Spiritual Freedom or Disciplined Restraint. 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Introduction

Good morning church and thank you for joining with us this Sunday as we sing the praises of Jesus Christ, who bought our way back to redemption by the payment of his own life. We stand as those redeemed by grace, bought by divinity, and sealed for his coming as his children who await his return. Our lives now exist to glorify Christ and make him known in the world. Amen?

Today we will be getting into 1 Corinthians chapter 8 if you would turn there in your bibles. I wanted to ask us a question together, “Have you ever seen or experienced something out of another believer that gave you pause, doubts, or questions about becoming a person who followed Christ?

Perhaps it was bad behavior that you saw embraced that you knew wasn’t in line with how a Christian is supposed to live?

Maybe unwholesome talk that seemed to come out of their lips more than it didn’t?

Maybe they acted one way on Sundays but another way Monday through Saturday?

A word that rocks most American’s to our core today is that of “hypocrite.” It comes from the Greek theatre, oddly enough. An actor would put on a mask to play a part, pretending to be someone they really weren’t. In the 13th century, we can start seeing the word adopted into religious texts referring to someone who pretends to be morally good or pious in order to deceive others.

You see, we’ve all heard the stories and seen first hand people that struggle with sin and stepping into the new creation God has made them to be. But hypocrisy is the act of pretending that we are living that out for the purposes of deceiving what is really going on under the surface. And the reality here is that this feeling is so real, so deep, and so gut-wrenching, that even this conversation is probably making you feel uncomfortable.

Tension

Today we are going to be talking about that hypocrisy feeling that creeps over someone, even when no hypocrisy has been committed. Paul addresses a very specific issue in the Corinthian church and one that still has so many insights into our interactions in the church today. I will be honest. Today is low on comfort and high on introspection. This conversation will likely ruffle some feathers and I’d just ask you to consider, before we get into this, if you’d put aside those knee-jerk reactionary feelings and let these things simmer on your heart. Ask God if there is any way inside of your actions or your heart that he’d like to change for the building up of his church. With that said, lets read together, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13.

Truth

1 Corinthians 8:1–13 (ESV)

1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.

2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.

3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”

5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—

6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.

9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?

11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.

12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Prayer

Exposition

The Problem. vs 1-4

1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.

2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.

3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”

One of things that is key to understanding this problem is seeing the influence of paganism on the worship of the Greek and Roman worlds at that time. Less desirable portions of an animal in the course of their sacrifices to their pagan gods in pagan temples where burned in worship ceremonies and festivals and the choicer cuts were kept for personal consumption at banquets celebrating the sacrifices. If sacrifices were made in conjunction with a state function, the meat which remained was frequently sold in the marketplace for a discount. For many, meat was a luxury they didn’t have money for and even members of the church would have the opportunity buy some.

The Corinthians’ concern took the following shape:

the acceptability of buying and eating meat from one of these sacrificial animals

the acceptability of eating this meat as an invited guest in a friend’s home

the acceptability of attending the meal of celebration which followed these sacrifices in the temple precincts.

One of the first issue Paul pokes at here was an apparent arrogance in some of the Corinthians who thought themselves to have knowledge that the others did not in vs 1. Paul agrees that knowledge is a good thing, but that you still have to correctly respond to situations with that knowledge. Perfect example, The people here, thinking they know God’s heart and mind fully, when Paul lets them know in 1 Corinthians 13:12

1 Corinthians 13:12 (ESV)

12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

When you think you’ve got it you’re still only seeing glimpses. Secondly, true knowledge always leads to God and a love for Him, which Paul knew must issue in love for others. This is put perfectly in 1 John 4:20-21

1 John 4:20–21 (ESV)

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Paul then applies these principles to the instance in question in verse 4.

“an idol has no real existence,”

“there is no God but one.”

These two pieces of knowledge are essential for our theology but also for the application of our faith. We are told in Psalms 115:4-8

Psalm 115:4–8 (ESV)

4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.

5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.

6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.

7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.

8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

And part of the great reason why we are told to avoid them is because of comandment number 1 and 2. We are called to worship God alone and no one else and to keep away from creating or worshiping any likeness or idol period. Why? Because we declare things that are not divine to be so. We give Godly credit to created things. We make clay into fantasy and worship it rather than what is meant for worship. Its a direct violation of knowledge and truth.

One top of that, human inventions of false God’s and powers are as worthless as the paper they were drawn up upon. Why? Because as Deuteronomy 4:35

Deuteronomy 4:35 (ESV)

35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.

God is god alone and he shares no power or authority with our inventions. Hence Paul declares that eating food sacrificed to idols to be of no consequence in reality.

The Truth. vs 4-6

4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”

5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—

6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

As I read through this, I can’t help but go back to the most sarcastic prophet in the cannon Elijah as he squared off against the prophets of the pagan god Baal in 1 Kings 18. As they gather on mount Carmel, Elijah puts to the people which god they will follow, the one true God or Baal. He devises a test: Him and his God vs. Baal and his 450 prophets. 2 Bulls will be cut up and layed upon wood and the prophets will call upon Baal to send down fire and burn up the offering.

