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1 Corinthians Chapter Eight

                             

I. Content of the Chapter

 

Whether Christians Can Eat Things Offered to Idols

A.  We shall walk in love, not by knowledge (v.1-3):

1.  Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies (v.1).

2.  Knowledge has its limitation (v.2).

3.  If anyone loves God, this one is known by Him (v.3).

B.  If we walk by knowledge, we can eat the things offered to idols (v.4-6, 8):

1.  The eating of things offered to idols is nothing in the world (v.4a).

2.  All things are of God and through Christ (v.4b-6).

3.  Food does not commend us to God (v.8).

C.  If we walk in love, we cannot eat the things offered to idols (v.7, 9-13):

1.  It is difficult for those whose conscience is weak to eat things offered to idols (v.7).

2.  Our liberty of eating should not become a stumbling block to those who are weak (v.9-10).

3.  If one wound the weak conscience of the brethren, he has sinned against Christ (v.11-12).

4.  If food makes my brother stumble, one shall never again eat meat (v.13).

 

II. Verse by Verse Commentary

 

1Cor. 8:1 “Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. ”

   YLT: “And concerning the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that we all have knowledge: knowledge puffeth up, but love buildeth up;”

Meaning of Words: “know”: see, perceive; “knowledge”: learning; “puff up”: make proud, inflate; “love”: the divine love, the perfect love; “edify”: build up;

The Background: there were many temples in the city of Corinth, in which the worship of idols prevailed. The meat and food sold in the market might often have been offered to idols, especially in festivals. It was difficult for Christians in such an environment to avoid eating things offered to idols. Some Christians hold that eating things offered to idols equaled to worshipping idols and destroyed the testimony of Christians. And there were also yet some other Christians who thought eating things offered to idols was nothing.

Literal Meaning: “we know that we all have knowledge”. ---- “Know” refers to the subjective feeling in us; “knowledge” refers to the external objective knowledge. Here it especially refers to the knowledge of eating things offered to idols. Since believers in the church at Corinth had been enriched in all knowledge (see 1Cor. 1:5), Paul said they had such knowledge.

“Knowledge puffs up”, “knowledge” is good (Pro. 2:10) that can fill man with various precious and pleasant riches (Pro. 24:4). However, knowledge has a dangerous side-effect ---- man may boast of it. “Puff up”, it means that one always considers himself right and thus despises others and condemns others and even offends others (see v.9, 13) and destroys others (v.11).

“But love edifies”, love can not only edify individual believer, but also build up the body of Christ, namely, the church (see Eph. 4:16).

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    Believers have, more or less, some spiritual knowledge. The problem is not how much knowledge we have possessed, but how much we have applied.

2)    The worldly knowledge makes men puff up, and biblical knowledge makes men puff up, and spiritual knowledge makes men puff up, and even gifts given by the Spirit ---- knowledge, also makes men puff up.

3)    Knowledge can neither deal with the problem of oneself ---- pride, nor the problems of others ---- be stumbled, difficulties (v.11-13). Only love can satisfy both of them. If Christians do not keep the balance between their knowledge and love, his knowledge has become valueless. Knowledge that is lack of love may tend to destroy, not edify.

4)    “Puff up” is opposite to the word “edify”. Puff up: inflate and burst finally. Edify: it builds up men. Both of their results are opposite. The former brings about corruption, and the result of the latter abides forever.

5)    Christians’ actions are not only according to their knowledge, but also the love they should have. The actions out of knowledge may not be understood by others, but actions out of love are bound to touch the hearts of others.

6)    When Paul mentions things offered to idols, he does not say we should eat or not, but especially mentions knowledge and love. Knowledge is from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, behind which there is the work of Satan (see Gen. 2:17; 3:4-5). Love is of God, for God is love (1John 4:8).

7)    What Paul pays attention to is not whether it is lawful, but whether it is helpful to others and whether it edifies others or not. Believers should judge every problem according to the perspective whether it is lawful, not whether it edifies or not.

