Be Sensitive to Conscience
Chapter Introduction
Paul writes this chapter concerning a singular
subject, Be Sensitive to Conscience. The question being
addressed is whether or not eating an offering made to other gods’ was a sin.
Paul breaks his thought on this topic into four paragraphs addressing first;
how knowledge enhances ego. And that God knows the heart of man. The second
paragraph states that there is but one God. The third paragraph addresses the
consciousness of idol sacrifice. And finally, the consciousness actions
affecting the weaker consciousness of another.
Chapter outline
God knows who loves
Him ……………….V-1-3
Key Verse: 1Co 8:3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
There is but one God
……………………….V4-6
Key Verse: [1Co 8:4
NKJV] 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.
Actions causing
stumbling blocks …….V7-8
Key Verse: 1Co 8:8
But food does not commend us (bring us closer-CSB) to God; for neither if we
eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.
Knowingly eating
offerings to idols ……V9-13
• [1Co 8:10 NKJV] 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?
1ST Corinthians Chapter
Using observation to
build question for interpretation.
• What did Paul
consider to be Idols?
•
Is it a sin to eat meat bought in the marketplace?
•
Is knowledge unto itself corrupting?
•
Does knowledge increases ego.
•
Is there any significance to the phrase “we know”?
•
How does Love edify?
•
How is edify used and what does it mean?
•
To who was Paul directing his exhortation, all
congregants or church leaders?
• What does Paul mean
in verse 2?
Interpretation
Examining those
questions asked during observation will help us understand the author’s intent.
• • What did Paul consider to be Idols?
• Idols are defined as,
“Physical or material image or form representing a reality or being considered
divine and thus an object of worship.”1
• Use of idols in
worship was very prevalent in Roman and Greek cultures.
• Meat from sacrificed
animals were sold in the market place.
• “The most noted
problem in the New Testament concerns the propriety of eating food which has
previously been offered to an idol (1 Corinthians 8).”fn1
• Is it a sin to eat
meat bought in the marketplace?
• “Concerning things
offered to idols” Idol is translated from the Greek word eidōlothytos
G1494 and is used as an adjective .
• Comparing Scripture
translations we see in the KJV the word touching “Now as touching
things offered”.
• In other occurrences
in Scripture of “as touching” we see its contextual meaning as, concerning.
• Compare KJV with the NKJV.
• John reports in Revelation 2:20, that Jesus
held eating foods sacrificed to idols against the church in Thyatira.
• Although Deuteronomy
nor Leviticus do not forbid eating food offered to idols; we find Daniel
declining to eat from the kings table.
• The king ate foods
not kosher for the Jew.
• Daniel declined to
drink the wine from the kings table, which he knew had been offered to the
false gods of Babylon (Dan 1:8-16 CSB).
Why did Daniel think it wrong to eat from the
kings table?
• Daniel knew
that food on the kings table was first offered as sacrifices to Babylonian
gods.
• To knowing eat
that which was offered as tribute to other gods would be to honor other gods.
• Honoring other gods
would be a sin against Jehovah, who commanded that His people should worship no
other gods but Him (Exo 30:3-6 ).
• Daniel therefore
demonstrated by not eating from the kings table that Jehovah gave him health
and vitality, thereby showing his God to be more than the Babylonian gods (Dan 1:11-21).
• Holman writes:
• 1:8 The word
determined means literally "set upon his heart," referring to inner
resolve. Daniel decided that he would not defile himself with a diet that
included non-Kosher meat such as horseflesh and pork, or drink wine that had
been offered to Babylonian gods.fn2
• Paul writes that
everything permissible for him is not beneficial for him (1Cor 6:12).
• Paul was saying that
just because eating food purchased in the market place was not illegal, at the
same time it would not be beneficial for a weaker believer to see him eating
such food.
• Consuming the food
itself was not the sin it was the knowledge of the source of that food that
made eating it sinful.
•
Is there any significance to the phrase “we know”?
• “We know” from the
Greek word eidō G1492
• This phrase is the
plural, which includes all believers, including Paul.
• “We know” what?
• We know that we all
have knowledge that it is wrong to eat meat offered to idols.
• Why is it wrong?
Refer to Num 25:2 NKJV.
• The sharing in
worship to other gods.
• John revealed in Rev 2:14 what Jesus said
about eating offering to idols.
• We have covered the
phrase puffed-up, and the definition has not changed over the centuries.
• “Puffed up”, in
today’s vernacular we might also say swelled headed, or to be full of one’s
self.
• These are all
descriptive phrases, to describe being proud of one’s accomplishments.
• The final phrase
bearing a closer look is “love edifies”
• I found the definition
given in BLB of edify most enlightening.
• Concerning what they
should know of the partaking of flesh from animals sacrificed to idols.
• Paul is saying you
think you know it all, but that what you should know, you do not know.
• Paul speaks of
knowing in a prideful manner V2.
• Those who think they
know much know little. See also Prov 26:12 NKJV
Application is
sometimes best delayed until the end of the chapter.
There is no hard and
fast rule on when you can make an application.
Often application can
and is made after a verse.
Allow the Holy Spirit
to dictate your application.
How Does Our Interpretation
Stack up?
Paul saw confusion in
the church as to whether eating the meat from an idol sacrifice was a sin or
not.
