Take Care of Your Liberty - 1 Corinthians 8

TAKE CARE OF YOUR LIBERTY - 1 Corinthians 8

This is a long passage, but it is ‘key’ to read it in its entirety, so I published it that way. “Please God, come and bring your understanding to this passage. We know that Paul wrote to a specific group of people, answering their specific question about food offered to idols…however, there are principles regarding our Christian freedom that certainly apply to us today. Help us to see and understand those, kind Father.” Amen

With reference to things offered to idols—we are well aware that we all possess knowledge; but knowledge inflates a man, whereas love builds him up. If anyone thinks he has reached a certain stage of knowledge, it is not the kind of knowledge it ought to be. If a man loves God, he is known by God. With regard to food which consists of things offered to idols, we well know that there is nothing in the universe for which an idol stands, and that there is no God but one; and even if the so-called gods do exist, just as there are gods many and lords many, as far as we are concerned. It remains true that there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and to whom we go; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ through whom all things came into being and through whom we were re-created. But it is not everyone who has knowledge; but there are some who, even up to now, have been accustomed to regard idols as real, and who still cannot help doing so; the consequence is that, when they eat meat offered to idols, they regard it as eating a real sacrifice, and because their conscience is weak, a stain is left upon it. Food will not commend us to God. If we do not eat it we are none the worse; and if we do eat it we are not specially better. You must take care to see to it that your very liberty does not become a stumbling-block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you, who have knowledge, sitting at meat in the temple of an idol, will the conscience of the weak man not be encouraged to eat things which have been offered to idols, while he still really believes in the reality of the idols and the sacrifice? And so the person who is weak will be ruined by your knowledge, the brother for whom Christ died. If you sin like that against a brother, and if you strike blows like that against his conscience in its weakness, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if a thing like food is going to cause my brother to stumble, I will most certainly abstain from eating flesh forever, so that I may not cause my brother to stumble. 1 Corinthians 8

Good Morning!

Sacrifice to the gods was an integral part of life in the ancient world.1 But so was buying meat to put on the table. There were two places to acquire meat: the regular market, where the cost was higher, or the local temple, where it could be had for much less. So, if the new believer had an invitation for dinner, should he inquire where the meat was purchased, and make a decision accordingly? Or, did it not really matter?

Animal sacrifice is still part of the religious practices of Muslims, Hindus, some Satanists, and some other African religions. For most westerners, having to make a decision about eating food sacrificed to idols is usually not a factor! However, other issues that are not spelled out in black and white in Scripture can be an issue; we refer to them as ‘gray areas’. These gray areas usually include activities or habits.

Paul warns in deciding about these gray areas: take care to see to it that your liberty does not become a stumbling block to those who are weak. The most concrete example I know is that of drinking alcohol. To some, it is outright sin; to others, their nightly glass of red wine is a medicinal pleasure . . . here we see Paul raising the banner for asking ourselves the question, ‘does my taking that freedom cause another brother to fall down in a weak area for him’?

We might ask self a few questions with regard to this example:

>Will the activity in question bring glory to God? “So then, whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God.”3

>Will the activity help build others up in their faith, or create a hindrance for them? “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and

for mutual upbuilding.”4
>Will the activity help me spiritually, might it contribute to my becoming enslaved to it, or is it simply neutral? “All things are lawful for

me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.5

>Does the activity prick my conscience?

I guess Rob Bell was right. . . ‘there is way more going on in the text than we see in the first reading!’ You see, the issue at hand is not the sacrificed food, it is the conscience and well-being of my fellow brother. We are called to act in love, and that includes our decisions that might impact a brother. So, take care of your liberty!

Christine

podcast: www.pastorwoman.com

1 William Barclay

2 Modified questions from WordTruth Inc.

3 1 Corinthians 10.31

4 Romans 14.19

5 1 Corinthians 6.12