8)    He who has love has a firm principle in his walking: he does all that edifies others, and refuses to do anything that cannot edify others.

9)    Even though we have much mysterious knowledge, we are nothing if we have no love. Even though we have the gift of removing mountains, we still have no value if we have no love. Knowledge and gifts will be done away one day. Only love abides forever (see 1Cor. 13:2, 8).

10) It is always love instead of knowledge that makes Christians really spiritual or carnal. The difficulty we often meet in the church is the lack of love.

11) It is the love of God which pours into us that makes us love and edifies others as Christ who does not please himself, but pleases others (see Rom. 15:1-3).

 

1Cor. 8:2 “And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.”

   YLT: “and if any one doth think to know anything, he hath not yet known anything according as it behoveth to know;”

Literal Meaning: “and if anyone thinks that he knows anything”, “anyone” refers to the one who thinks he is saturated with profound knowledge and boasts of it.

“He knows nothing yet as he ought to know”, it means that the knowledge of man is extremely limited. If it is compared with the knowledge of God, one can only confess that he knows nothing (see Rom. 11:33-35).

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    The deeper and the wider one searches in knowledge, the more will he feel that the knowledge that he has obtained is verily shallow and limited. Only the one who has a smattering of knowledge may think no one knows more than him.

2)    The final element of everything lies in God. And the small man can not fully understand the great God.

3)    The more we have true knowledge, the more will we find that we know little. Once man has got a little false knowledge, he thinks he knows all.

4)    If one thinks he has perfect knowledge, he has lost the first element of knowledge, or he has not realized what he does not know ----- he still needs to be instructed by others.

 

1Cor. 8:3 “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”

   YLT: “and if any one doth love God, this one hath been known by Him.”

Literal Meaning: “but if anyone loves God”, “love God”, in the original, it does not refer to friendly or imperfect love, but the divine and noble and perfect love. We love God, for God first loved us (1John 4:19) and He has poured out His love into us (Rom. 5:5).

“This one is known by Him”, God knows both the one who loves Him and the one who does not love Him. “Know” here includes the meaning of approval and pleasure. There are also Bible exegetes who think that it can also be translated as “the same is known of Him”. He who loves God can have real knowledge, which is not only from reasonable understanding but also through the love of God and from the practical experience of Him.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    Even though we cannot fully know God, we can love Him. What most pleases God is that man loves Him. Therefore, the simplest way of pleasing God is to love Him only. Love is more important than spiritual knowledge.

2)    Where there is no love, there is no real knowledge. Only the one who loves God can have true knowledge of God.

3)    What Christians should know is the knowledge of love. Knowledge without love is not real knowledge and even is harmful to man.

4)    All that we have devoted to God in service, works and dealing with things and men in the church or our private life for the sake of the love of God are known by God. Even the tears for Him are also put into His bottle by Him (see Ps. 56:8).

 

1Cor. 8:4 “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.”

   YLT: “Concerning the eating then of the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that an idol nothing in the world, and that there is no other God except one;”

Literal Meaning: “we know that an idol is nothing in the world”, the idol itself is of no power and is false (see Ps. 115:4-7; 135:15-17; Is. 44:12-20), but the devil hides behind the idol (see 1Cor. 10:20).

“And that there is no other God but one”, “know” is the subjective consciousness in us. The faith of Christians is based on the foundation of “the faith in the only true God”.

 

1Cor. 8:5 “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),”

   YLT: “for even if there are those called gods, whether in heaven, whether upon earth -- as there are gods many and lords many --”

Literal Meaning: “for even if there are so-called gods”, the gods here relate to the false gods in Greek and Roman myth.

“Whether in heaven or on earth”, “in heaven”: it refers to the various heavenly gods that men blindly worshipped at that time; “on earth”, it refers to the heavenly gods that came down to the earth or the kings in the ancient times who proclaimed themselves gods.

