The Issue Behind the Issue

I am not much of a gardener. I know a lot of the theories of gardening, but I naturally kill things that are under my care. The kids have been pestering us to have a garden, so next year, we are planning on doing a small garden, with some tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes. Who knows what we will actually end up with.

The thing with gardens. Everyone has a different way of preparing the ground, planting the seed, caring for the garden. And those who have had a garden for years have some pretty strong ideas of what is the right way and what is the wrong way of planting.

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, and they have started sharing some unsolicited advice about gardening? And perhaps that advice went completely against the way you normally do things?

They insist that their way is the best, but you know, your way has been going well up to now.

I don’t have much room to talk. I will take all the advice you want to give, for now. Then, I will get set in my plant killing ways and politely ignore you. That is my pride.

But, seriously, it is amazing how much we has humans want to insist on our way being right, on small insignificant things like gardening. And some people get pretty uptight about it.

Well, take some people’s views on gardening, and amplify it 100%, you get what happens when someone’s theology rams into someone else’s theology. Unfortunately, theology effects more than just our minds, it effects what we do in life. So, sometimes, our convictions ram into someone else’s convictions.

And what normally happens?

Well, sometimes you get an exchange like this:

“Are you an idiot? Don’t you know what the Bible says? You are such a legalist!” And on down the rabbit hole and into broken relationships.

Now, those exchanges do not happen as much in public as they do in private or on social media. It’s amazing how many people who call themselves conservative Christians resort to name calling on social media when they are trying to make a theological point.

What do we do when our viewpoints on life and theology come face to face with someone else’s viewpoints on life and theology?

We introduced this topic last week. Let’s read the passage again.

1 Corinthians 8:1–13 NIV

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God. So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Before we dive in, will you pray with me.

1. The Issue

So, the Corinthians had written about a disagreement about practical life, which was tied to their theology. Meat sacrificed to idols.

1 Corinthians 8:4 NIV

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”

What in the world are we talking about?

A. Biblically

At this time, most of the cities in the Roman empire had temples to other so-called gods. In fact, if someone was a worshiper of only one God, like Christians do, that person was considered a pagan. True religious people worshiped many gods. Why limit yourselves to only one?

The city of Corinth worshiped mostly Aphrodite, but they had shrines for religions from throughout the empire there, as it was a multi-cultural center.

The worship of these so-called gods required a lot of different practices, which we won’t get into. The one practice that is referred to here is sacrifice.

We are all familiar with the practice of sacrifice.

Someone brings an animal as a gift to the gods. The animal is killed. The blood is sprinkled on the altar. Part of the meat is kept for the temple. The rest of the meat is sold in the market to earn income for the temple.

This meat which has been dedicated to the false god is pretty cheap. It isn’t the best cut, but it is cheap.

So, when you do not have enough money to feed your family, what do you do? Do you buy a cut of meat that is in your budget, knowing that this meat has been dedicated to a false god?

Or do you go without meat for another week, because you cannot afford anything else?

Some in Corinth said:

1 Corinthians 8:4–6 NIV

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

They confessed that the only true God is the Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ His Son. The other gods are nothing. Therefore the sacrifice is nothing. Therefore there is nothing special about the meat. It is just cheap meat. If we say that meat is something special, we are actually saying that those false gods are real.

Other’s in Corinth, who were saved out of that idolatrous lifestyle, said, “Wait a minute… that meat is a product of Satanic worship. I don’t want to have anything to do with it, because I would be taking part in that Satanic worship.”

As Paul says:

1 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV)

Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god,

So, you have one side that says: If you were a Christian, you wouldn’t have any problem eating this meat.

And the other side says: If you were a Christian, you would have a huge problem eating this meat.

What do you do? Which side is right?

It’s one thing to look at Corinth and consider the issue that they are faced with. But, we don’t have the problem of walking through the grocery store and choosing whether to buy meat which has been sacrificed to idols or not.

B. Today

We still face these sorts of issues every day, though. Spots where the Bible does not give us an explicit: you shall not, or you shall definitely do. Spots where we can make theological judgements based upon different Scriptures, and arrive at two completely different perspectives.

Okay, time for me to start creating divisions.

When I was in high school, the church that I went to had a covenant which everyone who was a member of the church was expected to follow. That covenant included a line that no one was to drink alcohol. And, they had Scripture to support it.

When I was a senior, they revised that covenant and took that line out, and they used Scripture to show why drinking alcohol was okay. People got pretty heated on both sides, saying if the other side was actually Biblical, actually a committed Christian, they would do or believe x,y,or z.

Alcohol is one of those issues like meat sacrificed to idols.

How about dress codes?

I have been to churches where women were expected to always were skirts, and in a select few, they went so far as to insist that women were to always have their heads covered. That’s an extreme case.

