin, and to present them holy and blameless to the Father. Christ's work on the sinner's behalf was for their edification, for their spiritual birth, growth, and maturity. When a thoughtless, self-serving professing Christian insists on eating meat offered to idols or living a degrading lifestyle, he knows that his weaker brother will be encouraged to follow his example. However, in so doing he causes the weaker brother to stumble.

In verse thirteen, Paul sets down a principle that establishes the relationship of love to knowledge and Christian liberties. No liberty should be exercised which is contrary to love, and love always seeks to edify.

It is important we understand the difference between a stronger brother and a weaker brother. The stronger brother is quite often the one who understands his Christian liberties. However, the stronger brother must be willing to set aside those liberties if they are a stumbling block. To exercise one's liberties at the expense of a weaker brother is certainly not spiritual. The stronger brother is also the one who recognizes those things that are contrary to God's Word. In the case of meats offered to idols, the stronger brother must be the one who knows they are forbidden, and abstains from eating them.

All too often today, the definition of a weaker brother is one who does not understand his Christian liberties. While alcoholism and drunkenness are surely wrong, there is nothing wrong with drinking a glass of wine or a cold bottle of beer on a hot summer day. This attitude is the same as those who claimed there is nothing wrong in eating the meat offered to idols. The one who insists that another must refrain from a matter of liberty because that liberty is offensive has missed the point of the Scriptures. You may find smoking offensive, but you are not a weaker brother unless you are so weak that you will follow the example of the one who lights up. Most of those who insist that others refrain from alcohol or tobacco are not those who are truly weak. The weak are those who will violate their consciences by following the example of the one who partakes.

For those matters that are liberties, the truly spiritual will be willing to forgo them if exercising his liberty is at the expense of another. The knowledge that informs us of a liberty must be subject to the love that puts the interests of our brother before our own.
In a world that separates love from knowledge Paul warns us about those who teach false doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3; 4:1; 6:3) and encourages us to be nourished with sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:6). Jude spoke of our obligation to contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all delivered to the saints. Our Lord warned of those who would teach the precepts of men as though they were divinely revealed doctrine (Matthew 15:9).

Having emphasized the importance of sound doctrine, we must also recognize our limitations in this area. Our doctrine can only go as far as God's revelation. We know there are many things which God has not revealed (Deuteronomy 29:29; Acts 1:6-7; 1 Corinthians 13:9, 12), and we must be careful not to fill in the blanks which God has purposely left open. All too often, we spend more time trying to supply the missing pieces, rather than concentrating upon what God has revealed. We need to be very careful not to trust our own logic and reason, as opposed to God's clear commandments. Some of the Corinthian church members were able to set aside the decree of the Jerusalem Council and eat meat offered to idols, based upon their reasoning by heaping inference upon inference, starting with divine truth and ending in disobedience.

There are two different kinds of reasoning. One we should avoid as if it were a deadly serpent, and the other we should practice. The first kind of reasoning is the reasoning of unbelief leading to disobedience. The second is the reasoning of faith unto obedience.

Eve practiced the reasoning of unbelief. God instructed Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning him that to do so would result in death. Satan questioned Eve in such a way as to cast a doubt on God's character and on His command. She was to trust God and to obey Him by giving up an illicit means to knowledge. As she looked at this one forbidden tree, she came to look upon it as desirable, and thus she ate of it. Eve trusted in her own reasoning, and she consequently disobeyed God.

Abraham reasoned unto obedience. Abraham knew that God had promised this son in his and Sarah's old age, when they were "as good as dead," as far as bearing children was concerned. Nevertheless, he knew that God was the Creator, the One who called what did not exist into existence. He evaluated his own body and that of his wife Sarah, dead as they both were so far as bearing children, and chose to believe God's promise, in spite of what he saw (Romans 4:16-22). Late in his life, God commanded Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham once again evaluated the situation in the light of who God was. He knew that when he and Sarah were as good as dead with regard to bearing children, God gave them a son anyway. Their son was born as from the dead. Therefore, when God commanded him to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham knew this son was the means to fulfill God's promises. He also knew that God was able to give life to the dead, and so he reasoned from his walk with God, and from the Word of God, that God was able to raise even the dead (Hebrews 11:19). Abraham reasoned by faith unto obedience. This is the kind of reasoning God wants of us, He does not want Christians to stop thinking; He wants Christians to think biblically, to think with a renewed mind, so as to have sound judgment, and thus to obey God's commands. We Christians do not think too much; we think too little, and when we do think, we often think humanly, unto unbelief and disobedience. Let us think more with a renewed mind, according to God's Word, unto obedience to His commands.

Retired pastor,Church of the Nazarene

Author of web site Exploring God's Word

www.thewordofgodonline.net

New American Standard Bible

King James Version

The World English Bible

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