OUR FATHERˋS VULNERABLE CHILDREN SHOULD BE LOVED AND SHIELDED FROM STUMBLING BY THEIR BROTHERS IN CHRIST

In 1 Corinthians chapter 8, the apostle Paul turns his attention to the questions posed to him about whether believer werre permitted to eat food offered to idols.

Because the church at Corinth was embedded in a pagan culture with pervasive idol worship, much of their contact with city life would include food that was offered up on alters of the idols of the city.

Paul explained that love needed to be the primary driver of moral dicisions rather than the statutory law and as such, when judging whether food offered to idols was permissible to eat, believers needed to understand that in the face of God, idols were nothing and so all functions and ceremonies pertaining to them were of no consequence to those who lived in Christ.

Here is where love becomes efficacious; Even though a brother was free to eat any food including that which was offered to idols, out of love for a fellow believer who was not confident in their faith regarding eating such food, the brother would refrain from eating such food so that the weaker brotherˋs conscience would not be defiled because they ate food with guilt. 

Out of love, a believer must be aware of those around them who may see him eating food offered to idols and be instigated to eat food offered to idols but without the prerequisite knowledge of their freedom in Christ and as a result, eat it and injure their consciences.

Paulˋs counsel on such matters is that all things are permissible in Christ but not all things are profitable and if a precious believer is injured by the liberties of a fellow believer, then it is a great loss and so therefore, believers should be willing to forgo their own liberties if their liberties would cause a weak believer to stumble.

1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

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. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 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? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Amen.

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