Food For Idols
FOOD FOR IDOLS
1 CORINTHIANS 8
We might need to give up some things that are all right for us to avoid hurting other Christians who don’t share our attitude.
The introductory phrase poses another query on which the church sought Paul’s mind. He opens his reply by quoting a statement from the Corinthians’ letter. The Christians were evidently asking which spiritual gift ranked highest. They preferred “knowledge”; Paul retorts that it is “love” which takes precedence, and later chapters will amplify 8:1-3.
The real issue before the Christians at Corinth, with their confidence in knowledge, had to do with food offered to idols.
The church was obviously in two minds over whether it was proper to eat food which had been formerly used in temple worship, only a portion of which was actually consumed in sacrifice, and which later was offered for sale in the butchers’ shops. Was the Christian at liberty to use this meat, because, after all, idols were non-existent and couldn’t contaminate the food? Or, should Christians refrain because idolatry cast a spell over food, so making it “unclean” and unfit for consumption by believers?
The apostle’s answer is detailed and spread over two chapters (8 and 10). He begins by agreeing with the maxim that first there is only one God, so secondly no idol has any real existence (8:4-6). But this, to Paul, is not the whole story. Other factors enter in and modify this initial judgment: in these verses the considerations to be borne in mind are (1) we should respect the conscience of “weaker brothers and sisters” for whom idolatry was a real problem and who did not share the enlightenment of those who possessed knowledge (8:1); (2) liberty must be balanced by our concern for others (8:9), for it was a serious offense to cause any fellow Christian to stumble; in fact, it was like striking a blow at Christ himself (8:12); and (3) the whole business of eating idol foods, or refraining, is a matter of personal indifference to Paul (8:8), and he is interested only in securing the well-being of other Christians who may be impeded in their spiritual growth (8:13). People are more important than food. So we might need to give up some things that are all right for us, to avoid hurting other Christians who don’t share our attitude.
Notes 8:5 reflects the polytheism of the ancient religious world. 8:12: Christ is affected by an offense against his people (Acts 9:4f.).