A STUDY OF FIRST CORINTHIANS

Chapter 8

Introduction: Paul in this chapter is encouraging the brethren to be more sensitive to the tender consciences of some of the brethren among them. Due to lack of knowledge, some brethren may not see certain area of life as liberties that they could enjoy, but as areas the must avoid. One of the areas surrounded the eating of meats offered to idols. Paul will argue that such is not anything from which people must abstain. However, in cases where there appears to be a problem due to a lack of understanding on the part of Christians, who may be observing, the Christian must exercise abstention.

Concern for Conscience 

Verses 1-2. Paul is now moving on to another subject of concern for the Corinthians: Eating meat that men sacrificed to idols. Paul says that everyone possesses knowledge, but of what do they have knowledge? I believe that they all possess the knowledge that the idol was not anything but a piece of wood or stone. They knew that the idol was no real power with which to reckon. However, knowledge tends to make men arrogant. They think they have all of life’s answers because they know a little bit of something. A little knowledge can be dangerous. This dilemma would take more than knowledge to combat. Love will be necessary to combat this problem. Those who believe that knowledge of the idol’s nature is enough, do not know what they should.

Verse 3. God knows personally those that Love Him. Those who do God’s will are those who love Him (1 John 5:3). Those who do not His will He does not know (Matt. 7:23). It is a blessing to love God and be known by God. This love ought to manifest itself toward the brethren in helping to resolve some of the difficulties of conscience and liberty.

Verses 4-6. Getting back to the issue at hand, Paul says that in the mind of every Christian is the idea that there is one and only one God. Yet, for argument sake, Paul concedes the notion that in the minds of men there may be the concept of many gods. However, this concept is not grounded in reality. Idol is a reference to the deity and not the image. The image was real; what that image represented was not. For the Christian, there is one God who is the Father and Creator, to who Christians owe their allegiance. There is one Lord, Jesus Christ, who sustains all things by the word of His power and gives us all things we need to live both physically and spiritually.

Verse 7. This verse seems to be in conflict with verse 1. Though all may know there is only one God, in this sense, not all may have understood the full implications of Christianity. Some were eating meats as if it had been offered to the idol with full knowledge of the idol. Much like some today who know that there is no supernatural power other than God that read the horoscope, call psychic friends and don’t walk under ladders. Those that know that they are acting contrary to revealed truth are putting their consciences at risk. This incident is not the same as Jews observing dietary laws. As they who eat so regard the idol, they believe to be the case with others, although the others do not so regard the idol.

Verses 8-9. The strong Christian in this case is one who had no problem eating sacrificed food to idols because he had no regard for the idol. The weak Christian is one who would abstain because he felt uncomfortable eating meats that had been sacrificed to idols. Paul argues that whether or not a person eats or does not eat certain kinds of foods, such has no bearing on his relationship with God (Rom. 14:3). God’s kingdom does not rest upon food and drink (Rom. 14:17). Thus, it would be callous on the part of the strong to undermine the faith of the weak just so he could exercise his liberty. Love dictates that we exercise consideration for our brethren in this regard. Certain foods one can do without, especially if it is a problem for another (Rom. 14:13-16).

Verses 10-12. The person who is weak needs to be considered when an action that, in his mind, is considered sinful is being done. If the weak brother saw the strong eating foods offered to idols, this may embolden the weak brother to violate his conscience and thus bring to naught that brother’s faith (Rom. 14:21-22). The one whose faith a brother helped to overthrow belongs to Christ (Rom. 14:15). In principle, what Christ did for the weak brother on Calvary, those of us who think we are strong can undo because of our own selfishness and lack of love. Thus, we not only sin against our brother, but we also sin against the Lord. In one incident, we would have managed to destroy two souls.

Verse 13. Again, love must dictate the agenda here. The person under consideration is not just anyone; he is a brother that we must love unconditionally. We must do everything possible to protect his relationship and ours with the Lord. As far as my brother is concerned, I will never exert my liberties at his expense. If I am so strong, then let me defer to my brother in matters of liberty (Rom. 15:1-2).

Conclusion: This passage ought not to be used by brethren in such a way as to suggest an offense without the threat of violating their conscience. Others may do something that one finds offensive that he will not violate his conscience to do. Yet, many use this passage to suggest that, if a person does something that they find offensive, that person must conform to the dictates of the offended party’s conscience. Yet, the offended party would never give up his practice or engage in such a practice. Thus, he is not really weak (in conscience).