1 CORINTHIANS - Chapter 8 - Love Builds Up
1 CORINTHIANS – Chapter 8 – Love Builds Up
Sunday Evening Service, January 13, 2013, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Chapter 8 of Corinthians may seem to some to be dated since religions in the U.S.A. do not offer meat to idols. However, the pagan religions still offers fruit and flowers to their gods many. If you live in Houston, Texas, every world religion has built an altar to their gods many.
1 Cor. 8: 4-6: “As concerning the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods man, and lords many.) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.”
No one could deny that many deities were being worshipped, but Paul refers to them as so-called gods. To Paul this merely indicated that a lot of people believed in such deities. Believing in them didn’t make them real. In fact, he states flatly that they don’t exist. Idols commonly represent some kind of god, but if there is only one true God, then there are no other gods.
On the other hand, Paul knew that demons existed and were behind the heathen idols. Without realizing it, the pagans were actually worshipping demons. When the pagans were making offerings to their idols, they were actually making offering to demons. In India and Asia where they worship everything from rats and snakes to elephants and rivers, their gods number in the millions. Behind them all are Satan’s demons who use these “gods” to enslave the people. But what does it really matter? says Paul, since there is only one true God. That being the case there is no need to be concerned about idols affecting the food in any way. This is superstition of the soul i.e. conscience and gives power to the idols and the offering.
The Present Truth of chapter 8 is the Christian must not only be guided by what he feels his conscience permits; he must also consider how his actions might affect the lives and consciences of his brethren. The conscience is our own inner voice that tells us whether our actions are right or wrong. God set forth the moral Law and our consciences (soul) judge us according to that law. The Holy Spirit convicts us when we break God’s moral Law. We know when we grieve the Holy Spirit. I am speaking for myself. At least I know when I have grieved the Holy Spirit.
Sadly, there are Christians who will always have weak consciences (conviction of the soul), because they neglect their Bibles, shun Christian fellowship and remain as spiritual babies. It is very easy for a weak Christian to run ahead of his own conscience (conviction of the soul). This is leaning on his own understanding or “head knowledge”.
1 Cor. 8: 1-3: “Now as touching things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. If any man thinks that he knows any thing, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know, but if any man love God, the same is known of Him.”
Knowledge alone engenders pride. Love builds up!! True knowledge should lead to humility and the recognition of our own ignorance. I have had people come to me and say that they have out grown our Fellowship. Well, the Lord could certainly release them and move them forward. However, if they have outgrown us, then we could learn something from them. We never “outgrow” the ministry to weaker Christians.
One who walks in love is known by God. One who truly loves is better equipped to solve the problem of disputations than one who merely knows (head knowledge that puffs up).
I am not soft on the Muslims, Hindus or Buddhist. However, centuries of religious wars have taught us that separating people from their gods is a difficult task---and potentially dangerous. Apparently some of the Corinthian members found it hard to believe their old gods never existed and would stubbornly cling to the notion they were somehow still alive.
We see this today. Many Muslims, Hindus and Buddhist who have embraced Jesus Christ simply worship him as another god. They call themselves Christians, attend Christian churches, but continue in their sacrifices to their other gods. This is a form of superstition where these people are covering all of their basis.
I can be in the market place, and Buddhist will ask me to pray to Jesus for them, yet they still worship their gods many.
If we truly accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will not bow our knee to any other god. if we truly love God, we are known by Him. Then we are walking in the Holy Spirit and have no superstitions based on the mind, will or emotions of the soul, i.e. conscience.
The Corinthians were taught by Paul that Jesus was a divine being and was to be worshipped. They were also taught there was but one true God, the Father. If they worshipped Jesus as being divine, wouldn’t that mean they were now placing their faith in two gods? And if there are two gods, who is to say there are not more?
To their minds, this fact seemed to support the pagan notion of many gods. That God and Christ and the Holy Spirit are referred to as the Godhead, suggests to pagan religions today that we have three gods.
2 Cor. 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.”
Probably the most comfortable explanation of the Trinity is that the One true God, because of His Omnipresence, is able to operate simultaneously in three different roles – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We see all three at the baptism of Jesus; the Father (voice); the Spirit (Dove), Jesus (a man) ---Mt. 3: 16-17---with all three operating within space and time.
Another way to describe the Trinity is using water. It can be frozen, steam or liquid, but it is all still water.
So, then concerning the matter of eating meat sacrificed to idols---we can be certain that an idol is not really a god at all, having no real existence in this world---and since we know there is only one true God, there can be no other. Therefore, it is insignificant to a mature Christian whether they eat the meat or not. However, a weaker Christian still is superstitious about the meat defiling their conscience.
