1 Corinthians 8:1-13 - Conscience in Light of Liberty

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Be Sensitive to Conscience

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.

The scriptures show us that idols are lifeless objects of false worship but that our understanding of this should not make us proud in that knowledge.  Other believers need to be gently shown from scripture why they should have no part in putting anything before worship of God and we who have this knowledge need to be humble in our approach.  We also were once lost in sin and had to shake off such things after coming to know Him.  It is up to us to demonstrate love and compassion and not severity of condemnation in exposing the false gods of the world to those needing Christ and those still growing early in their understanding of the Bible and the reasons behind worship based on whom God is and who we are called to be in conformity to Christ to be well pleasing to God.  We whose eyes have been opened know that these idol gods are lifeless nonentities and there is only one true God who has been revealed in Jesus Christ and in no other man or manifestation of anything in God’s creation.  There is one God and Father of all things and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom everything was created (John 1:1-3, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:16) and who alone gives us the breath of life and eternal life in Himself.  Those who have not read and understood the scriptures yet may still willingly worship (2 Kings 5:18) false gods in idolatrous ignorance and dirty their weak consciences in the act.  They need to have (Hebrews 5:13-14) their understanding taught by God to discern between good and evil as the Lord exercises their minds through the scriptures and hearts by conviction of their sin and His sovereign holiness.  They need to understand that it is not eating or refusing what is offered to false gods that is at stake but the affection of the heart to God in true liberty after being set free from sin that truly matters.  We who know these truths are not to cause others to stumble in their faith as we eat all foods offered us (1 Corinthians 10:28-30) in thanksgiving to God and influence the weak to believe we agree with the idolaters who worship dead things as gods.  We sin against Christ when we use our knowledge of liberty to mislead the weak in faith and lead them to false conclusions and harm their consciences in the process.  The bottom line of freedom is in the last verse here, “Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”  May we walk circumspectly in all we do to build the faith and und of young be and not mislead them into such sin of idolatry.  We need to carefully consider our actions and live to educate and edify them in loving use of what we know and do as we live our conscience in light of our liberty in the Lord.