But, the debate is in the middle and on the other extreme. Can women wear two piece bathing suits? Can men swim without a shirt? What is appropriate formal attire for a prom?

People on both sides of the modesty discussion use Scripture to justify their own positions, and cannot believe that someone would disagree with them.

What is the right answer?

Can I keep going?

We could talk about smoking or chewing tobacco. We could talk about movies we watch or music we listen to. We could talk about playing games that sometimes but not necessarily involve gambling. When I was a kid, the pastor’s children taught us to play poker after Sunday school. Then, I learned that some people don’t agree with poker.

We could talk about buying lottery tickets, going to the casino to enjoy the food and then exercise our arms.

There are so many issues that Christians draw lines on, and people on both sides of the discussion use Scripture to prove their point. On both sides of the line, Christians are shocked that the other side would follow that viewpoint.

Oh, there are so many issues today that are applicable here.

But, any place that Scripture is clear does not fit in this discussion, like theft, murder, extra-marital sex, gluttony, homosexuality, gossip, or all the other sins that Scripture clearly speaks against.

Paul is speaking about issues that are a threat to Christian freedom; that are a potential stumbling block; and where a Christian brother or sister might actually be led into sin.

But Scripture does not give a clear, black and white, discussion on so many issues.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe there is a right answer to all of them. But, in our sinfulness, it could be that our application of Scripture might be wrong, and we might forget the real issue, just like the Corinthians did.

2. The Real Issue

The Corinthians said: we are talking about meat sacrificed to idols.

Paul said, nope. Like he always does.

He always digs deeper, and points to a deeper issue going on.

So, let’s look at what the Corinthians were dealing with:

A. Biblically

As we stated last week, the Corinthians were plowing over other Christians with their so-called knowledge.

Right now, we are not going to discuss which side was right. Right now, we are going to discuss what it means to love those within the church.

So, on one side of the church you had those who said: my theology demands that I can eat meat sacrificed to idols. Don’t stamp on my freedom. Pretend that you are these Corinthians. Say: Freedom!

The other side said: my theology demands that I cannot eat meat sacrificed to idols. Don’t stamp on my convictions. Pretend that you are these Corinthians. Say: Conviction!

Now, say that to each other at the same time: 1, 2, 3! : Conviction! Freedom!

For the sake of the argument, without showing any of my actual beliefs on the subject, let’s say that the Freedom side is correct. How do ya’ll feel about that?

Paul says: Okay, even you are correct in your theology, you are not correct in your practice.

He brings up the idea of the weaker brother or sister. There are so many twisted understandings of the “weaker brother”.

Some people consider the weaker brother as those offended by a particular practice. Such as those who are offended at alcohol being served, or they are offended by a lady wearing a two piece bathing suit.

Paul is not talking about those who get offended by actions. Neither is he talking about someone who has been described as a “professional weaker brother”. This is the Christian legalist who is eager to forbid morally neutral activities even though he or she would never personally indulge in those activities. These are the people who actively condemn certain types of music and movies, even though they would never watch them.

Paul is talking about the Christian who is likely to imitate a stronger believer in some morally neutral practice, but feels guilty about doing so or, worse still, be led into that which is inherently sinful or destructive.

A few of the Corinthian Christians would feel especially guilty about eating food sacrificed to idols, because it would remind them of their past. Some of them might even use eating this food sacrificed to idols as a gateway to going back into the religious practices.

I can just hear the other Corinthians saying: Well, that would be their own fault.

Sure, but if we love our brothers and sisters, shouldn’t we care for their souls? Shouldn’t we care for those who look up to us and seek to imitate us? Shouldn’t we take care that we do not lead a brother or sister in Christ in a way that will end up in their sin?

As Paul wrote to the Romans:

Romans 14:14 NIV

I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.

B. Today

What does that look like today?

I was at a bachelor party several years ago.

Don’t let your imagination run away with you. We just went bowling. It was clean.

However, another friend of my friend was there. I had just met this guy, and he was talking about how we all have freedom in Christ and how we need to keep away from legalism.

He explained how God gave us things in life to be enjoyed. His wife brought him to Hooters for his birthday. Then, he whips out a pack of cigarillos, which are a mixture between a cigar and a cigarette. He said they were great and freedom in Christ means we can enjoy a smoke, as long as we keep ourselves from addiction.

Well, I happened to know that one of my friends who was there struggled with addiction in the past. I saw my friend listening to this guy touting freedom in Christ, and extolling the amazingness of this cigarillos. My friend reached out his hand and took and smoked.

This “freedom in Christ” guy was too concerned about his theological knowledge, that he did not care enough to love those around himself. He did not consider who his audience was, to see what weaker brother was there.

