July 9
Bible Study Guide 6
CALLED TO HELP THE WEAK
Bible Background • 1 CORINTHIANS
8:1-13
Printed Text • 1 CORINTHIANS
8:1-13
Devotional Reading • MARK 9:42-48
By the end of the lesson, we will:
UNDERSTAND the responsibility that believers have toward one another;
DESIRE to walk in knowledge and love; and
COMMIT ourselves to living in such a way that we do not cause others to sin.
"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. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak" (1 Corinthians 8:8-9).
1 Corinthians 8:1 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.
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.
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.
The family picnic that Diane organized was under a bright sun with tinges of orange striping a cloudless sky. Running children and people lounging on blankets made everything seem just right until Diane presented a basket of sandwiches to her brother’s friend Mike.
Mike smiled and asked, "What kind do you have?"
Diane said, "All we have left is ham on rye and pork roast."
Mike frowned. "Don’t you have any beef or tuna?"
Diane replied, "No, sorry, this is all that’s left."
"I guess I can’t eat then," Mike replied.
Diane knew Mike had recently become a Christian and was concerned that he didn’t really understand his new freedom in Christ. Taking a sandwich from the basket, she put it in his hand. "Don’t you know that as a Christian you can eat pork if you like?"
Mike pushed the sandwich away and said. "Yes, I know. But I am also free not to eat it. The reason I won’t eat pork is because I want to set an example for other family members who may consider converting to Christianity." Mike went on. "If I can tell them truthfully that no pork has ever passed my lips, then I can sit at the family dinner table, and tell them about the joy I have found in Jesus Christ."
The apostle Paul tells us that although we have rights, we also have the right not to exercise them for the sake of love. Do you understand your responsibilities to other believers?
Food Offered to Idols. Food used in pagan sacrifices normally consisted of three parts: one small portion used in the sacrifice, a larger portion used by the priests, and the largest part used by the worshiper. The worshiper would use this portion of meat in one of two ways: to serve as the main course of a meal that was eaten at or near the pagan temple or to sell at the local marketplace, where meat was purchased and served as part of a regular meal.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to address problems that were affecting the Corinthian church. In the first seven chapters of the letter, Paul addresses issues such as sexual immorality, the Corinthians’ lack of spiritual maturity, the need to rely on God’s wisdom rather than that of the world, and the need for unity within the church.
In this chapter, Paul addresses a question that had been raised by the Corinthian church: Is it a sin for Christians to partake of food that has been sacrificed to idols? The situation posed a very real problem for the Corinthians. Idol worship was very prevalent in their society. Before becoming Christians, many members of the church had worshiped idols and offered food sacrifices. Also, many of their social gatherings had involved pagan rituals, and much of the meat sold in local markets had been used in pagan sacrifices. From Paul’s response, it appears that there was conflict within the church about whether members should continue to eat of these offerings or abstain. Paul’s letter not only answers the Corinthians’ question, but it also teaches them about the importance of love.
|
AT-A-GLANCE |
|
1. Supremacy of Love (1 Corinthians 8:1-3) |
|
2. Knowledge of the One True God (vv. 4-6) |
|
3. Liberty with Responsibility (vv. 7-9) |
|
4. Restraint for Protecting the Weak (vv. 10-13) |
1. Supremacy of Love (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)
At the beginning of this chapter, Paul addresses a question that had been posed to him by the Corinthian church: "Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge" (v. 1). It appears that the church had been divided over what was required of them in reference to food offered to idols. Paul tells them that there is a proper answer (i.e., "knowledge") to their question. But before answering their question, Paul says that there is something more important than that answer—love: "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (v. 1, NIV). Paul emphasizes that love should be the Corinthian church’s primary concern. There may be a "right" answer to their question, but being factually right isn’t always the morally right thing in a situation.
Although they have been enlightened through their conversion to Christ, Paul says that their enlightenment should be tempered with love. If believers focus solely on the knowledge that they have gained through their conversion, they risk becoming haughty: "Knowledge puffeth up" (v. 1). But while knowledge alone falsely inflates a believer’s ego, love builds a believer up and creates a lasting foundation: "but charity edifieth (v. 1). This love encourages not only the believer who possesses, but it also possesses those around him.
Paul goes on to say that any believer who focuses only on attaining knowledge, actually moves farther away from it (v. 2). It is only by exhibiting love that believers please God: "But if one loves God truly [with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing], he is known by God [recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him]" (v. 3, The Amplified Bible (TAB)). The word "known" in this verse indicates an intimate relationship between the believer and God. According to Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament, the word "denotes a personal relation between the knower and the known, so that the knowledge of an object implies the influence of that object upon the knower.
2. Knowledge of the One True God (vv. 4-6)
After emphasizing the importance of love, Paul focuses on answering the question. He first confirms the "knowledge" that they already possessed: There is only one true God—the God whom they serve. Idols, he says, are fake, powerless gods and are "nothing in the world" (v. 4). There are many idols or "so-called gods" (v. 5, TAB) that people empower and make lord over their lives. But for Christians, there is only one God and one Lord: "Yet for us there is [only] one God, the Father, Who is the Source of all things and for Whom we [have life], and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through and by Whom are all things and through and by Whom we [ourselves exist]" (v. 6, TAB).
