Freedom with Caution - Study 8/25/11
Freedom with Caution
I remember growing up and walking to the market square of my village and at a corner dedicated to the market god, you will see some living and strangled chicken; eggs, goats and other animals at the altar of this particular deity. There were those who took care of the gods and they had the privilege of helping themselves to the meats of these animals that had been offered to their god. I can relate to chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians. Should a believer in Christ eat these meats that have been sacrificed to the “so called gods”? What about participating in the “other meats” that are sacrificed to our “modern gods” of Hollywood, Wall Street and Politics etc?
Apostle Paul answers the second question of the Corinthian Church in chapter 8. Remember that in our background review, we noted that there were up to 12 different gods in the city of Corinthian. Everything had a god in Corinth – the earth, fertility, sun, moon and etc. To appease these gods the unbelieving Corinthians sacrificed to these gods. The meats would end up in the local market and at bargain prices. People bought them to eat and some believers in Christ also would buy and eat. Now the Corinthian Church is writing Paul asking, “What about eating meat that has been offered to idols? “ (1 Corinthian 8: 4). Paul says it is no big deal to eat such meat but to think of your brother and sister in Christ when you eat.
We are dealing with the freedom and liberty we have in Christ to do or not to do those things that are not in themselves sinful and not contrary to God’s Word. In all things that we do, God must me glorified; therefore we must exercise our liberty with caution and not become a stumbling block for other believers in Christ.
1 Corinthians 8 (NLT)
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.[a]
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 we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.
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.
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[b] for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers[c] 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.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. To the Corinthian Church, Paul says, we know that what people call gods are really not gods for there is only one God. This is one of the first fundamentals of Christianity. It is the knowledge of God. 6 “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him”(Hebrews 11:6). Paul says it is wonderful to have such knowledge and to live in that knowledge. However, knowledge puffs and brings pride, so we must consider how our exercise of liberty affects those who do not have the same level of knowledge. “But while knowledge makes us feel important” (NLT). “We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies”( NKJV)
2. Love is better than knowledge Paul would write the Corinthians. “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” vs.2-3 so let us exercise love among one another in our actions. Paul gives detailed explanation of what love is and is not in chapter 13. 4 “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-5.
3. The weaker brother or sister is one who is not at the same level of knowledge as we may be right now. It does not mean an inferior or less of Christian brother or sister. In essence, on various topics and on various occasions, each of us may be the weaker brother or sister because we do not know it all. We must take care of the weaker brother or sister in Christ. “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[b] for whom Christ died will be destroyed” vs. 9-11. This is what living in a community of believers is all about. We must watch out for one another and consider each other.
4. How can something that in itself is not sin cause us to sin. “And when you sin against other believers[c] 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”. The sin in this case is being a “stumbling block” and not eating food offered to idols. A stumbling block is something that can be overcome if the person coming is looking carefully. But it is better that the stumbling block is not there in the first place. We all have a responsibility for living right and not use others as excuse for doing wrong.
5. One of the unintended results of this principle of proper exercise of freedom is that the weaker brother or sister may end up being a judge of the “stronger brother or sister? We can get to a point where we label another Christian as sinning in their exercise of their liberty in Christ. It may be something that in the eyes of God it is not a big deal but in our eyes we so magnify it and use it to condemn another believer. An example is being an actor in Hollywood. There is nothing by itself is wrong being an actor or an actress it just depends on the acts. We can’t categorically label everyone in Hollywood as sinful just because they are in the acting business. The same goes for believers in politics. We know that politics is can get “dirty” but that does not make all politicians dirty.
In light of the issues Paul dealt with in chapter seven, this current issue is a piece of cake. Most of us have not much problem applying chapter 8. Even our society encourages it with their politically correct tolerance message though it is not the same as the principle Paul is trying to convey. The key for us is not to be a stumbling block for another believer that will cause him or her to sin.
Lord, I pray that I will not be a stumbling block to my brother or sister in Christ. Grant me wisdom in my exercise of my liberty and freedom in Christ. Lord, help me to practice love which would often involve denying self those things that may be good but not beneficial for other believers in Christ. Lord, help me remove any and every judgmental spirit of other believers in Christ in their rightful exercise of their liberty. Amen.
