1 Corinthians: Chapter 8 (verses 1–13)

In this chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians, we learn that a controversy had arisen among the Corinthian believers. The issue was whether Christians should eat meat that had been offered to idols.

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1).

In the Greek culture of Paul’s time, families would often offer sacrificial animals in pagan temples. For many of these sacrifices, only part of the meat would be burned and the priests and the family offering the sacrifice would take the rest. This consecrated meat would either be taken home or sold to the public in the marketplace.

Pagan temples also often functioned as butcher shops and banquet and dining halls. Meals for trade organizations, clubs, and private dinner parties were regularly held in a temple dining room. In this section of 1 Corinthians, Paul provides guidance about the use of such food. The Jerusalem council forbade Christians to eat these foods: abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols (Acts 15:29). However, in the Corinthian church, there was some controversy over whether believers could eat this consecrated meat. Here Paul primarily deals with meals eaten in pagan temples which had been sacrificed to idols.

In saying “all of us possess knowledge,” he was acknowledging that they knew idols were nothing and that there is only one God. Paul went on to warn those who were knowledgeable that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. He made the point that love is superior to knowledge, because knowledge often leads to sin if not handled carefully.

Paul countered the tendency of pride through knowledge by pointing to the true nature of one who thinks that he knows something. He warned that those who think they fully know a subject might become proud.

If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know (1 Corinthians 8:2).

Paul wasn’t speaking against people who have knowledge. Rather, he warned that those who believe they have mastered a subject might become prideful. He said that such people do not yet know as they ought to know. They don’t realize that all human knowledge is fragmentary and is hardly the kind of knowledge from which they should take arrogance and pride.

But if anyone loves God, he is known by God (1 Corinthians 8:3).

Paul desired that the Corinthians would focus on love rather than on knowledge. He reminded them that the one who loves God is known by God. The expression “known by God” is found elsewhere in Paul’s writings as a description of redemption (Galatians 4:9). He meant that unlike people who pridefully focus their religious lives around their acquisition of knowledge, those who focus on love show that they have been redeemed.

Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4).

Paul then returned his focus to his main topic: eating food sacrificed to idols. He said that they knew that the idols were nothing at all, and that there is no other God than the one true God. In stating this, he resolved the issue of meat dedicated to idols. There was no problem with eating this meat, since it had been offered to something that did not exist.

Of course, Paul believed in an evil spiritual reality within pagan idolatry, and that idolators worshiped demons, as Scripture said. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded (Deuteronomy 32:16–17). Later in this epistle he wrote that “the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons” (1 Corinthians 10:18–22 NIV).

In comparison with God, demons are nothing and shouldn’t be feared. Believers shouldn’t be superstitious about those things which are associated with idolatry, such as food offered to idols. As the apostle John wrote, he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Therefore, Paul felt free to permit the Corinthians to eat meat sacrificed to idols.

For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist (1 Corinthians 8:5–6).

Paul’s opponents could have easily argued that in a sense, other gods exist. Paul even said that there are many “gods” and many “lords” which people throughout the world worship. However, for Christians, there is but one God. This one God is the Father, who is the source of all things. There is also one Lord, Jesus Christ.

To emphasize the oneness of the true God, Paul attributes similar qualities to both the Father and the Son. All things have their origin in them, and we live in and through them. The God of Christianity overshadows all others who may be called “gods” or lords.

However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled (1 Corinthians 8:7).

Apparently, some believers in Corinth had a difficult time thinking in a new way about food offered to idols. When they ate, they still believed that the food had been devoted to a power or a god. As such, they may have expected to benefit from the sacrifice. When they ate, their conscience was defiled, as they violated their sense of loyalty to Christ and were not fully placing their trust in Christ alone.

Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do (1 Corinthians 8:8).

Paul’s view is that food is just food. Eating one thing and not another doesn’t matter to God. There is no sin tied to any specific food or drink. However, this does not mean that there are no boundaries for believers. Paul will go on to clarify that one’s motive for eating and whether we eat with a clear conscience before God matters. Elsewhere Paul states that any action taken without faith is, due to violation of conscience, a sin.

Whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

Take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak (1 Corinthians 8:9).

Paul agrees that food isn’t good or evil—it’s just food. He also agreed that idols themselves are not actually gods. Paul goes on to show that God cares about why we eat and whether we do so with a clear conscience. Eating food when one is convinced that it is sinful to do so is wrong. When people engage in an action without the conviction that it is permissible by God, they sin, even if the action itself would not be considered wrong. This is an important aspect of Christian belief.

For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died (1 Corinthians 8:10–11).

Paul presented a theoretical situation to illustrate his concern. If a Christian who understands that there is nothing inherently wrong with eating food sacrificed to idols eats in a pagan temple and one with a weak conscience sees him eat there, then the misinformed one will be emboldened to eat such food. He will think that the knowledgeable one believes that eating the idol’s sacrifice carries a real benefit in placating false gods, and that idolatry is compatible with Christianity. The brother with a weak conscience could then be emboldened to engage in idolatry himself. So while it would be permissible to eat meat offered to idols, it would be best not to do so if it was going to stumble a weaker believer.

Paul didn’t explain in what sense this destruction would take place. He may have been thinking of something as simple as discouragement and confusion, or something worse, such as death. The word translated as is destroyed generally refers to death or complete destruction. However, it’s probably best to temper this verse with Paul’s other statements where he spoke of a defiled conscience (8:7), a wounded conscience (8:12), and falling into sin (8:13).

Paul reminded the knowledgeable ones that Christ also died for those brothers and sisters of weak conscience. Therefore, knowledgeable believers should not be indifferent to weak ones. Such Christians are so precious to Christ that He laid down His life for them. Therefore, they should be precious to other believers as well.

Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ (1 Corinthians 8:12).

To strengthen his point, Paul intensified the connection between these actions and Christ. He did more than die for these people. He united them to Himself in such a way that Paul could say, When you sin against your brothers in this way … you sin against Christ. Sinning against those who are in Christ, who are part of His body, is sinning against Christ Himself.

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble (1 Corinthians 8:13).

Since sinning against your brother or hurting their conscience is sinning against Christ, Paul made a firm conclusion: out of love for fellow Christians and for Christ Himself, he would never eat meat again if eating meat caused his brother to fall into sin. In Corinth at that time, most meat from a butcher would have been dedicated to some idol. So, Paul may not have been exaggerating when he said I will never eat meat. But the context here refers specifically to eating in pagan temples.

In a later chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote that when believers are invited to eat with unbelievers, they should eat whatever is set before them, including meat, without raising any question on the ground of conscience (1 Corinthians 10:27).

---

Note
Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.