1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Called to be Considerate
Theological Proposition/Focus: The call of a Christian is a call to consider others. This type of others focus might involve sacrificing certain liberties and knowledge in order to support a brother or sister in Christ.
Homiletical Proposition/Application: We need to determine that no matter what we will consider others first when making decisions.
Introduction:
Image: The incredible value of a case study
One of the most valuable tools in teaching is the case-study. Several years ago I was tasked with creating a graduate level course in education. In the second semester of the course we dove pretty deep into educational psychology and in particular into theories of how the brain learns. I heavily utilized case studies. In a case study you first present some sort of principle, theory, or other piece of information. Then you look at a specific example, for example, a student trying to learn how to properly think about translations of graphs. Students attempt to apply the theory or principle to the specific case. Finally, after the case has been studied a debrief session allows for all the ideas learned in the case to be brought out and analyzed. In my opinion, one of the best teaching tools available is the case study.
Preview: Today Paul is going to lead us through a case study. First we will see the principle, then he will present the case, and finally we will debrief.
Text:1 Corinthians 8:1-13 - read here before Setting the Stage
Setting the Stage:
Just like our modern world, the city of Corinth had carried dining options for anyone to participate.
If I asked told you I had a wonderful dinner last night where would you think I had eaten my dinner? At home, a friends house, a restaurant?
Meals might be eaten in a temple as part of a social gathering.
Meals might be eaten at home with food purchased at the market.
Meals might be eaten at a friends house with food purchased at the market.
Unlike today, some food available was cheaper because it had been offered to an idol previously.
Here is a big key, idols were unable to eat the food that had been offered to them. Therefore, with an idol there were always left overs. These left overs were available for purchase a discount.
Just to cover our basis, understand that there is debate about the referent of "food sacrificed to idols"
The majority of scholars believe this is food that was offered to an idol and now is sold in the market.
Some very key scholars believe this is food that is eaten in a pagan temple ceremony.
For us, I don't think it matters who is correct. Because I think the text has a lot less to do with the food and a lot more to do with the general principle.
Body
Principle: Love and knowledge often stand in opposition to each other (1-3).
As has occurred before, it seems like again the Cori nthians write to Paul asking him to clarify something regarding food that had been sacrificed to idols.
Perhaps a group of people wishing to eat this food had written to Paul asking him to tell everyone that it was okay. Something like "We know that we all possess knowledge and that idols are nothing so can you please tell these new converts that what we are doing is okay, it really isn't a big deal. If this is the case then Paul's response is not what they had hoped for.
Knowledge is a dangerous thing, it can lead to a focus on self.
We need to understand that knowledge can make us begin to focus on what I know, what I have experienced, what I am able to do. Did you notice that in all of those phrases I had a lot of I trouble? The danger with knowledge is that as you acquire knowledge you can begin to focus on yourself. What often happens is that knowledge becomes a tool in our tool box for elevating ourselves. As Paul would say, for puffing ourselves up.
Knowledge is a dangerous thing, it can lead you to believe you have arrived.
The more I have learned the less I know!
One thing that I have really learned is that the individual in room who thinks they are the smartest rarely is the smartest. I have met a lot of people with average intelligence who perceive themselves as exceptionally intelligent. The reality is that the more you learn, the more you study, the more you come to realize how much you don't know.
Here in verse 2 Paul lays it out "some of you think you are so smart, but if you were half as smart as you think you would realize your were magnitudes less intelligent than you believe (my version).
Here is is even possible that Paul is referring to those who think they have the spiritual gift of knowledge.
In this case what Paul says it simply, you think you are drawing on your gift of knowledge but if you were then you would understand the priority of love.
1 John 4:20-21 shows love is a priority (read it).
"Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister."
Love is considerate and seeks to build others up.
Love is actually a major theme for the remainder of 1 Corinthians and Paul really introduces it here.
Paul's argument is that love is the marker.
Paul will wait until chapter 13 to define love. For now we know that love builds up.
That is, love builds both the community and the individual!
Image: We tend to think of love and hate as opposites and knowledge and ignorance as opposites
On a strictly semantic level love and hate are opposites and ignorance and knowledge are opposites. However, in practice, it turns out that love and knowledge are often opposites. Too often knowledge leads us to puff ourselves up and even think we have arrived. I have met many a person who is so eager to prove that they have arrived that nobody wants to talk with them.
MTR: Evaluate your use of knowledge does it stand in opposition to love?
Case Study: Without careful consideration knowledge can cause significant damage to a brother or sister in Christ (4-8).
Now that we have our principle in hand that love and knowledge stand in opposition to each other we are going to venture into a specific case study. The case study we will be looking at is that of idols and food. The goal here is to better understand the principle by seeing how Paul applies it to a specific situation.
Knowledge: An idol is nothing (4-6).
The first thing we see is the reality of a specific piece of knowledge. Namely, idols are nothing! However, what we will see shortly is that this type of knowledge does not mean we can do whatever we want!
