Written ~ 08-13-2024
Read 1 Corinthians Chapter Eight
1 Corinthians 8
Some books in the Bible have a subject matter that may not specifically pertain to today’s culture, the practices shown in those chapters may have been prevalent in earlier centuries but not so much today. 1 Corinthians 8 is one of those chapters. The main theme of this chapter is about food (or meat) that is being sacrificed to idols (false gods) and whether or not it’s ok for a believer to consume that meat. In Corinth there were more than a dozen temples which worshiped various idols or false gods, each having their own sacrificial traditions. When meat was sacrificed to their god they would divide the meat into three portions, one portion was burned up as the sacrifice, another was set aside for the priest to eat, and the last portion was given to the person who brought the sacrifice. Whatever was not consumed was brought to the open market where anyone from the city could purchase it.
So, how do we apply this to our lives in today’s culture? The question that was posed to Paul regarding this practice, was if it was ok to consume the meat sacrificed to a false god.
1 Corinthians 8:1-6…
1 “Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. 5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 6 But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
by whom all things were created,
and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were created,
and through whom we live.”
Paul started out by pointing out the fact that there is only one God. Sacrificing to those so-called idols or false gods is actually quite meaningless. Knowing that the God of heaven is the only God needs to be the foundation of our knowledge. We are to please the Almighty God; we are to do everything with love and honor to the God who reigns in heaven.
Let’s look at what Paul has to say next…
1 Corinthians 8:7-8…
7 “However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.”
The word “however” may seem insignificant, but it’s placement before the rest of this chapter should make us stop and pause, sit up and pay attention to what Paul wants us to learn next. What Paul is trying to get across is that within the church body there will be many levels of faith, some believers are strong in their faith, they have steadfast knowledge that the God in heaven is the only God, He is the Almighty Elohim (Powerful God) that they serve. But mixed in there are new believers, or believers who have fallen away from their faith and are grappling with what they believe. It could be there are folks within the church who aren’t too sure yet if other gods exist or if other religions are true. And it is because of that main fact, stronger believers must be wary of their actions at all times.
So, in order to bring this topic of consuming sacrificial meat into today’s culture, I thought I would use the consumption of alcohol as our example. Alcohol consumption has been a topic of debate within the church for as long as I can remember. Is it ok? Or is it not ok? What do you think Paul would’ve said to believers questioning this particular freedom, whether or not it’s ok to consume alcoholic beverages? Let’s look at the next set of verses and then apply our example to what Paul explained to the Corinth believers.
1 Corinthians 8:9-13…
9 “But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you — with your “superior knowledge” — eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live — for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.”
What Paul is saying here is quite powerful. So… On which side of the alcohol consumption debate do you stand? Are you on the side that thinks it is perfectly ok to chug a few beers or gulp down a couple of glasses of strong liquor? Or are you on the side of the debate where you find the consumption of alcohol as detrimental to your witness for Christ?
If you are on the side of “it’s perfectly ok…” The thing you must remember is what Paul said in verse 8:9, “…you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscious to stumble…” If you are a mentor to someone, let’s say a brand-new believer, and they watch you sitting in a bar or restaurant drinking down a couple alcoholic beverages with your meal, what does that suggest to them? Well, perhaps they will figure Christians are no different than the world, so why should they change their old habits? You might even have the thought that no one from “church” will see you so you’re going to indulge. Even though this decision is completely up to the individual believer, nowhere in the Bible, specifically, does it say not to consume alcoholic beverages, but we need to think how it effects our witness to the world. Are you standing up for Christ while chugging down any type of alcoholic beverage?
Ok, so let’s move onto the flip side of this debate. You are the one who feels the consumption of alcohol is a detriment to your witness for Christ. It may be your personal conviction that consuming alcohol, as a believer, is not right and that’s fine! Again, Paul is saying here that we have freedom to decide. But it is your actions within that decision that effects your witness for Christ. What if you think consuming alcohol is a sin and you place judgement or publicly condemn a fellow believer for consuming alcohol? What does that action do to a new believer or someone who is trying to come back to Christ? If your witness shows a judgmental or condemning attitude, won’t that leave a new believer feeling guilty or ashamed of their own actions?
What Paul is trying to get across in this entire passage, is yes, we each have our own convictions or freedoms on certain matters, Paul was addressing the question if it was ok to eat meat sacrificed to a false god. For some people it wasn’t a problem at all, but for others it was a desecration to everything they believed.
How we go about our Christian walk, ultimately, is based on our own personal convictions. But I believe it goes just a step further than that, are the convictions we hold so dear actually following the Word of God? It may have been a decision that you made long ago about what was ok and not ok for you to do as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. Maybe, once that initial decision was made you turned off any other convictions that would suggest what you were doing was actually not following God’s Word.
How the world perceives Christ is from watching His followers. Would you agree? So, if you are behaving the same way the world behaves, why would they feel the need to seek the Lord? Paul makes it very clear in verse 8:6 that there is only one God. We are to serve God with honor and glory with every attitude, with every behavior, with every action. Maybe it’s time to revisit some of your convictions. Is what you are displaying to the world a good witness for Christ your Savior? Are you plowing on ahead with some of your convictions even though it might cause a new believer to question what it means to be a follower of Christ?
You know, none of us are perfect, that we all know to be true. But if we are diligently trying to walk with the Lord by pleasing Him in everything we do, then let’s take to heart what Paul says in verse 8:13, “So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live – for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.” To make that verse more meaningful to you personally, exchange “eating meat sacrificed to idols” with anything you might think could cause a new believer or someone who has fallen away from the Lord to stumble and then make the necessary changes in your life.
In closing, let’s look again at verse 8:6…
1 Corinthians 8:6…
6 But for us,
There is one God, the Father,
by whom all things were created,
and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things were created,
and through whom we live.
Our lives should reflect the one true God and our Savior Jesus Christ. We were created to give glory and honor to God, our Father…
~AMEN~