12. How NOT to be a Corinthian! 1 Corinthians 8

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Stand with me as we open our worship with scripture this morning.

Opening Scripture:

Let us read this corporately this morning. I will read the first verse and you, the congregation will read every other verse out loud together.

Psalm 141 NIV

A psalm of David. 1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. 2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. 3 Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies. 5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers. 6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken. 7 They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.” 8 But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death. 9 Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.

Prayer

Worship Set:

This is Amazing Grace

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone

Prayer

Worship Through the Word:

How NOT to be a Corinthian! 1 Corinthians 8

Do you have someone in your family that is considered “strong-willed?”  This can be a good trait as it can help such people to be successful.  However, it can also be a bad trait if a person allows it to dominate everything.  Those who are extreme in this trait can dominate and control their entire family, causing lots of drama and chaos. 

I still remember a comment an author made on the subject.  She said something like this.  “It can be most difficult to win an argument with the strong-willed person, because unlike most people, they are willing to die on the altar of their cause.  Other people are not and usually end up giving in.”

Unfortunately, these people too often get their way, not because they are right, but because they are willing to fight until all others give up.  Of course, this just reinforces their behavior because they know they will probably end up winning.

As Christians under the New Covenant set forth by Christ, we have been set free from the law.  But just what does that mean?  How far should we take it?  When others challenge what we believe are our freedoms, do we choose love, or do we dig in and die on the altar of what we feel is our personal right?  When it comes to what we believe are our personal rights, we can all get a bit strong-willed.

That is the subject of today’s chapter.

1 Corinthians 8NIV

1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 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.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 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. 7 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. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 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? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, 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.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Pray

I.  The Altar Worth Dying On  1 Corinthians 8

It took us three sermons to cover the subject in chapter 7.  Now we find three and a half chapters that cover one topic, the topic of Christian liberty.  In the Old Testament, under the old covenant, life was governed by the law.  If you want to read that law, read Deuteronomy and Leviticus.  They are full of the law.

However, with Christ’s death, a new covenant began, and it is contained in the New Testament.  The word “testament” literally means “covenant.”  The new covenant does not supersede the old, but it fulfills it in a better way.  Instead of fighting to live according to some written law, our hearts are now changed to desire to live the law naturally.  Jeremiah prophesied about this. 

Jeremiah 31:31–33 NIV

31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

The Holy Spirit within us guides us in this process.  He literally changes our hearts, attitudes, and desires.  This provides some freedom, but even today we must be careful because this is not a license to do whatever we want, whenever we want. 

To set the scene, we first need to remember who Paul is addressing here.  Paul is not addressing Jews in Jerusalem.  Paul is addressing some Jews and a whole lot of Gentiles that live in a city with very loose morals.  This city is rife with prostitutes, temples and idols, divorce, drunken sailors, you name it, they got it!  It is your typical seaport.

This church has more immature Christians than mature Christians.  When we become Christians, we do not instantly know and understand everything about God and being Christian.  This church is not near other Christian churches, and it has been far more influenced by its surroundings than by Christian teachers, as we have noticed from the beginning chapters. 

Paul has called them to account for some unrighteous things going on and it has opened a series of questions on their part.  Chapter 8 brings us to a new question that opens the subject of Christian liberties or freedoms, if you prefer.  Paul will address this same subject of “Christian freedom” in chapters 8-11.  In chapter 8, the subject is meat sacrificed to idols.  The pagans had their own practice of offering meat sacrifices at temples for a multitude of gods.  The meat was then split between them and the priests.  At the end of the day, the priests had far more meat than they could eat or keep from spoiling, so they made a few bucks on the side by selling it.  They sometimes sold it to individuals and at other times to butchers.  The butchers were fast to gather at the end of the day as it provided a cheap source of meat, they could then in turn mark up and sell to their customers.

This posed an issue in the Corinthian church.  Some Christians just thought this was a great way to buy their meat cheap.  The temple and their forms of worship meant nothing to them since they didn’t believe in these false gods.  However, this brought controversy into the church due to others who felt this was wrong.

Second, you had some who were new to faith and fearful of buying any meat unless they could ascertain that it had not been first offered to idols.  They feared eating meat that had been offered to these other “gods.”  They still did not have enough faith to understand that there were no other gods. 

This subject gets more complicated in chapter 10, as they fear eating at the homes of others for fear that they may be eating meat offered at temples.

