1 Corinthians 8

Not causing another believer to stumble.

Intro.

In Chapter 7 Paul was responding to questions the Corinthians had in a letter they wrote to Paul. in chapter 7 Paul answered there questions relating to sexual relations and marriage. In chapter 8 Paul answers another question. Is it OK to eat meat that came from a pagan sacrifice.

I've brought up now the last two times we have meet about the temple of Aphrodite that was in Corinth. were men would have relations with prostitutes in the temple to worship the false God of Aphrodite.

There were other temples to other false gods and a lot of them would have animal sacrifices to worship there gods. You could go in with an animal give the pagan priests animals to sacrifice for you in the temple and offer some of the meat to the false god but the rest would be left for the pagan priests.

Well these pagan priests would have more meat then they could eat so the rest would be sold in the market. And some of the Corinthians thought it was wrong to eat that meat and others thought it was OK and could eat it freely.

This is not a issue we face in 21st century America. but there is application we can still use today and are main focus for today is not causing fellow Christians to stumble.

Read(1-2)

we see “We all have knowledge” was a saying the Corinthians had. and we will see as we walk thew this chapter that Paul says its OK to eat the meat offered to the idols.

There were Corinthians who knew it was ok to eat the meat and would say “we all have knowledge.” as a way to make them feel importent was verses 1 says you could translate that as “knowledge can puff up”.

Theres a lot of people who have “knowledge” and are puffed up they are refund to know it all(kid on the poler express) verse 2 describe him. (chuck smith says the more that i know, i know that i don't know)

Knowledge is super impotent but it needs to be pair with love as Paul said why because it builds the church

You also cant have love without knowledge it goes both ways (change to a question)

The are Christians who have lots of knowledge and do not pair it with love. and I've personalty seen Christians fall into this they are puffed up and airagent with there knowledge and look down on believers who are weaker/younger in the faith.

(Read 3) In the Greek Paul is using agapao for love witch refers to a selfless and sacrificial love.

recap verses 1-3 we must have selfless love when we have knowledge a weaker believer dose not.

paul is setting this up as we continue

(Read 4-5)

“There are so called gods in heaven and earth” refures to were there false gods resided example on earth Greek gods on Olympus, Pasiden in the sea.

other pagan gods like the Egyptians they reside in “heaven” not on earth

Paul is setting up is both kinds of “gods” are not gods there is only one Yahweh(Hebrew for God). and says this in verse 6 read(6)

add what dose it mean when all things were created thew jesus

Yahweh is the only God Now in chapter 10 of this letter Paul makes it clear that the meat was sacrificed to demons. those who worship idols worship demons but they are not gods.

(read 7-8)

why in verse 7 would some weaker/newer Christians think that the gods not have that knowledge that we talked about earlier. in verse 9-10 when we get to it Paul's says it violates there conscience and stumble.

A lot of the converts to Christianity in Corinth used to worship there's pagan gods and in verse 8 The physical act of eating the eat the meat dose not matter but. Its not the act its self its causing a fellow belever to stumble thats the problum Paul has been seting this up and we will contune

(9-11)

1-10 set up to this. That Your knowledge that's not paired with love that you have freedom to eat the meat can cause a believer to stumble.

What are examples that we can apply this today. I have a very spastic example from my family tree. my grandmas grandfather so my grate grate grandfather before he became a christian he had a tarible gambling addiction. he would get his pay check and before we got home he would have beat it all away on card games. and god moved in his life and he got healed from that addition that was hurting his wife and kids. this was in 1923. decades later my grandfather and other family members were playing cards and my grate grate grandfather walked in saw them and he walked out. because seeing them playing cards was bring back all those memory's. Playing the cards was not the problem it was casing my grate grate grandfather to potently stumble.

In my opinion alcohol is the most applicable to our lives today. I've talk about alcohol here before when we went thew proverbs. It is not a sin to have a moduate amount of alcohol. But I need to make it clear. over indulting in alcohol and getting drunk is clearly stated multiple times that it is a sin.

Christians have the freedom to have alcohol in moderation however remember verse 9 “But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.” as Christians we have tons of former alcoholics here at Calvary chapel plenty that God has delved them from it. prace God for that. Thats why i think its very wise to not have real wine in communion. not that it is a sin to do so. the last super was fermented grapes. even though if he had real wine and it was a small amount that could casue them to stumble and fall back into sin.

(kevin pagan gods mcu)

(12)

causing a belever to stumble is a sin

(13)

this is the tack away from today. even thogh i am free to do someything and its not a sin but if i do it and influense someone to stumble i should not do it.