1 Corinthians 8-9
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Meat to Idols
Meat to Idols
1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
About the questions and comments you had about idol offerings
“we all have knowledge” maybe a slogan used by many in Corinth. Yes we all know some truth about those things.
But be careful when it comes to “what you know”
knowledge can make you arrogant but love will lift up your brothers and sisters in the Lord
if you think you know it all, you don’t know anything you ought to. knowledge without love leads to sin
Unlike those arrogant people around you who “know it all” for knowing’s sake, if you always tie love to knowledge, you show you’ve been saved
4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. 5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Meat offered to idols:
with all the idolatry and pagan god and goddess worship, there were a lot of animal sacrifices by families and temples
only a portion was used for the sacrifice and the family got the rest to eat or temples and families sold it in the marketplace for regular meat to eat
You are correct, you and I know the idols are just statues. That compared to the one true God, they are just pretend gods.
It doesn’t matter if all around you are folks that are calling them gods and even calling them Lords.
Yes, there are powers and principalities the people are worshiping. Demons and fallen angels, these are real and the people are worshiping them (1 Corinthians 10:19–20 “19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”)
But the meat is just meat because even the demons have one God!
We know what you’ve heard all your life is true: there is only ONE God
Shema: Paul uses the prayer and catechism considered a fundamental command to every Jewish person.
Deuteronomy 6:4 “4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”
7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Not everybody treats the meat as only meat and meat don’t make you any closer to God. Eat it, don’t eat it…just meat
There are some in the church that are convicted about eating the meat (maybe they were saved out of the cult that the meat came from and the person knew it, maybe they were the one that used to do the sacrifice).
Due to that conviction, they are weaker in this area and the Holy Spirit may have some tighter guardrails up.
What you do need to watch out for is these weaker brothers and sisters though.
just because you know the truth of the matter and you have a clear conscience to eat the meat, don’t trip up the ones that don’t and can’t
If one of those that the Holy Spirit’s convicted see you eating, they might be encouraged to violate the Spirit’s conviction…that’s sin and can cause everything from discouragement to apostasy and judgement
if you cause them to sin with your liberty, not only them but YOU sin against Christ!
Don’t matter if I can eat the sacrifice with a completely clear conscience, if it might lead a weaker brother to sin, I WON’T EAT IT!
Put the good of your brothers and sisters about your own rights
1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
Am I not free?: Am I not a Christian with all the freedoms Jesus bought for me?
Am I not an apostle of Jesus with all the authority that comes with seeing our Lord?
Didn’t a bunch of you get saved because of my work? Isn’t there a church there because of my efforts?
3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, 4 Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
The answer is yes. We have the same authority and privileges as Peter and the other apostles. What to eat and drink, getting married, and everything else
Or is it only Barnabas and myself that are supposed work for free. Don’t we have the authority to get paid for pastoring and preaching?
8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
We have the right not just because I’m Paul and I said so, but the law says so as well (Deut. 25:4, 1 Tim 5:18)
Don’t we have a right to be taken care of with the material things since we are working to take care of you in the spiritual things?
If as the planters of this church, the spiritual fathers of many of you don’t we have more authority than Peter and the others?
But we haven’t used that authority so we didn’t give you a reason to doubt the Gospel!
15 But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. 16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
I haven’t used my liberty or misused my authority. Paul says he’d rather die than give a person a reason to doubt his testimony OR the power of the Lord to save sinners
He preaches the gospel because the Lord has called him to preach and the Spirit compels him to do so (2 Cor. 5:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:14 “14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:” )
If he were preaching the Gospel as a choice there would be rewards and he could be proud of it. The fact is he had no choice and was simply doing what the Lord had for him to do and was doing his duty and had nothing to brag about. We all have choices, we either follow the Lord and what he has for us and are blessed or we don’t and are miserable and give up the blessings.
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Paul was so mature and and walked so close to the Lord that he had no doubts what sin was and the Holy Spirit didn’t have to put the guardrails as narrow for Paul to act and not sin as He does for me
He wasn’t convicted when he did the things Jews did regarding the Law because he knew the Law didn’t save and Christ was all that mattered and so what.
He was free to go to birthday parties and sit in the temples and go to their parades because he knew only Jesus saved and the rest of all they were doing was just pretend and could preach the gospel at those places and times so the Lord would save some.
But around those with convictions, he didn’t do those things for the same reason and to build up the church
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
The Gentile Christians were familiar with the Olympic and Isthmian games. We know what the Olympics are but the Isthmian games were held every third summer in Isthmia about 5 miles Southeast of Corinth.
Not good enough just to start. Not good enough to almost finish. In the games the only one that gets the prize is the one that finishes ahead of everyone else. Run the race of the Christian life the same way winning runners do!
Every professional athlete is dedicated to training and discipline. They deny the flesh in everything from diet to not enough or too much sleep and everything in between. They did it to win a pine “crown” but also they were “immortalized” or made famous as much as people could do. We walk the Christian life for crowns to cast at the saviors feet because we’ve been given TRUE immortality!
Paul wasn’t just running around with no direction or constantly swinging and missing the target. His body and the denial of his flesh IS THE TARGET and he’s constantly reminding his body that the flesh is subjct and slave to Christ and him, not him being subject and slave to it so he wouldn’t sin and disqualify himself from preaching, pastoring, discipling, witnessing, and so on.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Underlying both of these chapters is Paul’s continued reminder that when you were saved you were joined to Christ, YOU ARE A PART OF CHRIST AND HE’S A PART OF YOU!
When we hurt another Christian, we hurt Christ himself. We cannot attack Christ’s body without also attacking Christ. Because of that when we sin we sin against Christ and when we cause others to sin we sin against Christ and cause them to as well!
So use our liberty and the knowledge we have ALWAYS with love for our neighbor and especially our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Though we have the freedom and liberty we should always be thinking of others and denying ourselves to make ourselves slaves of Christ and not subject to the flesh
It’s not just “not sinning”; I have found in my own life the more I “beat my body into submission by things like fasting, and being disciplined with getting out of bed, and working out, and diet the less I struggle with fleshly desires.
So let us all run the race to receive the incorruptible crown the Lord Jesus Christ has won for us!