Now, I doubt that you have been confronted with the issue of eating or buying meat that was offered at a pagan temple recently.  When was the last time a priest of a pagan temple offered you meat at a choice rate?  Yeah, I didn’t think so!  This is another case where this is not something we face but it provides us with a principle to guide us when faced with other questions.  Things like, “Is it okay to drink alcoholic beverages?”...“Can I watch “R” rated movies?”… “Are Christians permitted to get tattoos?”… “Is it sinful to smoke cigarettes?”  There are any number of subjects like this that are not covered in the Bible specifically and there are as many answers as there are Christians. 

So, let’s jump in.  I am going to call this...

A.  The Principle for Discernible Matters.  1 Corinthians 8

Why discernible?  Because there is no clear answer in the scriptures.  In such cases it really comes down to conscience and not everyone’s conscience tells them the same thing.  Why not, you may ask?

•     First, we are not tempted by the same things. 

The Holy Spirit works in each of us individually based on our needs, and He knows what tempts us and what doesn’t.  However, conscience alone does not lead us when making decisions.  Our maturity level also effects how we make choices and…

•     We are not all at the same level of maturity . 

Sometimes we knee jerk over situations when we are immature.  With maturity, we are less reactive, and we reason better.  However, even when we feel confident that something is not prohibitive, we still need to consider others and how our behavior is perceived by them. 

The problem comes in when one person who doesn’t have an issue with it, does it in front of another Christian who does.  This can often cause division in the church, which we all know is wrong.  It can also cause less mature Christians to falter or even leave the church.  Here again, this is not a good situation.  So, let’s see what Paul has to say on the matter.  Before Paul even begins on the subject,

1.  Paul sets the foundation .  1 Corinthians 8:1-3

You see, these people think the key issue is about personal choices, but Paul knows it goes deeper than that.  The church is a community, a family.  Everything we do makes ripples for those around us.  We are never an entity all unto ourselves.  Do the ripples we create propel others forward toward the spiritual goal, or flip their boat over?

Paul wants them to understand first that...

a.  Knowledge Must be Balanced by Love .  1 Corinthians 8:1-3

1 Corinthians 8:1–3 NIV

1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3But whoever loves God is known by God.

•     Knowledge can lead to pride , but love builds the church . 

In the case presented in this chapter, some mature Christians didn’t really give any account to these other “gods.”  They fully believed in the one true God.  Therefore, they just saw this meat, whether acquired from a temple or a butcher, as fair game.  (No pun intended.  I know we are in hunting season!) :-)

However, other Christians were mortified by the thought of purchasing or eating meat from a pagan temple.  Paul begins by addressing the mature Christians by helping them understand that it is not about their knowledge, faith, and freedoms, but that knowledge must be governed by love.  They needed to be concerned for those less mature Christians that were still fearful of other gods. 

Once Paul sets this foundation...

B.  Then Paul Moves On to the Facts .  1 Corinthians 8:4-9

1 Corinthians 8:4–9 NIV

4 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.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 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. 7 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. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

•     Paul affirms key theological truths:

•     an idol is nothing

•     there in only one God

•     Christ is the source of all things

Paul began with a gentle rebuke to the more mature Christians by directing them to be focused on love above knowledge.  However, now Paul affirms that they are correct in their understanding.  This part of the letter will affirm the mature Christian in their understanding and instruct the younger Christians as well.

•     As Paul does so, he is highlighting the fact that not everyone possesses this knowledge, and some believers are weak in their faith.  The more mature people have a responsibility to consider these that are either newer to the faith or perhaps struggling with their faith.  It takes some people longer to grow in their maturity.

•     Finally, Paul directs them to put their focus on people, instead of their personal rights.  You see,

“Our actions must consider the conscience of others.”

That brings us to...

C.  The Principle for Exercising Personal Freedoms.  1 Corinthians 8:9-13

1 Corinthians 8:9–13 NIV

9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 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? 11So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 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.

1.  Paul warns that our freedom in Christ should not become a stumbling block for weaker believers.  v 9

I believe a case could be made that it can also be a deterrent for others preventing them from coming to know Christ.  Sometimes there are people in this world that have just enough Bible knowledge that they can quickly label us hypocrites for behaviors they feel are contrary to their understanding of scripture.  This in turn can become a stumbling block that prevents them from coming to church or coming to know the Lord.  Is their attitude right?  No, however, we are the mature ones.  We need to keep in mind not only how our actions and attitudes affect younger Christians but also how they affect those outside the church.

When I was in Tennessee, a lady in our church used to hold a monthly bunco party.  It just so happens, I love bunco (describe game if anyone doesn’t know it).  She invited me to join; however, she structured it differently than anyone I had played with before.  Everyone had to pay something like $5 to get in the game, I did not realize this before I went.  Then at the end of the game, she awarded different percentages of the pot to those who met certain challenges with the big winner taking home something like $20-25 at the end of the night.