3. Liberty with Responsibility (vv. 7-9)
But while mature believers know that idols are powerless, Paul says, some believers have not attained this knowledge. They still view idols as real, just as they did before they became Christians, and still view the food sacrificed to idols as having been sacrificed to an actual god (v. 7). Because of their immaturity or weak conscience, they would believe that they were sinning if they were to eat this food. But, as Paul explains, they would be misguided because the food would be just as powerless as the gods to whom it was offered: "Now food [itself] will not cause our acceptance by God nor commend us to Him. Eating [food offered to idols] gives us no advantage; neither do we come short or become any worse if we do not eat [it]" (v. 8, TAB).
One might expect Paul now to chastise weaker believers for not possessing the full knowledge that idols are powerless. But instead, he offers a warning to mature believers: "Only be careful that this power of choice (this permission and liberty to do as you please) which is yours, does not [somehow] become a hindrance (cause of stumbling) to the weak or overscrupulous [giving them an impulse to sin]" (v. 9, TAB).
Paul warns those who possess knowledge in this area not to let the freedom that they gain through this knowledge cause them to become a hindrance for their brothers and sisters who do not possess this knowledge. He emphasizes that with the knowledge gained through Christ comes responsibility as well as liberty. The believer’s responsibility, then, is to be concerned not only about his or her own spiritual state, but also about the spiritual well-being of other believers. This is where the love that Paul discusses at the beginning of the chapter comes into play. If believers show genuine love to one another—love that edifies and encourages—they will desire to walk in a way that does not cause their brothers or sisters to falter.
4. Restraint for Protecting the Weak (vv. 10-13)
Paul goes on to give the church a concrete example of how their failure to employ their knowledge responsibly could hurt their weaker brothers and sisters. He says that if a weaker believer sees a mature believer eating food that has been sacrificed to an idol, he might be tempted to violate his own beliefs by eating also. In his letter to the Romans, Paul explains that anything done without faith is sin: "But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful]" (Romans 14:23, TAB).
The enlightened believer, then, would have caused the other believer to sin: "And so by your enlightenment (your knowledge of spiritual things), this weak man is ruined (is lost and perishes) the brother for whom Christ (the Messiah) died!" (1 Corinthians 8:11, TAB). Even though the mature believer has the freedom to eat in the temple, he should practice restraint. By causing another believer to go against his conscience, a mature believer would be leading astray someone whom Christ died to save. If Christ died to save someone, shouldn’t Christ’s followers work to protect that person and draw him closer to the Lord?
In verse 12, Paul reveals another reason for a believer to practice restraint. By leading a brother or sister astray, a believer not only sins against that brother or sister, but also sins against Christ. Our first goal as followers of Christ should be to please Him and the Father. In order to do this, we must demonstrate love to one another. Christ commands us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). Doing so requires us to be mindful of our brother and to think of his needs in addition to and quite often before our own.
Paul elaborates on this point later in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 "All things are legitimate [permissible—and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. Let no one then seek his own good and advantage and profit, but [rather] each one of the other [let him seek the welfare of his neighbor]" (TAB). As believers, then, we should not view our actions as occurring in a vacuum, affecting only ourselves. Instead, before we act, we must consider what effect that action might have on those around us.
Paul emphasizes this point in verse 13: "Therefore, if [my eating a] food is a cause of my brother’s falling or of hindering [his spiritual advancement], I will not eat [such] flesh forever, lest I cause my brother to be tripped up and fall and to be offended" (1 Corinthians 8:13, TAB). We must be willing to forego doing some things that may bring us pleasure or satisfaction if those things will cause our brothers or sisters in the faith to stumble. As Paul says later in 1 Corinthians, if one member of the body suffers, then we all suffer (12:26). By placing concern for our brother above concern for ourselves, we truly live out Jesus’ command that we love one another.
Paul sums up the issue later in chapter 10: "So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God" (v. 31, TAB). If we strive to honor God in all that we do, we cannot fail.
Vincent,
Marvin R. "Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament." Precepts For
Living™ CD-ROM. Chicago: Urban Ministries, Inc., 2003.
1. What is the difference between knowledge and love (1 Corinthians 8:1)?
2. What is promised to the person who loves God (v. 3)?
3. Why can Christians be certain that idols are powerless (vv. 4-6)?
4. Christians must be careful that their ______ does not become a _______ for those who are weak (v. 9).
1. Why do you think Paul began answering the Corinthians’ question about eating food offered to idols with a discussion about love?
2. Why do you think Paul addressed his answer to stronger believers and not to weaker ones?
3. How do you think Paul’s message applies to believers today?
In our society, we are often encouraged to think about ourselves first. Many people live by the mantra, "I gotta get mine." But as Paul shows us, as Christians we must be others focused. "Love your neighbor as yourself" is not a suggestion, it is a command. It is a call to concentrate not on ourselves, but rather on those people we are blessed to encounter in our daily lives. This can be difficult, however, in a society in which we are showered with freedoms and encouraged to exercise those freedoms as frequently as possible. But what happens when my rights collide with yours? Paul’s response to the Corinthians pushes us to think not about how we can exercise our own rights, but about how we can protect the rights of others. Only by keeping our focus on others can we truly walk in Jesus’ footsteps.
Pray and ask God to open your eyes to areas in your life that you need to change to have a more responsible walk. Keep a journal this week of occasions where you have to alter your behavior or refrain from doing something in order to provide a better witness for those around you. If you don’t experience such occasions, ask God to show you if there are things that you should be doing that you are not and to open doors for you to be an agent of His love to His people.
—Precepts 2005-2006