The Word Made Fresh
1Now let me address your questions about food that has been sacrificed to idols. Of course, we all possess some knowledge, but knowledge puffs up, while love builds up. 2When someone claims to know something, he doesn’t necessarily know, 3but someone who loves God is known by God.
4So, when it comes to eating food that was offered to idols, we know that idols don’t really exist, because there is but one God. 5Even though there are so-called gods who live in heaven or on earth where there are many gods and lords, 5for us there is but one God – the Father from whom all things are given and for whom we have life – and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom everything, including us, exists.
7Not everybody knows this, though. Some people are so accustomed to idols that even now they think the food they eat is food that has been offered to an idol, and their weak conscience is tainted. 8But food will not bring us close to God, and we are not any worse off if we don’t eat and no better off if we do. 9But be careful not to let your liberty become a stumbling block to the weak, 10because if others who have a weak conscience think of you as someone who knows things and sees you eating in the temple of an idol, don’t you think they will also be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? 11So, because of your knowledge, the weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. 12Therefore you sin against others whose conscience is weak and also sin against Christ. 13So, if food causes someone to fall, I will never eat meat so that I won’t be the reason for their falling.
Commentary
1-3: Another concern of the church in Corinth had to do with eating food sacrificed to idols, a concern that seems odd to us. Remember, though, that Corinth was a gathering place for sailors and merchants all around the Mediterranean world, and many religions were represented there. In the marketplace vendors hawked their wares, including food that had been sacrificed or dedicated to some god or another. The fact that the food had been thus “honored” was thought to enhance its value. But Christians don’t worship these gods, so the Corinthians wanted to know if there was a problem with eating such food.
Paul begins his treatment of this issue with a curious approach. He first establishes the difference between knowledge and love, and we are puzzled over his direction.
4-6: But his train of thought leads steadily onward. First of all, knowledge tells us that there is but one God, although people might believe in many gods. There are also many lords, human rulers of one sort or another. We Christians know that there is one God and one Lord. So, food that has been sacrificed to idols is food that has been sacrificed to nothing. That is what knowledge tells us.
7-13: There is therefore nothing wrong with eating such food. However, not every believer has this knowledge, and for them eating such food is a pain to the conscience. If they see Christians eating meat sacrificed to an idol, they think the Christian is acknowledging the existence of that god. Paul’s advice is that, as an act of love toward their weaker counterparts, Christians should refrain from eating such meat to avoid confusion among those who are still steeped in their old pagan ways and superstitions.
Takeaway
There is no parallel to organized idol worship in modern western culture, but many people do fall into the practice of worshiping things other than God. “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21).