I remember growing up and walking to the market square of my village and at a corner dedicated to the market god, you will see some living and strangled chicken; eggs, goats and other animals at the altar of this particular deity. There were those who took care of the gods and they had the privilege of helping themselves to the meats of these animals that had been offered to their god. I can relate to chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians. Should a believer in Christ eat these meats that have been sacrificed to the “so called gods”? What about participating in the “other meats” that are sacrificed to our “modern gods” of Hollywood, Wall Street and Politics etc?
Apostle Paul answers the second question of the Corinthian Church in chapter 8. Remember that in our background review, we noted that there were up to 12 different gods in the city of Corinthian. Everything had a god in Corinth – the earth, fertility, sun, moon and etc. To appease these gods the unbelieving Corinthians sacrificed to these gods. The meats would end up in the local market and at bargain prices. People bought them to eat and some believers in Christ also would buy and eat. Now the Corinthian Church is writing Paul asking, “What about eating meat that has been offered to idols? “ (1 Corinthian 8: 4). Paul says it is no big deal to eat such meat but to think of your brother and sister in Christ when you eat.
We are dealing with the freedom and liberty we have in Christ to do or not to do those things that are not in themselves sinful and not contrary to God’s Word. In all things that we do, God must me glorified; therefore we must exercise our liberty with caution and not become a stumbling block for other believers in Christ.
1 Corinthians 8 (NLT)
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.[a]
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 we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.
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.
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[b] for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers[c] 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.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. To the Corinthian Church, Paul says, we know that what people call gods are really not gods for there is only one God. This is one of the first fundamentals of Christianity. It is the knowledge of God. 6 “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him”(Hebrews 11:6). Paul says it is wonderful to have such knowledge and to live in that knowledge. However, knowledge puffs and brings pride, so we must consider how our exercise of liberty affects those who do not have the same level of knowledge. “But while knowledge makes us feel important” (NLT). “We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies”( NKJV)
2. Love is better than knowledge Paul would write the Corinthians. “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” vs.2-3 so let us exercise love among one another in our actions. Paul gives detailed explanation of what love is and is not in chapter 13. 4 “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-5.
3. The weaker brother or sister is one who is not at the same level of knowledge as we may be right now. It does not mean an inferior or less of Christian brother or sister. In essence, on various topics and on various occasions, each of us may be the weaker brother or sister because we do not know it all. We must take care of the weaker brother or sister in Christ. “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[b] for whom Christ died will be destroyed” vs. 9-11. This is what living in a community of believers is all about. We must watch out for one another and consider each other.
4. How can something that in itself is not sin cause us to sin. “And when you sin against other believers[c] 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”. The sin in this case is being a “stumbling block” and not eating food offered to idols. A stumbling block is something that can be overcome if the person coming is looking carefully. But it is better that the stumbling block is not there in the first place. We all have a responsibility for living right and not use others as excuse for doing wrong.
5. One of the unintended results of this principle of proper exercise of freedom is that the weaker brother or sister may end up being a judge of the “stronger brother or sister? We can get to a point where we label another Christian as sinning in their exercise of their liberty in Christ. It may be something that in the eyes of God it is not a big deal but in our eyes we so magnify it and use it to condemn another believer. An example is being an actor in Hollywood. There is nothing by itself is wrong being an actor or an actress it just depends on the acts. We can’t categorically label everyone in Hollywood as sinful just because they are in the acting business. The same goes for believers in politics. We know that politics is can get “dirty” but that does not make all politicians dirty.
In light of the issues Paul dealt with in chapter seven, this current issue is a piece of cake. Most of us have not much problem applying chapter 8. Even our society encourages it with their politically correct tolerance message though it is not the same as the principle Paul is trying to convey. The key for us is not to be a stumbling block for another believer that will cause him or her to sin.
Lord, I pray that I will not be a stumbling block to my brother or sister in Christ. Grant me wisdom in my exercise of my liberty and freedom in Christ. Lord, help me to practice love which would often involve denying self those things that may be good but not beneficial for other believers in Christ. Lord, help me remove any and every judgmental spirit of other believers in Christ in their rightful exercise of their liberty. Amen.
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