So they try. They cry out to their imaginary false Baal. Nothing happens, for hours nothing happens. Then Elijah opens his mouth and starts mocking them. “Cry louder, for he’s got to be real, right guys? Maybe he’s playing a game or maybe he’s on the can. Perhaps he’s on a journey and can’t hear you, maybe he’s sleeping too deeply.”

They get more and more mad ultimately sacrificing some of their men to bleed upon the altar to call upon the false god baal who doesn’t show up.

Elijah makes an altar, does the same thing they did, only douses the entire thing with so much water that a trench around it was filled to overflowing. Elijah then prays to the one true God, and …fire comes from heaven that burned so hot that the bull was consumed, the water, the wood, the water, and even the rocks turned to dust.

This same truth is a fine wine that we need to pop the cork on again. We have given so much credence to so many spiritual and religious lies today that its mind boggling.

new ageism

astrology

“the universe sent me a sign”

the church of Scientology (literally btw created by a science fiction writer)

Buddhism

government worship

parts of Catholicism (i’m sorry but Mary wasn’t divine)

Wiccans (some are modern day paganism but hold that magic is real and available through spells, incantations, and connections with gods and goddesses.

any form of a person coming as a new messiah

Despite the infinite wisdom of Oprah, there are not a lot of ways up the same mountain. There is one true God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, who sent his son to die for the sins of man and be the ransom who bought salvation. He is the definite only source of salvation, the only source of power, and the only source of truth.

We can create an infinite amount of little “g” gods and none of them will have any more power than we pretend they have. Because they aren’t founded in reality or in truth. Btw this is also the reason why we don’t hide truth or claim we have special hidden revelations like many of the worlds most famous cults have.

Latter Day Saints

Watchtower Jehovah’s Witnesses

Scientology

Twelve Tribes (where you give up all of your possessions to them and live in a community)

Unification Church (Jesus failed on the Cross and their leader, Sun Myung Moon, is the only one who can save you.)

And frankly, there are many more than we have room to discuss.

For sure, we do have an enemy. Scripture tells us that Satan (whose name literally means “adversary”) is in control of this world 1 John 5:19.

1 John 5:19 (ESV)

19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

That he has his own host of demons which have and can plague humanity. (Mark 3:23-26.)

That he temps us and even tempted Jesus with worldly glory. (Matthew 4)

That he is, by his very nature, a liar and a father of lies (John 8:44; Acts 5:3; 2 Cor. 11:3; 11:14)

And he is most certainly not your friend, coming only with the desire to steal, kill, and destroy you. (john 10:10)

So despite what hollywood declares, you can’t sell your soul to Satan for power and glory because he cares nothing for you. All you can do is align yourself with the greatest hater of your soul against the greatest lover of your soul.

But we often forget that Satan’s power and his time are on a ticking clock.

His power over death was stripped from him because of cross. (Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Cor. 15:54; Revelation 1:18)

His defeat is certain and most coming son. As Revelation 20:10 says

Revelation 20:10 (ESV)

10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

So, understand, even your enemy is nothing more than a pit bull on a chain, with a loud bark but having no teeth, torn from his mouth by the blood and body of Christ, the name that he fears more than any, a name that you are adopted into.

So, as Paul explains why the issue of food sacrificed to idols is really a non-issue, he explains what the real issue is and it not a small one, for them or us.

The Collateral Damage. vs 7

7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

While the act of eating or not eating is of no real consequence, to some it is groundbreaking. Some of the brothers and sisters who have come to the church, given their lives to Christ, and are now in the fellowship, have a past with these practices. When scripture talks about being rescued from darkness into light, this was their former darkness. Founded in truth, or not, it still holds chains over their former life and they still carry the scars of beliefs and practices they lived out in that prison.

Another way to put it is just because I’ve not been caught up in gambling as a lifestyle or addiction, doesn’t mean others have not. or that just because I can walk right by with no desire doesn’t mean its not a 10 on the struggle meter for my brother in the faith.

You see, some in the church were so focused on the practice itself being right or wrong that they weren’t noticing at all the effect these conversations and actions were having on their new converts and those who came out of that lifestyle.

We too must always be aware of the ripples that come off of our discussions and practices. This struggle is hard for me in particular as my natural language is joking and sarcasm. I say things in a manner that is almost always meant in jest but if you didn’t know me and know who I am you might think I was being mean or cruel. I had a kid in my youth group over at our house one day and I leaned over and told her, “btw I make fun of the people that I like,” she started crying. An odd response to such a statment so I asked what was wrong. She responded, “I just thought you really couldn’t stand me.” Guys, she had been coming to my youth group for 5 years thinking I couldn’t stand her and that was on me.

These followers of Christ were really struggling; seeing the men and women who they looked up to, having fellowship meals and dinners, being invited over to see pagan sacrificed meat on the menu. While they didn’t see it as a struggle, the new converts were ashamed. They were broken up about it and their view of them, the church, and Christ were suffering because of it.

The dilemma between Freedom and Accountability to our brothers and sisters in Christ. vs 8-13

8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.

9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?

11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.

