1 Corinthians ~ Part 14

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As I mentioned in my last post, we continue to explore Sha’ul’s Letters to the Corinthians.

Regarding Mutual Submission ~ Part 2

Knowledge with Love

8 ¹ Now about food sacrificed to idols: we know that, as you say, “We all have knowledge.” Yes, that is so, but “knowledge” puffs a person up with pride, whereas love builds up. ² The person who thinks he “knows” something doesn’t yet know in the way he ought to know. ³ However, if someone loves God, God knows him.

Too often, firm Believers who know the Bible are prone to being “puffed up” when they deal with weaker Believers. Sha’ul admits here and in Rom. 14 that some Believers are firm in the faith and mature, while others are weak and have legalistic views of the Messianic life. “Knowledge” puffs a person up with pride, whereas love builds up (v. 1). The man who thinks he knows everything admits that he knows nothing! Sha’ul is not encouraging us to be “ignorant believers” but warning us that a proud attitude is not Messiah-like. Knowledge must be balanced with love, love for God and our brethren. We must not judge one another or reject one another (see Rom. 14:4–12).

 

 

Knowledge Regarding Idols

⁴ So, as for eating food sacrificed to idols, we “know” that, as you say, “An idol has no real existence in the world, and there is only one God.” ⁵ For even if there are so-called “gods,” either in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are “gods” and “lords” galore—⁶ yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, through whom were created all things and through whom we have our being.

Sha’ul’s answer that believers technically have the right to eat food sacrificed to idols may surprise us, but the logic is sound: idols are a “non-reality,” and there is no God but one. But his advice on this matter does not stop here (cp. vv. 7–13; and esp. 10:14–22).

Weak Without Knowledge

⁷ But not everyone has this knowledge. Moreover, some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat food which has been sacrificed to them, they think of it as really affected by the idol; and their consciences, being weak, are thus defiled. ⁸ Now, food will not improve our relationship with God – we will be neither poorer if we abstain nor richer if we eat.

Knowledge. Should the word be in quotation marks or not? If not, Sha’ul emphasizes that actual knowledge, as outlined in vv. 4–6 and v. 8 should suffice to set a person free of overscrupulousness. But he may still be using the word ironically, as in vv. 10–11 (below) points out that his questioners’ self-proclaimed “knowledge” is still insufficient to keep them from prideful, inconsiderate behavior that will damage others.

For those who knew that idols were nothing, Sha’ul stated the obvious: Eating food (even food sacrificed to idols) does not make believers unacceptable to God.

Responsibility Toward Weak

⁹ However watch out that your mastery of the situation does not become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰ You have this “knowledge,” but suppose someone with a weak conscience sees you sitting, eating a meal in the temple of an idol. Won’t he be built up wrongly to eat this food which has been sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ Thus by your “knowledge” this weak person is destroyed, this brother for whom the Messiah died; ¹² and so, when you sin against the brothers by wounding their conscience when it is weak, you are sinning against the Messiah! ¹³ To sum up, if food will be a snare for my brother, I will never eat meat again, lest I cause my brother to sin. ^[1]

In language reminiscent of Yeshua, Sha’ul says the strong are not to be a stumbling block to the weak (cp. Mattityahu 18:10). When misused, the liberty of the strong can destroy a weaker person’s allegiance to Yeshua. If a weak person saw a knowledgeable believer dining in the temple of an idol, he might attach religious significance to it and become confused about allegiance to Yeshua. Self-limitation by more mature believers safeguards the Believer’s allegiance to new Believers, especially in overtly pagan environments such as Corinth.

I will never eat meat again, lest I cause my brother to sin. Sha’ul’s readers are left to think about this for a chapter and a half, but this is not his final disposition of the question, which he takes up again at 10:23.

In our next post, we will continue to explore Sha’ul’s Letters to the Corinthians, beginning with 1 Corinthians 9:1 and exploring a new topic entitled Regarding Mutual Submission.

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^[1] 1 Corinthians 8:1–13.