1 Corinthians 8
8
1And as touching things sacrificed vnto idols, wee knowe that wee all haue knowledge: knowledge puffeth vp, but loue edifieth. 2Nowe, if any man thinke that hee knoweth any thing, hee knoweth nothing yet as hee ought to knowe. 3But if any man loue God, the same is knowen of him. 4Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed vnto idoles, we knowe that an idole is nothing in the worlde, and that there is none other God but one. 5For though there bee that are called gods, whether in heauen, or in earth (as there be many gods, and many lords) 6Yet vnto vs there is but one God, which is that Father, of whome are all things, and we in him: and one Lord Iesus Christ, by whome are all things, and we by him. 7But euery man hath not that knowledge: for many hauing conscience of the idole, vntill this houre, eate as a thing sacrificed vnto the idole, and so their conscience being weake, is defiled. 8But meate maketh not vs acceptable to God, for neither if we eate, haue we the more: neither if we eate not, haue we the lesse. 9But take heede lest by any meanes this power of yours be an occasion of falling, to them that are weake. 10For if any man see thee which hast knowledge, sit at table in the idoles temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weake, be boldened to eate those things which are sacrificed to idoles? 11And through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish, for whome Christ died. 12Nowe when ye sinne so against the brethren, and wound their weake conscience, ye sinne against Christ. 13Wherefore if meate offende my brother, I wil eate no flesh while the world standeth, that I may not offend my brother.
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1 Corinthians 8
8
Freedom with Responsibility
1-3The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.
4-6Some people say, quite rightly, that idols have no actual existence, that there’s nothing to them, that there is no God other than our one God, that no matter how many of these so-called gods are named and worshiped they still don’t add up to anything but a tall story. They say—again, quite rightly—that there is only one God the Father, that everything comes from him, and that he wants us to live for him. Also, they say that there is only one Master—Jesus the Messiah—and that everything is for his sake, including us. Yes. It’s true.
7In strict logic, then, nothing happened to the meat when it was offered up to an idol. It’s just like any other meat. I know that, and you know that. But knowing isn’t everything. If it becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat others as know-nothings. Real knowledge isn’t that insensitive.
We need to be sensitive to the fact that we’re not all at the same level of understanding in this. Some of you have spent your entire lives eating “idol meat,” and are sure that there’s something bad in the meat that then becomes something bad inside of you. An imagination and conscience shaped under those conditions isn’t going to change overnight.
8-9But fortunately God doesn’t grade us on our diet. We’re neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can’t stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.
10For instance, say you flaunt your freedom by going to a banquet thrown in honor of idols, where the main course is meat sacrificed to idols. Isn’t there great danger if someone still struggling over this issue, someone who looks up to you as knowledgeable and mature, sees you go into that banquet? The danger is that he will become terribly confused—maybe even to the point of getting mixed up himself in what his conscience tells him is wrong.
11-13Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn’t you at least be willing to give up going to dinner for him—because, as you say, it doesn’t really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. A free meal here and there isn’t worth it at the cost of even one of these “weak ones.” So, never go to these idol-tainted meals if there’s any chance it will trip up one of your brothers or sisters.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.