12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

This is not a mic dropped as much as a mic steamrolled. Paul’s justification in vs 8 links perfectly with his conclusion in vs 13. No food will make us more or less holy. So if that is the case, and it is, if certain foods cause my brothers to stumble, I will never eat meat again.

Never

Eat

Meat

again.

For Paul, he had no right anymore in his life that would trump the call to make disciples. His liberty in Christ was not worth exercising if it meant another would be held back. And herein lies the rub for Corinth and Mount Vernon. Do we value our rights, liberties, and freedoms we have in Christ more than we value those Christ means to save?

I first really wrested with this in a missions class where we were called to study the cultural significance in a people group so we could understand the walls that the people would have to climb in order to embrace Jesus.

One group in Cambodia saw the practice of offering your 8-10 year old son to the Buddhist temple as the ultimate honor you could give a grandparent. So believers who chose to forgo this were seen as abusive and dishonorable to their families. As such, Christianity became seen in that light as well.

In the US Halloween in largely a community even where kids dress up as captain america and barbie and get candy but can you imagine starting up a church plant in Mexico where people hold that the day of the dead is a day in which you can actually communicate with the dead and bring them back?

In Swaziland in the south of Africa we came to villages that practiced ancestor worship. A way of remembering and honoring their ancestors, they would pray to them, seeking their guidance and power.

A man that I met coming out of Mennonite cult who recognized the abusive teachings he and his family were under but couldn’t get past the lifetime of instructions he’d received that told him that if he didn’t work for his faith every day he would lose his salvation every day.

We serve in a world that has so many people who’ve had their view of God, the church, and Christians by other experiences and struggles. We were too by the way. In some ways, we do become our brothers keepers. We owe a debt to Christ to help them grow up in him as they learn to do this whole Christ following life. Paul’s answer was that he would always prioritize the spiritual condition of a weaker brother over his own liberty in Christ. Paul knew there was no spiritual significance or power in eating meat coming from idols. Yet, knowing that to be true, he still chose to elevated the needs of brothers who it affected.

As we consider this, the implications flood over many issues in our world today.

Christians consuming alcohol.

Those coming out of legalism back grounds.

Converts who might be struggling with addictions.

The language that comes out of your mouth.

How you joke or use sarcasm, as in my case.

The struggle is that, even hearing this, many will still cling to their rights as a Christian and the liberty they have in Christ to behave as they see fit. I remember talking to a staunch man who legitimately believed that all forms of alcohol were from satan and Jesus turned the water into grape juice, nothing more. To declare anything else was to tie Jesus to sin and negate the cross. The truth is, that Jesus turned water into wine and not just wine, but the good stuff. Stuff so good that the party guests commented on it. Jesus was called a glutton and a drunkard in addition to being known as a friend of sinners in Matthew 11:19. The religious people saw his behavior and lined it up against the law that they had set for themselves and declared that he was the one who didn’t match up. It is my belief that Jesus made wine and drank it. Its also my belief that people blew this into something it wasn’t and lied about him. People can do that. So is having a drink a wrong thing? a sin? Does it sound weird to say yes and no? Drinking to excess and drunkeness is a sin Ephesians 5:18. But is drinking not to excess a sin. I don’t think so.

“Well, isn’t that hypocritical, after all you guys make all pastors and deacons sign a code of conduct saying they won’t drink will working for the church.”

Yes we do, and yes we live that way but not because its a sin but because we don’t want someone to see us and get the wrong picture of us, the church, or Jesus. We’ve said as a group, that we will abstain because we value the witness we have in the church and the community more.

I also say this knowing that for some alcohol is a struggle and the last thing I’d want to do is use my liberty in Christ to have a drink to temp or potentially belittle a believer who is trying to break free from those chains.

None of this is to say that you who feel conventionally that being a tee-totaler for your entire life is a way in which you can honor God. God bless you in living that out. This is also not to say that alcohol is a net good or brings about good. Many conjecture that young Timothy was under such a conviction in Ephesus which caused him stomach issues, drinking only water, and Paul encouraged him to take some wine to calm his issues. Your not a grade A christian if you don’t ever touch alcohol, and your not a sinner if you have a glass of wine with your wife over dinner. The point of this passage is to show us all that there is more to it than that. “What you can do or can’t do.” We do have liberty in Christ. We do have the capacity to live as we feel convictionally. But we also must keep our eyes fixated on how we are seen and how we reflect Christ. After all, we’ve been bought by him and for him. Our life, our purpose, our movement, and our reputations are all bound to him.

Landing

Sometimes we give spiritual power and significance to things that are worthy of any of it. Are there any areas in your life where you give voice or credence to things in a authoritative way they haven’t earned?

As followers of Christ, we live in the new covenant, bought by the blood of Jesus. Jesus completed the law. As such, we walk in freedom in Christ. Not to act however we want, but to glorify him in our lives. Are there any “law-like” works or religious practices that you still hold to as if they were necessary for your salvation? What do you think Paul or Jesus would tell you regarding those things?

We always must be aware of and concerned with how our witness for Christ come out to others. Are their any freedoms that you cling too that potentially could harm a person’s opinion of you, the church, or Jesus? In your opinion, is the freedom you live in more important than their opinion?