• Some words and
phrases requiring more research are: idols is nothing, gods in heaven or earth,
for us but one God and so-called gods.
• By reason of explanation,
Paul writing to the church in Corinth, edifies them as to why eating of idol
sacrifices is wrong.
• Paul states that
there is only one God (monotheism) for Christians and Jews the world has many
gods (polytheism).
• The gods of the world
are nothing, whether on earth or in heaven.
But what does this
all mean?
• Paul uses the phrase
“so-called gods”.
• The translator used
the lower case “g and l” in the word gods and lords, whereas when referring to Jehovah, the capital “G and
L” is used.
• In both cases the
Greek word, is theos G2316.
• Paul using the phrase
“so-called” to indicate that no other God but Jehovah, is deity.
• The next phrase V5 “in heaven or earth”
should not be interpreted to mean heaven, the dwelling place of Jehovah.
• Heaven is translated
from the Greek word ouranos (ü-rä-no's), G3772, meaning air.
• “So called gods” The
Greeks were polytheist believing in many gods.
• These gods residing on Mount Olympus.
• Manmade gods most
often seen in wood, stone, gold, and silver, which were sold for profit. (Dan 5:23).
• There is but one true
God, the father (creator) of all things in heaven and on earth.
• All things created
through Jesus, and for Jesus (Col 1:16 NKJV).
How Does Our Interpretation
Stack up?
Paul allows for the
ignorance of some who do not have a strong conscience against idol sacrificed
meats.
• Points observed
needing more research.
•
The writer points to the word conscience by repeating
it in the same verse.
• And in the following
verse, the author uses contrasting statements to highlight the phrase “food
does not commend us to God”.
Although our
observation gives us a good idea of what Paul is saying, we should look deeper
into what he has said.
• It was not because of
ignorance of the Jewish law against eating meat sacrificed to idols; instead,
it was unknowing purchase and consumption of meat sacrificed to idols that were
the problem.
•
We see verse 7 beginning with the word “However”.
•
Knowledge
concerning the consumption of Idol sacrificed meat as being a sin (tainted
meat).
•
The Holy Spirit lives within the believer, and He
becomes the believer's conscience.
•
In a new believer, the Holy Spirit's voice may be weak
or soft and, therefore, not heard or ignored, leaving a lack of knowledge
either through ignorance or ignored.
• Therefore a person
without knowledge, or conscience, is not troubled by their actions.
• The key idea behind these two verses is knowledge or consciousness of thought.
•
Eating of food regardless of its source, does not in
and by itself, commend us to God.
• The danger is in the
knowledge that your actions are wrong and still doing them.
1st Corinthians 8
Verses -9-13
Having explained the
believer’s conscience. Paul now moves onto a warning.
• Words and phrases
observed needing further investigation:
•
V9 This liberty, stumbling
block
•
V10 eating in idols
temples, weak to become emboldened
•
V11 Weak brother perish
•
V12 sin against the
brethren, wounding their conscience
•
V13 if food makes a brother
stumble
• Paul’s warning to
those who have knowledge of sin, eat the idol offered food.
What does our
investigation reveal?
• The word liberty is
translated from the Greek word exousia a Feminine Noun G1849.
•
The liberty Paul is referring to in V9 refers to the power or
better put the influence a strong believer has over a weaker believer.
•
The weaker believer is apt to look upon the stronger
believer as an authority figure.
•
Verse ten if a weaker believer sees a stronger
believer eat in an idol’s temple or perhaps the temple’s courtyard.
•
Whether or not the food was offered to a god is not
important.
•
What is important is the weaker believer would take
the strong believer’s action to be approved.
•
This belief could cause a weak believer to eat
sacrificed meat and become defiled.
•
Therefore by his actions, the stronger believer has
caused his weaker brother to sin.
• Paul states in V13 that it would be better
never to eat meat again than to cause a brother to sin by eating meat.
How Does Our Interpretation
Stack up?
Answering the
original question of “is it a sin to eat the meat offered to a god other than
Jehovah. Those who have a strong conscience of the Holy Spirit have an
obligation to the weaker believer. This obligation is a form of authority that
can be abused. The weaker will naturally look to the stronger believer as an
example to follow. Therefore the appearance of impropriety by a strong believer
could cause a weaker believer to sin. Paul states that if this is a danger, it
would be better not to eat meat.
Application:
• How has this chapter
changed my relationship with:
•
God
•
Myself
•
a thought or word to examine
•
an action to take
•
an example to follow
•
an error to avoid
•
an attitude to change or guard against
•
a priority to change
•
a goal to strive for
•
a personal value or standard to hold up
•
a sin to forsake
•
Others
• Satan
Bibliography
References
Credits
All biblical text are from the Christian Study Bible (CSB), unless otherwise noted.
Main reference source Blue letter Bible
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Idol'. Holman Bible Dictionary
Blum, Edwin A. Holman study Bible. WORDsearch Corp, (2110)
Footnotes:
fn1. Butler, Trent C.
Editor. Entry for 'Idol'. Holman Bible Dictionary.
https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/hbd/i/idol.html.
1991.
Fn2. 1. Edwin A. Blum Holman study Bible. WORDsearch Corp, (2110).
