1 Corinthians 8
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Important messages
Chapter 8
Are
you motivated by knowledge or by love?
1. Now
concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.”
This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.
2. If
anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to
know.
3. But
if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
Paul seems to be making use of Corinthian terms to assist him, as he
teaches. Already in chapter 6, there were two… verse 12 and 13: “All things are
lawful for me” and “food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food.”
Perhaps they were included in their questions, directed to the apostle. The
next question concerned food offered to idols.
Paul probably quotes their words: “All of us possess knowledge.” It meant that they,
as Christians, were informed concerning the nothingness of idols and that idol
worship was absolute vanity. If that is so, what harm is there in eating food
offered to idols. However, Christians often oversimplify, tending to emphasize
one particular Scripture, ignoring others, and arrive at conclusions that are
far from an accurate representation of principles taught throughout the Bible.
The apostle has at least two facts to add to the knowledge that idols are
nothing more than pieces of wood or metal, therefore an idolater is simply
involved in powerless vanity.
In chapter 10, verses 18-21, he gives the Corinthians and us something
more to consider. He says, “Consider the people of Israel; are not those
who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?” Their sacrifices made them
participants in the worship of God; however, this also meant that when they ate
the pagan sacrifices, they were participants with the pagan gods. “What
do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is
anything?” This is as far as the mentality of Corinthian Christians led them and
Paul is not going to contradict their knowledge. It is true that the idol is
nothing: It does not speak, hear, walk, or breathe. That does not settle the
issue! “No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to
demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.” There is an evil,
spiritual power behind the idol and that brings the participant, who eats from
their sacrifices, into contact with the kingdom of darkness. “You
cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of
the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” So here we have an obvious
fact, beyond the simple eating of pagan, sacrificial foods, that gives us a
clear reason to avoid compromise in this area.
Back to 8:1, Paul’s second addition to the basic knowledge of the
Corinthians involves love, the great motivating force, behind all that is
Christian. “All right, then,” Paul implies, “There is only one God and an idol
is an inanimate object. You know that, but here is a more important question…
Are you acting in love?” This
knowledge acts as leaven and puffs up, beyond the spiritual
substance of your lives. It leads to an inflated impression of self-image,
which is evidence of the presence of pride. Love, on the other hand, leads to
true edification of character. His point in verse 2 is proven by what we have
already considered. They have not taken every fact into account. Warren Wiersbe
comments: “A know-it-all attitude is only an evidence of ignorance. The
person who really knows truth is only too conscious of how much he does not
know.”
Would you please
notice that Jesus taught that it was not a lack of a knowledge of God, which
will condemn the sinner, but the fact that He does not know him?: “Then will
I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of
lawlessness’” (Mt.7:23). Or Matthew 25:12: “Truly, I say to you, I do
not know you.” Or Luke 13:25 and 27: “Then he will answer you, ‘I do not
know where you come from.’” On the other hand, here are the Lord’s words of
true salvation: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will
snatch them out of my hand” (Jn.10:27, 28).
Practicing the law of love
4. Therefore,
as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real
existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”
5. For
although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth – as indeed there
are many “gods” and many “lords” –
6. Yet
for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we
exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom
we exist.
7. However,
not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with
idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being week,
is defiled.
8. Food
will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better
of if we do.
9. But
take care that his right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to
the weak.
10. For
it anyone sees you who haver knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not
be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?
11. And
so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ
died.
12. Thus,
sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak,
you sin against Christ.
13. Therefore,
if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother
stumble.
Paul continues to stress his point concerning edification through love,
agreeing that the idol itself is nothing and the worshipper, deceived and
influenced by demons, is not getting what he imagines he will receive from the
idol (4-6). There are countless so-called gods and lords, but there is one true
and living God, who is uniquely to be the sole object of human worship. Carved
images and any likeness (Ex.20:4)… that would include drawings or paintings…
are strictly forbidden. It seems obvious to me that no human being should ever
attempt to portray or represent divinity in any form. I believe this to include
the popular practice of mere human beings taking the role of the person of the
God/Man in dramas or films. To do so is blasphemy and shows a lack of a fear of
God! God reveals Himself to the spirit
of man, beyond means that are visual or imaginary.
Above all its multi-purposes, the Bible is a revelation of God and no
revelation could be clearer than the one found in verse 6. Sometimes we gain a
concept of God by seeing His attributes and personality, as He works to carry
out His purposes in events in the Old Testament or we see His reaction to faith
or sin in biblical history. Paul often gives us clear doctrinal statements,
which put divine nature into words. A book of theology could easily be written
from his statement in this verse, where he states that God is 1) the Father. 2)
He is the fountain of all that exists, 3) and the purpose of man is to perform
His will. Then, he declares the lordship of Jesus Christ, uniquely, as the only
rightful lord. In Philippians 2:11, he predicts a universal confession that
Jesus Christ is Lord. He is not a lord, or the greatest of lords, but
He alone is Lord. By His agency, God has brought everything into
existence, including the human race, but in forming the church, He has done His
most excellent creative work on earth.
Paul contradicts the Corinthian assumption that “all have knowledge”.
Some do not (7), he argues. Perhaps they are new believers and certainly,
whether new or old, they are weak in faith and in knowledge. Superstition still
clings to their soul and for them, to eat food sacrificed to an idol, will
wound their conscience. If we are speaking to people, who have been involved in
witchcraft or influenced by medicine men, this teaching continues to have literal
significance. However, in these days, we can also broaden it to include many
practices, which believers may have entertained as pagans. They are part of their
former world and, as Christians, they need to avoid them.
Paul is building on Christ’s teaching concerning foods (8). In Mark
7:18-19, he declared, “‘Do you not see that whatever goes into a
person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his
stomach, and is expelled?’ (Thus he declared all foods clean.)” Eating or not eating
certain foods will not improve our condition before God. There is no teaching
in the New Testament that recommends vegetarianism or prohibits certain meats.
Cultists, who like to call themselves Christians, are often involved with many
dietary rules. Avoid them!
The testimony of a kind brother, whom I knew in my childhood, a Mr.
Averbeck, remains fixed in my mind. I have often referred to it. Mr. Averbeck
was painting his house with a hired acquaintance for a number of days. The
hired helper was addicted to tobacco, but as many, he wanted to justify his
habit. One day he said, “Averbeck, I smoke, but I see you drink coffee. What’s
worse, nicotine or caffeine?” Mr. Averbeck’s face turned sober and he humbly
replied, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize, I offended you by drinking coffee. I
will not do it again.” And he meant it! However, the smoker released him from
his vow, by replying, “No, Averbeck, I’m just trying to give you a hard time.
You weren’t offending me.” Mr. Averbeck was practicing the law of love, which
far outweighed his liberty to drink coffee.
It would be a great improvement, in the church, if the members would
practice, above all, the law of love. However I think, although Paul is
basically showing the need to avoid causing others to stumble, it would seem,
by other statements as well, that he is discouraging, in general, the practice
of eating foods offered to idols. In particular, the practice of going into
pagan temples to eat their devoted foods, was an unwise, if not dangerous,
move.
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