“(As there are many gods and many lords)”, “many gods” it does not mean there are really many gods, but that in Gentile world who worshipped the idols men had make many gods. Paul here declared a fact ---- men worshipped many gods that did not exist at all.

“Many lords”, men called the kings that governed the Gentiles lords, e.g. Festus called the king Agrippa Lord (see Acts 25:26), which means god.

 

1Cor. 8:6 “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.”

   YLT: “yet to us one God, the Father, of whom the all things, and we to Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom the all things, and we through Him;”

Literal Meaning: “yet for us there is one God, the Father”, “yet” is a strong comparison. “Us” refers to Christians. “One God” is the only true God whom Christians believe (1Tim. 2:5; Is. 44:6). “The Father”, it shows that the true God is the Father of Jesus Christ as well as the Father of believers (see Eph. 1:2-3). The word of “Father” also indicates that He is the source of all life.

  The “one God” is opposite to “many gods” in the previous verse, and so is “one Lord” to “many lords”.

“Of whom are all things, and we for Him”, “of whom” means that God the Father is the source of all things (Acts 4:24). “We” refers to Christians. “For Him” shows that the salvation of Christ will gain many believers for God (see Acts 26:20).

“And one Lord Jesus Christ”, “Lord” refers to the master, the Creator who possesses all. “Jesus Christ”, God has made Him both Lord and Christ (see Acts 2:36).

“Through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” ---- Christ is the heir of all. And all things were created by Him (see Heb. 1:2; John 1:3; Col. 1:16). “We” refers to “Christians”, who are the new creation through Christ (see 2Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:17).

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    We believers shall confess only God is the Lord of all. Any godly appearance and religious form cannot make us more hallowed.

2)    What Christians believe is the only God and the only Lord. We can neither worship any idol made by men, nor let anyone or anything become the invisible idol in us unconsciously, e.g. spiritual giants, status, learning, money and etc.

 

1Cor. 8:7 “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.”

   YLT: “but not in all men the knowledge, and certain with conscience of the idol, till now, as a thing sacrificed to an idol do eat , and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.”

Meaning of Words: “defile”: be profane;

Literal Meaning: “however, there is not in everyone that knowledge”, “everyone” here especially refers to believer, for Paul calls them brethren (see v.12-13). “Knowledge” in the original refers to the objective knowledge. “That knowledge” is to know there is only one true God and idols are false and do not exist in fact.

“For some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol”, they who have the consciousness of idol lack right knowledge of idols. Though they have believed Christ, they are still afraid of idols so that they believe eating the things offered to idols equals to worshipping idols.

“And their conscience, being weak, is defiled”, “be defiled”, they have no peace in conscience and dare not to have normal fellowship with God.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    If we only imitate the examples of others but still have doubt inside, our conscience will be defiled, for all whatever not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23).

2)    The weakness of believers’ conscience is often due to the lack of spiritual knowledge. Therefore, our conscience has close relationship with our spiritual knowledge. Therefore, we shall not only seek love but also let our love abound yet more and more in full knowledge and all intelligence that we may judge of and approve the things that are more excellent, in order that we may be pure and without offence (Phil. 1:9).

 

1Cor. 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 we the worse.”

   YLT: “But victuals do not commend us to God, for neither if we may eat are we in advance; nor if we may not eat, are we behind;”

Meaning of Words: “commend”: present, show; “worse”: fall short, be destitute; “better”: make abound, exceed, enough and to spare;

Literal Meaning: “but food does not commend us to God”, it means that what comments us to God is not food. What man eats can prove nothing to God, nor make our spiritual life better.

“For neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.” ---- Here, the “better” and “worse” are in spiritual sphere, not in physical sphere. The whole verse indicates that one will not become worse on account of food, nor be abundant in spirit because of food.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    For every creature of God good, and nothing to be rejected, being received with thanksgiving (1Tim. 4:4). The food that we eat does not influence our relationship with God at all. We are perfected in Christ, not in what we eat or not eat.

