1 “Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”
8:1
Now concerning
The words “now concerning” are a key to noting an important transition in 1 Corinthians. Paul now turns to a new subject running from chapter eight to chapter ten – doubtful things (issues that the Bible does not speak explicitly about) and Christian liberty. This is the second question that the Corinthian church raised for Paul to answer.
There are four principles running through chapters eight through ten:
-
- The principle of love – intended for the fellow believer, 8:1,13.
- The principle of liberty – intended for the self, 8:4,9.
- The principle of supreme sacrifice – intended for God, 9:1-15.
- The principle of expediency – intended for the non-Christian, 9:16-23; 10:23.
things offered to idols:
The specific issue that raised the greater question of Christian liberty was whether it was right for a Christian to eat meat offered to an idol. If a non-Christian invited a Christian to a meal in his home and the meal contained meat offered to an idol, was the Christian committing idolatry by eating this meat? Some Corinthian Christians said it was a sin to eat it, and others said it was not a sin.
We know that we all have knowledge.
Paul assumes that knowledge is important, but the knowledge that stands alone is incomplete. Mature Christians knew that meat offered to idols was intrinsically nothing. The point of verses one through six is that some believers did not have adequate knowledge of their liberty in Christ. They operated on taboos rather than grace and preferred legalism to liberty.
Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (4:6,18-19; 5:2). Knowledge without love produces pride because it gives a sense of superiority. It is a deluding bubble; it does not build. The word “edifies” means to erect or build as in constructing a building. The mature believer should be constructive with the weaker believer. The issue was one of attitude. Believers in Corinth who understood and practiced their liberty in Christ violated the consciences of weaker believers struggling with eating meat offered to idols. An attitude of love takes into consideration the vulnerabilities of the fellow believer’s faith. The principle of love supersedes the law of liberty when it comes to a weak Christian.
8:2
And if anyone thinks that he knows anything,
No one gains complete mastery over any doctrine. If anyone believes he does, he is arrogant. We can know what we know truly but, although it may be true, it is still incomplete because we are finite human beings. We see through a mirror dimly (13:12). A mature person recognizes how little he does know. The more we know, the more humble we are because we know that we do not know completely. The less we know, the more proud we are of what we know.
he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.
Christians need to know by experience as well as theory. Doctrine and love must work as a tandem.
8:3
But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
God recognizes those who love Him. We must subject what we know to the principle of love. Love opens intimacy with God. If we are to treat believers with edification, we need to love them as God loves us. We love with the approval of God’s love. All this implies personal relation to God because the love of fellow believers is an outflow of our love for God.
PRINCIPLE:
Doctrine and love must work as a tandem.
APPLICATION:
There are Christians who look down their long noses at other Christians. This makes them feel superior to what they deem as weaker Christians: “You are not as advanced as I am in the Christian faith, so you need to get with it. How naïve can you be?” This is spiritual self-absorption. It is more interested in self-love than other-love. True spirituality cares about building up other people (edification). It is interested in strengthening them, not tearing them down. As someone once said:
Isn’t it odd that a being like God who sees the facade still loves the clod he made out of sod? Now isn’t that odd?
what about Acts 15:29, the Apostle told Paul that people should abstain from things offered to idols i am so confused…
Gigi,
Acts 15 is the first ecumenical church council dealing with the grace principle as over against keeping the law. The issue had to do with those who worked among the Gentiles (Paul and Barnabas) and how they related to the Jews. The issue was settled in favor of the grace principle. The only qualification (15:19-21) was that Gentile believers not offend Jews by three issues: 1) observance at an idol temple, 2) fornication in temples, 3) eating blood of animals (all of these had to do with worship issues). This advice by James did not pertain to salvation but to practical issues relating to fellowship between Jews and Gentiles. This is indicated by the phrase “should not trouble.” The Greek word for “trouble” means to throw something in the path of someone. There was no need to impose the requirements of Jewish proselytes on them such as circumcision or observance of the Mosaic Law. The decision of the council was that the church did not need to keep the law for salvation. The Judaizers were wrong and rebuked in the decision. However, the freedom of grace should not be an obstacle in missions, especially to the Jews so James proposed that Gentiles not flaunt any reference to pagan idolatrous practices. Thus, James did not put Gentile converts under the Mosaic Law by these qualifications; he simply urged them to limit the exercise of their liberty in order to reach the Jews.
Thank you so much Dr.Grant for clearing this issue may GOD bless and keep you & your ministry.
– adopted servant of GOD
Why am I not able to get commentaries on Ezekiel?
Millie, I have not done a commentary on Ezekiel.