That pricked my conscience because to me that was gambling.  However, she told me that others usually had gag prizes, and she thought this was just simpler and easier.  I went along with it for a couple or three months; however, I noticed that some of the younger girls from church, and several who didn’t come to church at all, were really getting competitive over that pot.  There were some serious attitude problems going on and did those around the table really not believe that was gambling?  They knew the church didn’t believe in gambling and yet here we all were.  I told my host I appreciated being invited, but I just did not feel comfortable about the situation, and I explained what I was seeing and thinking. 

Soon after, the lady discontinued the game.  She said that after I explained all of that to her, she began to watch people, and she started noticing what I saw.  She wanted those girls to come to church but she was afraid her game was becoming a hinderance and so she changed to a different game that didn’t need prizes.  The point I am making is this.  For her, this was just a fun game and great fellowship.  The money meant nothing to her.  However, to others, this was gambling and there were some in the group that very obviously had a problem with that.  Some were convicted over it and felt it sent a wrong message to non-believers and younger Christians, some were just plain greedy and had attitudes that were leading to bad feelings among the group.  Even more, it probably made the Christians look like hypocrites for participating.  It is not enough that we feel free and enjoy it, we must take into consideration how it is perceived by others.

Next, Paul says that...

2.  Even if an action is morally innocent , it can become sinful if it harms another believer’s conscience.  vv 10-11

Are we our brother’s keepers?  Yes, in a way we are.  Especially if we are more mature.  People often look up to those who are more mature than they are.  They seek to emulate them to some degree.  Have you ever felt uncomfortable about doing something, then see someone you respect doing it and think, “Well, if they think it is okay, then I am probably okay too.”  There is a problem with that because it may not tempt them but perhaps you are tempted by it and that is why the Holy Spirit is pricking your conscience.  You take responsibility for your actions, however, Paul is clearly stating here that the more mature person takes responsibility as well due to their influence on others.

This is one of my big issues with alcohol.  It is true that there is nowhere in the Bible that says it is inappropriate to drink alcohol, in fact, in Bible days they did drink.  However, their alcoholic drinks did not typically contain as much alcohol as ours do today.  Most were quite mild except for what was used for greater celebrations. 

Alcoholism is a huge issue in our culture.  Many Christians claim their right to drink, and it is an altar they seem ready to die for.  However, what if a weaker Christian sees you and thinks, if they can I can.  Then they become an alcoholic?  Or they make a poor decision because they are more influenced by it than you were?  We will be accountable before God for those kinds of decisions.

You may say, “well, I only drink it occasionally at home.”  However, you must buy it, and someone may see you do so.  How do you account for it then?  If you must hide buying it, it probably is best not to do so at all because hiding it just makes you a hypocrite.

I chose the example of alcohol as it is an easily identifiable one.  However, there are many things that can fall under this topic.  We need to be critical about our thinking regarding any such worldly practices.  It is important to think about these practices in a critical way.  What makes them harmful?  How can they harm others?  It is not about having rules.  It is about practically understanding how such practices can have negative impacts on others.

Next, we see...

3.  The example of Christ, who laid down His rights for the sake of others, should guide our behavior.  v 12

In verse 12, Paul draws our attention to Christ.

1 Corinthians 8:12 NIV

12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

How is it we sin against Christ?  Because Christ made these kinds of sacrifices for us.  We are called to live as Christ.  That includes at times sacrificing things we would typically enjoy for the sake of protecting others.

4.  Paul concludes that it is better to abstain from something lawful for the sake of love and unity . v 13

Paul draws up his conclusion on this subject with that important word, “therefore.”

1 Corinthians 8:13 NIV

13 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 is not being dramatic.  Paul is making a statement of love.  For love of the weaker brethren, and for love of the church which can so easily fall into division, Paul is willing to sacrifice those personal freedoms.   They are immaterial to the greater scheme of things.  Our salvation and the salvation of others must always come first.  This is the law of love.

“Ultimately, the principle is that love should guide our actions, even when we are right about a matter of knowledge .”

Conclusion:

So, what is the altar worth dying on.  Is it okay to have a drink now and again?  Is it okay to go to a bar so you can dance with your wife?  There are any number of things we can make that altar about, but I say,

“The altar worth fighting for and dying on is the altar of love.”

Prayer

Worship Set

Before the Throne

Let Him Reign, with vocals

Benediction