2)    The food itself cannot affect our relationship with God. Therefore, what we should consider when we decide whether we eat a certain kind of food or not is not our relationship with God, but that with other believers.

3)    Food is a neutral thing, no matter morally or spiritually. Food itself has no difference between good and evil. Only if man gives the food special meaning, it will be thus linked with moral color and spiritual meaning. Therefore, when we touch a certain kind of food, we shall pay attention to the views of men upon the food beyond the food itself.

4)    Food cannot make man more excellent, nor judge the spiritual condition of man, for the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in spirit (Rom. 14:17).

 

1Cor. 8:9 “But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.”

   YLT: “but see, lest this privilege of yours may become a stumbling-block to the infirm,”

Meaning of Words: “liberty”: right, power;

Literal Meaning: “but beware”, it means one shall take heed to the influence of his attitude to others.

“Lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak”, “liberty” refers to the knowledge that idol is nothing (see v.4), so man cares nothing for eating things offered to idols and feels he has liberty of eating. “Those who are weak” refer to Christians who are weak in conscience and regard things offered to idols are uneatable. “A stumbling block” relates to the reason for their being stumbled.

Paul tells us that when we do anything by the liberty of Christians, we should not care for our own feeling and view upon it only, but also take heed of not stumbling weak brothers so as to prevent them from disobeying their conscience and even sinning (see v.10-12).

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    If the strong one eats, he losses nothing. If the weak one eats, his conscience is defiled (see v.7). Therefore, he who is strong should beware and not abuse his liberty of eating lest he should offend others.

2)    Concerning the liberty of Christians, we should not pay attention to our own profit only, and otherwise the liberty will become a stumbling block or trouble to others. 

3)    We have liberty to do anything. However, for the sake of caring for brethren, we shall abstain from all things that are bound to cause doubt to the faith and conscience of brethren.

4)    We have been called to liberty. Brethren, only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal. 5:13).

5)    If we do not love God or men, though we have knowledge, the knowledge has no profit. If we do not love God or men, though we have liberty, we are like the salves of the devil.

6)    If our knowledge and liberty are increased, but our love has not, we are in great danger. Knowledge and liberty are like water, and spiritual love is dike. If the dike is high, we will not be afraid of the rising    water rises. Water has great function and serious harm, so do the knowledge and liberty of Christians.

 

1Cor. 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? ”

   YLT: “for if any one may see thee that hast knowledge in an idol's temple reclining at meat -- shall not his conscience -- he being infirm -- be emboldened to eat the things sacrificed to idols,”

Meaning of Words: “be emboldened”: be built, be edified;

The Background: there were many houses in the temples of the old city Corinth for the heathens to give dinners for their guests. All those who were invited had to attend the dinner in the temple.

Literal Meaning: “for if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple”, “you who have knowledge”, it refers to Christians who think idol is nothing and thus care nothing for eating things offered to idols. When they are invited by the heathens, they may answer them with readiness. 

“Will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?” ---- “Him” is the one who sees other Christians eating in the temple of idols. “Weakness”, it means that the feeling in their conscience is that Christians should not eat things offered to idols. “Be emboldened”, be built and be edified.

The whole verse means that believers who are weak in conscience are emboldened to imitate those who have knowledge to eat things offered to idols after seeing their actions.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    Those who have knowledge may often care for themselves only, but fail to care about others. They only seek to satisfy the desire of their own belly, but have not thought of the feelings of others.

2)    There are two sorts of men here ---- one is those who have knowledge and the other is those who are weak in conscience. The former regards the latter as those who rigidly adhere to formalities or those who are zealous of religion. The latter takes the former as Christians who love the world. However, both of them think they are more spiritual than the other side. This is an abnormal situation often appeared in the church.

 

1Cor. 8:11 “And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?”