I knew a guy who was an alcoholic. For the sake of his family, he was trying to stay clean, tried to turn his life around. He got a job. On breaks, his coworkers would drink beer. They kept pressuring him to drink with him, even after he said that he was trying to stay clean. They said: it is only one drink: that won’t harm anything. Well, after one drink, he started getting drunk again. He lost his job and ended up in prison for domestic abuse due to drinking.

Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 8:10–12 NIV

For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

That’s pretty strong language. Anyone here want to be known as someone who has sinned against Christ?

I struggled with examples in this sermon, because I do not want to lead anyone back into sin because of the flippancy of my examples. I don’t want someone who is listening to me think that a course of action is okay because I did not condemn it.

If you are wondering about any grey area that I have talked about, please talk to me before you dive into something that you will regret for the rest of your life.

The point is this: Those who cry “Freedom in Christ” need to remember those who cry “Conviction.” Whatever the issue is, whether it is meat sacrificed to idols, or alcohol, or modesty, or tobacco, or movies, or music, or games, or gambling, or any other issue we want to talk about. Out of love, we must look around us and seek to lift people to Christ, instead of forcing them to follow our thinking.

I would rather have someone have conviction and follow Christ, than have freedom and follow me.

The Corinthian’s real issue was that they were not willing to truly love those in their church.

The Answer

So, what is the answer? We have looked at the issue and at the real issue. What is the answer, who is right? The freedom people or the Conviction people? Paul says: both.

The Issue

As to meat sacrificed to idols, Paul says, simply,

1 Corinthians 8:8 NIV

But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

Food has no bearing on our salvation or our sanctification.

I think of Peter, who had been raised to believe that certain foods were against God himself.

One day, he was standing on his roof and he had a vision of a large sheet being lowered from heaven, filled with all sorts of animals that he was not supposed to eat.

Acts 10:13–16 NIV

Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

God was teaching Peter a lot of things during this vision, one of which is that food protocol is not a requirement in our salvation.

We will talk more about this in a few weeks, when Paul circles back to this concept from a different perspective.

But, simply, when faced with a grey issue, Christians must ask if the practice has any inherently pagan, or anti Christian, elements, or if the practice is necessarily destructive and hurtful to the individuals involved.

Case in point, certain eastern meditation techniques are anti-Christian and should be avoided. Another example: Drugs are necessarily hurtful to an individual and should be avoided.

If the practice seems okay according to those two tests, one should ask if our participation would provide a way of outreach to the non-Christian world by building friendships through activities non-Christians enjoy.

There are always dangers to grey areas:

We don’t want to accept syncretism. That is a mixture of religions. Some of the practices in the Roman Catholic Church and other major denominations are actually from pagan religions, which were stolen to make converts more comfortable in church services. That has damaging consequences.

Another danger area is in the other direction. We don’t want to accept separatism. If we remove ourselves from all activities that might smell of evil, we cannot be the salt of the earth and the light of the world as Jesus commands us.

Matthew 5:13–16 NIV

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

So, what do I think meat sacrificed to idols, or alcohol, or modesty, or tobacco, or movies, or music, or games, or gambling, or any other issue we want to talk about. Make an appointment, and we will talk. I will say, the answer isn’t always so simple or cut and dried, that I can fit it into this sermon.

The Real Issue

Because we have to talk about the real issue.

What do we do about loving the weaker brother or sister, the one who could be easily influenced to go against their conscience and sin.

Paul says, strongly,

1 Corinthians 8:13 NIV

Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Paul would rather be a vegetarian than influence a weaker brother or sister to go against their conscience.

That is pretty strong, because Paul doesn’t seem to be the vegetarian type. Truthfully, I would have a hard time doing that.

But, we can look at each of the issues I have brought up, or a multitude of other issues, and apply the same statement.

I have several friends and relatives who are alcoholics. So that I do not influence them to sin, I willingly abstain from alcohol. Because, in the words of Paul: I am no worse if I don’t drink, and no better if I do.

I could apply that phrase to each of the issues we have discussed.

We are called to love our brothers and sisters. Sometimes, that means dying to what we think is right, so that they do not have to dive into what they think is wrong.

Paul writes in Galatians.

Galatians 5:13–14 NIV

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Does that mean we should let them dictate our theology and life? No.

In fact, we can cautiously, lovingly, gently , humbly disciple them to a place of strength and freedom, if possible. But again, making sure not to lead them into guilt or sin. Taking the time to disciple.

And, I chose each of those words very carefully, we must do it cautiously, lovingly, gently, and humbly. We must realize that our goal is to push them to follow Christ and gain freedom in him.

Our goal is not to influence someone to follow us and our mind. For knowledge puffs up. Love builds up.

What do we do when our viewpoints on life and theology come face to face with someone else’s viewpoints on life and theology? We realize the real issue behind the issue in our face, and we love the person in front of us and encourage them to follow Christ.

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