1 Corinthians 8
8
Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols
1 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that “we all have knowledge.”#Considered by many interpreters to be a slogan used by the Corinthians to justify their behavior Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2If anyone thinks he knows anything, he has not yet known as it is necessary to know. 3But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him.
4Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world” and that “there is no God except one.”#Considered by many interpreters to be slogans used by the Corinthians to justify their behavior 5For even if after all there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many gods and many lords,
6yet to us there is one God, the Father,
from whom are all things, and we are for him,
and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom are all things, and we are through him.
7But this knowledge is not in everyone. But some, being accustomed until now to the idol, eat this food as food sacrificed to idols, and their conscience, because it#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as causal is weak, is defiled. 8But food does not bring us close to God. For neither if we eat do we have more, nor if we do not eat do we lack.#Some manuscripts omit “For” and have “Neither if we do not eat do we lack, nor if we do eat do we have more” 9But watch out lest somehow this right of yours becomes a cause for stumbling to the weak. 10For if someone should see you who has knowledge reclining for a meal in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, because it#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as causal is weak, be strengthened so that he eats the food sacrificed to idols? 11For the one who is weak—the brother for whom Christ died—is destroyed by your knowledge. 12Now if you#*Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“sin”) which is understood as conditional sin in this way against the brothers and wound their conscience, which is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat forever#Literally “for the age”, in order that I may not cause my brother to sin.
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1 Corinthians 8
8
1Now about “food sacrificed to idols.”#8:1. Paul continues answering the issues the Corinthians have raised. So “we all have knowledge” about this subject. Knowledge makes us proud, but love strengthens us. 2If anyone thinks they know anything, they don't know as they really should know! 3But whoever loves God is known by God.
4So regarding eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that there are no such things as idols in the world, and that there is only one real God. 5Even though there are some things called “gods,” whether in heaven or on earth—in fact there are many “gods” and “lords.” 6But for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything was made, and he is the goal of our existence; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything was made, and he is the means of our existence.#8:6. This is a complex verse the meaning of which is much debated. It is seen as an early “creed” or declaration, identifying God as Creator and Re-creator, the focus of our lives. It literally says, “But to us one God the Father, from whom the all and we into him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the all and we through him.”
7But not everyone has this “knowledge.”#8:7. Paul takes issue with this knowledge being misapplied, as seen in verse 10 when it could be seen as being proud and arrogant. Some who up to now have been so used to idols as a reality that when they eat food sacrificed to an idol, their conscience (which is weak) tells them they have defiled themselves. 8But food doesn't gain us God's approval! If we don't eat this food, we're not bad, and if we do eat this food, we're not good. 9Just take care not to use this freedom you have to eat food sacrificed to idols to become offensive to those with a weaker attitude. 10If another believer sees you who have such “better knowledge”#8:10. See under 8:7. eating food in an idol temple, won't his weak conscience be convinced to eat food sacrificed to idols?#8:10. In other words, deciding to follow another's example, while still believing it is a sin. 11By your “better knowledge” the weaker believer is destroyed, a believer for whom Christ died. 12In this way you sin against other believers, wounding their weaker consciences, and you sin against Christ. 13So if eating food sacrificed to idols would cause my fellow believer to stumble, I will never eat such meat ever again, so that I don't offend any believer.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com