   YLT: “and the brother who is infirm shall perish by thy knowledge, because of whom Christ died?”

Literal Meaning: “the weak brother … for whom Christ died”, it shows the great responsibility of those who have knowledge. The weak brother is the one whom Jesus Christ loves through the death of the cross.

“And because of your knowledge shall … perish”, “perish”: destroy; it does not refer to eternal perdition, but the destruction of the life and the testimony of Christians.

The whole verse means that one’s bad example by knowledge makes the weak brother disobey his conscience and be emboldened to eat things offered to idols (see v.10). And such actions in his feeling equal to worshipping idols, so his conscience is defiled (see v.7) so that his Christian life and testimony have been destroyed. And Christ died for such a brother whom you have hurt. How can you meet Christ calmly?

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    Believers who think you have knowledge should pay attention to that ---- Christ died for your brother, and you are even unwilling to forsake a piece of meat for him! Christ has given His life for him, and you are unwilling to give up your liberty of Christians!

2)    Christ died for not only strong believers but also weak brothers; for not only those who have spiritual knowledge but also for those who have no spiritual knowledge. Therefore, we children of God should beware lest we should sin against our brothers unconsciously (see v.12).

 

1Cor. 8:12 “But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.”

   YLT: “and thus sinning in regard to the brethren, and smiting their weak conscience -- in regard to Christ ye sin;”

Meaning of Words: “sin against”: offend; “wound”: beat, smite, strike;

Literal Meaning: “but when you thus sin against the brethren”, “thus”, it refers to the situation in verse 11 that brother perishes because of your actions.

“And wound their weak conscience”, if one thinks in his conscience that things offered to idols cannot be eaten but he still eats them (see v.10), it will make his conscience dull and has smitten and destroyed his conscience. And he will do more things he should not do and even his faith will be destroyed.

“You sin against Christ”, it means that anything that hurts other members has directly hurt the Head ---- Christ. Sinning against brothers is sinning against Christ.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    Though believers have not sinned, if our actions have made others stumble, we have sinned in the eyes of the Lord.

2)    The basic principle of Christians’ conduct is that ---- we do not walk according to our views upon a certain matter, but we should see whether it will sin against brothers and against Christ or not.

 

1Cor. 8:13 “Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

   YLT: “wherefore, if victuals cause my brother to stumble, I may eat no flesh -- to the age -- that my brother I may not cause to stumble.”

Meaning of Words: “make…stumble”: entrap;

Literal Meaning: “therefore, if food makes my brother stumble”, “make stumble”, cast someone into a trap or cause someone sin.

“I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble”, “meat” refers to the meat that has offered to idols.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1)    The principle of believers’ walking ---- we will never make our brother stumble for the sake of us.

2)    One who has love does not eat things offered to idols. It is not because his conscience is weak but that he loves his brothers and is unwilling to cause his brothers stumble because of his eating.

 

III. Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons

 

The Comparisons Between Knowledge and Love

A.   Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies (v.1).

B.   Knowledge is limited, but love is limitless (v.3).

C.   Knowledge cannot please God, but God knows who loves Him (v.4).

D.   Knowledge may sin against brothers, but love can edify brothers (v.11).

 

Three Aspects of Danger of Weak Brothers

A.   Their conscience may be defiled (v.7).

B.   They may be stumbled and thus sin (v.9).

C.   They may perish (v.11).

 

The Relation of Food With the Spiritual Life of Believers

A.   Food does not commend us to God (v.8a).

B.   Neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse (v.8b).

C.   What we eat may sometimes become a stumbling stone to those who are weak (v.9).

D.   He sins against brothers because of food has sinned against Christ (v.12).

 

Two Sins That Cause Brothers Stumble

A.   Sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience (v.12);

B.   Sin against Christ, for Christ died for the brother whom you have sinned against (v.11-12);

 

── Caleb HuangChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series

   Translated by Mary Zhou