1CORINTHIANS 8:7
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Last week Paul was talking about food offered to idols
Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
Paul is quoting a Corinthian slogan here . We all have knowledge.
Paul says knowledge puffs up. It inflates egos
Love builds up [construct a house]
knowledge that does not lead to love is not true Christian knowledge.
English Standard Version Chapter 8
2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
The New King James says thinks instead of imagines, but I like imagines. It paints a clearer picture to me.
If you think or assume you know anything. Your knowledge is incomplete
This is not a slam on knowledge, knowledge is good.
This is pride that Paul is talking about
Paul is saying If your knowledge about scripture is leading you to arrogance and pride and not to love you have missed the point
English Standard Version Chapter 8
3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
This is a deep thought here.
Paul is saying , in this culture of deep thinkers and scholars that love is what defines your relationship with God.
intelligence
theological precision
social status
This does not define your status as a Christian.
Your standing as a Christian can only be measured by love.
knowledge can puff up
love edifies.
knowledge of scripture is good , It points you to who God is. It gives better understanding to who we are in Christ, but if that knowledge leads to arrogance and pride in how much you know and not to love.
Love for God and love for your neighbor and a desire to lead people to Christ, we miss the mark.
If you love God , He knows you
Biblical Meaning of “Known by God”
Biblical Meaning of “Known by God”
It implies:
personal relationship
covenant belonging
divine recognition
To be “known by God” means:
He is for you
He is engaged with your life
He is not distant or neutral
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),
We discussed this last week. Paul acknowledges that the Corinthians were correct in the fact that idols are nothing and that there is only one God
He also acknowledges that at least in the minds of many there were many lords[ emperor worship ] and gods [false gods]
yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
yet for us there is one God. Christian We have one God and one Lord .
Everything:
creation
existence
life
👉 originates from the Father
We exist for Him . Our lives are not random not for ourselves we exist for Him
Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
The goal to be reconciled back to Him. All creation .
The New King James Version Chapter 8
and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
He is the one through whom creation happens
Through whom we exist”
Through whom we exist”
This goes beyond creation.
👉 It includes:
your ongoing life
your salvation
your relationship with God
You exist from God
You exist through Christ
You exist for God
This is awesome. The God of creation, salvation . The God who sustains you the God you exist for. This God that created everything and everybody for His glory.
as Christians we have a personal relationship, with Him. He created you. You love Him and He knows you.
This is awesome you are known by the one you exist for
However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.
This encompasses so many different things. There is a lot of stuff that can put a fellow believer in a bad way or send a negative message.
As a mature Christian you will need to decern these things for yourself. In our culture now this food sacrificed to idols might be easy to gloss over, but in Corinth at this time it was a very real issue.
Paul says you are a stronger Christians. You know that idols are nothing, you know eating food sacrificed to idols doe’s not defile you . You know that there is one God.
But your weaker brother or sister does not. The one that is still weak in his knowledge will be defiled because there past belief ,worshiping idols , and participating in pagan rituals.
These idols can have deep emotional and spiritual associations
So for some eating this meat is nothing but to others this is a real spiritual act , so they feel like they are participating in idolatry [SIN]
“Their conscience… is defiled”
“Their conscience… is defiled”
What is conscience?
What is conscience?
👉 Your internal moral awareness—what you believe is right or wrong
So when these weaker [less informed, more easily wounded] Christians conscience is defiled they are morally compromised
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
All though it might not truly be sin. To the one that believes its sin, it is sin that can lead to
inner conflict
guilt
confusion
loss of clarity about right and wrong
The New King James Version Chapter 8
8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are
Paul again say’s that food doesn't matter. Eat it don’t eat eat it’s fine but it doe’s matter to the conscience of weaker believers. To them it is a big deal.
So to the believer with knowledge, you have nothing to gain by eating this but your weaker brother could stumble because of it.
Paul is also not saying anywhere her that the weaker vessel should stay spiritually where they are. The thing is to help them gain the knowledge not to hinder there walk.
This passage destroys a common mistake:
“If it’s not wrong, it’s fine to do”
Paul says:
👉 Not necessarily—because people matter more than principles
But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Freedom is real but it becomes sin when it leads someone else into spiritual harm. This is all about community not self.
So don’t let your freedom become a stumbling block to others
The New King James Version Chapter 8
10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols
English Standard Version Chapter 8
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?
the word here embolden in the New King James and encourage in the Esv comes from the same Greek word as edify.
English Standard Version Chapter 8
1.but love builds up
The New King James Version Chapter 8
10.will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?
This is some crazy stuff here. Don’t let your freedom cause a weaker Christian to stumble
Your actions as a more mature Christian through love can build them up and lead them to a right relationship with Christ.
, or your actions can tear them down. It can build them up for a fall.
Your actions matter our example matter’s
The New King James Version Chapter 8
11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
This is huge
Paul is putting this all into prospective. When I was studding this. It really opened up for me here.
The New King James Version Chapter 8
But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
Your identity is relational—you are God’s. So is this weaker believer
The New King James Version Chapter 8
6.the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
“From Him… through Him… for Him”
This establishes:
👉 God is:
your source
your sustainer
your purpose
we exist for God
and so does the weaker believer
The New King James Version Chapter 8
11.And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
“The brother for whom Christ died”
This establishes:
👉 That other believer:
also belongs to God
also exists through Christ
also has infinite value
We all live for Christ we all have the same value. Always build one another up to a right relationship with Christ
But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
This language is hard to take and should be. If you sin against a brother are sister you sin against Christ. You are not sinning against them they belong to Christ
How we walk is serious buisness and should be done deliberately. With others in mind.
In verse 13 Paul gives us a great example of this. Paul was a leader to these Christians with knowledge. Here he doesn’t bash either side . Theology speaking he has already explained that eating this meat or not eating eat made any difference spiritually.
He did say consciously it could cause a brother to stumble. His solution quit eating the meat. Sacrifice for others
This is imitating the Savior
Jesus is the ultimate example
Jesus is the ultimate example
He had all rights
He had all authority
He had all glory
We were the “weak”
We were the ones who stumbled
We were the ones in danger
👉 And Christ did not say:
“They need to figure it out”
He died for us
He gave it all for us so we can live for Him eternally
So we can live a life of sacrifice for Him and others
“We don’t lose anything by loving this way—we gain the joy of walking in the footsteps of our Savior.”
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