Paul is likely quoting the Corinthians who had excused eating food offered to idols saying "We know an idol is nothing at all in the world." (verse 4)
The Corinthians are correct in this statement, but their application of the statement is the issue we will get to shortly in verse 7.
If we read between the lines we can infer that some in Corinth may have even used their knowledge to suggest that eating food sacrificed to idols was an act of piety since they knew they were false!
An idol may be nothing, but that does not mean it is nothing in the eyes of all.
In verse 5 Paul makes explicit a reality that he will expand on in verse 7. Yes, there is only one God, but words matter, and for many in Corinth there was a Pantheon.
In 1 Cor. 10:20 Paul is going to expand even further and essentially argue that while an idol is nothing, there are often very real demons closely tied to idolatry.
The Corinthians were playing with fire and needed to realize that there knowledge, while correct was missing some significant nuance.
Image: Playing with fire
Have you ever played with fire? I have, a lot, and I have been burned a lot. I do understand how fire works. Fire is the result of a combustion reaction where by a high-temperture exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidant produces an oxidized product generally termed smoke. So, now that we know how fire works we are ready go play with it right? Wrong! that sort of knowledge will leave you with a lot of burns. You need to know far more and really never play with it but use it as a tool. When have some knowledge and go play with fire, you get burned.
Reality: Not everyone fully understands that an idol is nothing (7).
In verse 4 Paul quoted the Corinthians "we know that." The issue, not everyone knew! Factionalism strikes again!
Idolatry was literally built into the culture, breaking from idolatry was not easy and not everyone fully understood!
If someone who did not really understand that an idol was nothing participated in eating food offered to idols they were actually participating in idolatry!
The word συνείδησις that the NIV translates as conscience could also be translated as "self-awareness," the idea of an inward moral compass was just developing in the culture.
The problem is not that the individual is morally weak, but that they lack the self-awareness to understand that their position in the community does not depend on what they eat!
In other words they eat to fit in and in so doing are defiling themselves!
This is nothing short of a case of peer pressure
Knowledge: Food itself does not change your relationship with God (8).
Paul now continues on with some knowledge of his own.
Contrary to those who claimed that eating food proved their spiritual strength by showing they were strong enough to eat food sacrificed to idols, Paul says eating proves nothing!
The Corinthians needed to realize something, their knowledge and subsequent action of eating or not eating proved nothing!
Reality: Your knowledge, applied without consideration for another can cause them to stumble (9).
This is where the rubber meets the road, your actions can cause another believer to stumble!
Paul wanted the Corinthians to realize that their knowledge of which they were so proud was actually harmful.
The word ἐξουσία (rights) does not really translate directly into English as a single word (as the NIV does) but better as an entire phrase.
"That the exercise of your legal right (given your membership in a particular group of people)"[1]
These individuals by virtue of being in the "knowledge faction" thought they had the right to something Paul disdainfully tells them the damage they are doing.
MTR: Take this case study and look at other aspects of life through this lens.
Debrief: Knowledge must take a backseat to love (10-13).
In general, we follow the lead of those who we look up to (10).
The phrase "with great power comes great responsibility" popularized by the story of Spider Man is relevant here.
If you have knowledge, you know you have a responsibility to care for end encourage others!
The principle is really simple, others are watching and may imitate what you do, whether or not it would be sin for them.
Moreover, the implication of verse 12 is that you personally bear responsibility for what they imitate.
Most parents feel an obligation to set a good example for their children.
But that obligation is so much greater, we each really have an obligation to set a good example for all those who might look up to us!
The situation in Corinth is bad
People are κατακείμενον (reclining to eat), they are not just eating (NIV), they are enjoying their supposed freedom, this is not necessity, this is pleasure.
The individual with weak self-awareness is not built up, instead they cave to fit in and
They don't just eat in the temple, they are taught to participate in idolatry.
To lead a brother or sister into sin is to directly sin against Christ yourself (11-12).
Paul does not mince words in verse 11! The individual is destroyed! The Greek word here is ἀπόλλυται and is often translated as perishing
Christ died to bring life and victory over sin, when we lead a brother into sin we literally treat the crucifixion as trivial!
What may be acceptable for one individual is sin for another (13a).
Don't misunderstand, there are things that are plain and simple wrong.
The Bible speaks about murder, it is wrong.
the Bible speaks about adultery, it is wrong.
the Bible speaks about gossip, it is wrong.
However, there are some things that might be okay for you but sin for another.
You may be able to watch a PG-13 movie hear foul language and it have no impact on you, someone else may not!
You may be able to use social media on your phone without it being an addiction, others may not!
Love may require a hyperbolic response (13b).
Paul here takes a strong position, a hyperbolic position, but he is proving a point!
Image: My mom, going to the movies.
MTR: Ask yourself, is there something that I am holding on to that may be causing another to stumble?
- ↑ Gardner, Paul D. 1 Corinthians. Zondervan Academic, 2018. 378-379