1 Cor. 8: 7-8: “However, there is not in every man that knowledge; for some with conscience of the idol to this hour eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commends us not to God; for neither if we eat, are the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.”
When we recall that the Corinthians were steeped in idols worship before they learned of Jesus, we can understand how they might hold deep convictions not quickly erased.
The Lord has given us a massive harvest field in the U.S.A. Because of our freedom of religion, masses are coming in from the Middle East, Asia, Mexico and India. This chapter gives us insight into the wisdom to be able to communicate the salvation and love of Christ to these people.
Even with the Holy Spirit’s help by bearing witness to the knowledge of Christ they are acquiring, these like the Corinthians have not given up their old deities.
For example, you’ve seen people “knock on wood” to forestall an accident, even when they know the wood has no bearing on future events. In the same way some Corinthian believers entertained scruples about meat sacrificed to idols. Until the basic truths of Christianity became the reality for their feelings, they would not have complete assurance that food offered to idols had no spiritual significance. This can only happen as they grow in Christ dying to the carnal soul and walking in the Spirit.
1 Cor. 8: 9-12: “But take heed less by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. For if any man see you which has knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols. And through your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for who Christ died? But when you sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.”
When Paul speaks of the brother with the weaker conscience, he means that such a man has not yet acquired the inner conviction that an idol is nothing in this world. Nor does this mean that we should accept his idol worship along side the worship of Christ; nor do we placate by making concessions to appease idol worship in our assemblies.
The weaker Christian may know it as head knowledge, but his heart and Spirit hasn’t caught up with his head. He is not exactly sure that meat offered to idols has no spiritual significance. So if he sees a brother or leader eating in the temple, he is encouraged to go ahead and follow his example, even though he doesn’t feel right about it. In that case, he is going against his conscience to follow the brother’s example. The danger is he’ll find it easier the next time. If he does it repeatedly, he can silence his conscience, not only in the matter of meat offered to idols, but in other things as well.
By a stronger Christian is meant one is led by the Holy Spirit about doing what he believes to be right. The weaker one is the person who has scruples, but is easily led to go against his conscience, because he respects and appreciates the strong Christian’s freedom in the exercise of his liberty.
Paul knows how evil this is and how it hurts the Lord. To be responsible for causing one of Jesus’ “little ones” to trip and fall is so serious. The apostle pledges never to eat meat again. This can apply to addictions such as alcohol, etc.
There are many “Grace” doctrines today of truth stretched too far out that can cause weaker Christians to trip and fall.
1 Cor. 8:13: “Wherefore, if meat makes my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world stands, less I make my brother to offend.”
Just because you have the liberty to eat meat sacrificed to idols, drink alcoholic beverages, etc. does not mean that these things have do not power over others to cause them to stumble.
Paul’s principle ---avoid the cause of stumbling is based on love (the fullness of the Holy Spirit revealed in us; not knowledge. The two words stressed in this passage, “weak” (5 times) and “brother” (3 times), reveal a condition and relationship which should have evoked tenderness and love, but which received only the callous disregard of misguided knowledge another form of religious pride.
Romans 14:1-3: “Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believes that he may eat all things; another, who is weak, eats herbs. Let not him that eats despise him that eats not; and lot not him which eats judge him that eats; for God has received him. “
Not all believers have the same knowledge of the things of Christ or the same faith to appropriate liberty in the Lord. Therefore they do not have the same freedom from tradition. In every fellowship there are those whose consciences (soul) will not allow them to do this or that. They have scruples.
They feel that if they violate certain taboos, the Lord will be displeased with them. Those bound by such scruples, Paul labels as weak in faith. Then there are those who understand that Christ has set them free from customs and traditions and they enjoy wide liberty in the Lord.
Their consciences allow them to do anything they can do as “unto the Lord” (Col. 3; 17).
The stronger Christian is to open his heart to the weaker Christian, admitting him to the fellowship with no thought of straightening out his scruples. He is to let those scruples alone and accept the believer as he is. That is the way God accepts us all. The Holy Spirit will lead each child of God into all truth. Our part is the love of God that builds them up whether they are still operating from their soul i.e. conscience, or being led by the Holy Spirit, we cannot outgrow one another in the Body of Christ. Knowledge puffs up---sorry folks—it is pride.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.-- I entered into the labors of C.S. Lovett’s Lights on 1 Corinthians and F. F. Bruce International Bible Commentary by: Paul W. Marsh. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those who I entered into their labors.