Book of 1 Corinthians - Ch. 8, Vs. 1-13 (01/07/2001)

1 Corinthians 8: Knowledge, Love, and the Problem of Idols

1 Corinthians 8 .1. Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we have all knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. The more a gracious man knows, the more humble he is, because his knowledge shows him his own wickedness.

But the more a carnal man knows, the more proud he is, because he knows not himself. His knowledge is not only a temptation to pride, but the very matter of his pride. We're in 1 Corinthians 8. Paul is going to discuss a little bit of things offered unto idols.

We don't have idols as they did, but we have idols. And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. Man's wisdom is but conceit, who is only wise in his own eyes.

But if a man love God, the same is known of him. The apostle does not say what, if a man knows God. If any man love God, the same is known, that is allowed, accepted, and approved of him. Now, true love to our neighbor is a good evidence of our sincere love to God.

We cannot hate our neighbor and love God. And if we love our neighbor truly, we dare not scandalize our neighbor sinfully nor offend. Only here we must take notice that by offending the weak, it is not meant displeasing them, but by offending them is meant laying a stumbling block before them, which may occasion their fall into sin.

What are some stumbling blocks? What's another? Go to church because my father did.

What do you mean legalism? All right. Another stumbling block.

We're still half asleep. Brother Bancroft, how could that be a stumbling block? And you lead others here to study the word. Well, he says that's concerning, therefore, the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols.

We know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one. What difference does it make, Bill, in eating things offered to an idol? What about eating pork? Yes. All right. What if you know that?

All right. If you do, it becomes a stumbling block. The application of that answer to things offered to idols. I grant, he says, that an idol is indeed vain imagination and that there is but one God and Lord, and therefore that food cannot be made either holy or profane by the idol, but it does not follow that a man may, without regard of what they are, use those foods for any other reason.

We have today accepted things into our society that we really do not look at as being idol worship. But what if you're in a hurry to get home to watch the ballgame? For though there be that which are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, as there be gods many and lords many, but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and the one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Here the apostle tells them that although the heathen idolaters acknowledge a plurality of gods, some in heaven, as the sun, the moon, and the stars, some on earth as men and beasts, they having their celestial and terrestrial gods and lords, but these were only called gods, that is, God in name, not in nature, not in reality.

I think most of us would not call something a god way far past that, but I think also that some of us place things close to God. But in us there is but one God. There can only be one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom all things are, and we by him.

Now, what does it mean there is but one God? Clarence? The Father, whom we all, the Father, of whom are all things. Harvey, what about that? Could God create another God?

Clarence? No, he wouldn't do that. That's not all he'd do. If this doesn't exist, it cannot exist today. All right. He's eternal, so God would have to exist for eternity. So he couldn't really create another God.

All right. There can't be.

Of whom are all things, and we in him. Now, what does that include? That's pretty good. When did we appear in him? When was the beginning?

When would he be in us? Is that the same answer, or is that different? Again, it can be that we are for him. Because God is greater, and we were created for him.

What do you mean by that?

Have you heard him preach? Have you heard that expression? Heard what? All who are saved are liberalized. I don't... Have you heard that?

Somebody else's hand was, yes.

Yes. To all things, 16 and 17, which are created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be strong or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

All right.

Now, we come down, and we by him. What does that mean? We were created by him? We were? Then we have not always been. Well, that's the physical man. The... We were created by Christ, created in Christ.

Was Christ from the beginning? Are you sure? Are you real sure of that? Is that your last answer? Well, one does not regard the persons but the nature. This word by does not signify the instrumental cause, but the effect.

For the father and son work together, which is not so much so to be the... to be taken that we should make two causes out of it, seeing that they both have but one nature, though they are distinct persons.

They have but one nature. The... In the beginning was what? Were all things in God? What about sin? Well, I have trouble disagreeing with that. All right, let's go a little bit further. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge.

What's he mean by that? All right. All right. Everybody doesn't know that. Is that true today? For some with conscience of the idol unto this our eat, it as a thing offered unto an idol, and their conscience being weak is defiled.

Everything goes back to the mind, does it not? Whether it's an idol, whether it's a God, whether it's not God, everything goes back to the mind. That an action which is lawful in respect of ourselves may yet be a sin if done in respect to others.

Do we understand that? That an action which is lawful in respect to itself, or to ourself, may yet be a sin if done by others with respect to them. Do you understand that? This is a hard crowd. The action which is lawful in respect to ourselves may yet be a sin if done by us with respect to others.

Explain it. Encouraged by our example, may do the same act but not do it with the same intent. It goes back to the mind. As in the case before us, and that this before us is eating meat that is offered to an idol, I can eat anything.

I don't eat anything, but it's certainly lawful for me to eat anything, even a bug. But it's not lawful for me to eat something that another person has decided you shouldn't eat that. The sight of one Christian eating things offered unto idols who knows that an idol is nothing in the world, they may harden, embolden, and encourage others to do the same.

Well, what would be wrong with that? Am I not communicating with you? Their intent. If they did it, they would do it,.

That would cause them a likelihood that it would be a sin to them, and therefore it would have been a sin to them. But if they can't do it by faith, it's sin. So, just like Bill said, if everybody has a sin and they do it anyway because they saw you do it and they're sinning, but you're not aware of it.

If you're aware that you're doing that to them, we'd rather you do it anyway than hear sin. Alright.

One person can be wrong for another person. Yes.

I've got a question. Alright. Back years ago, when Catholics had a Jewish outing on the streets, were you one of those that made you more active? I'm glad you told us. But I didn't report to be a Christian.

Alright. Do I do dishonor to them and hinder them and create a stopping block for them if I report or finish writing?

If you eat it where they can see you.

Sort of. If I went above the cafeteria knowing that there were Jewish people in there, I should report?

Or is it... Well, if you want to get technical about it, yes.

But I don't think most Jewish people care for that aspect. Who's talking? The choir. Okay. That is a sin to eat pork, but most Jewish people I've known do not take offense to you eating pork. That's a good thing to do.

Well, I mean... I don't mean to offend them on that aspect. Alright. Where this comes into play is where you have a Jewish believer like Russ, where he is a Birmingham believer, but because of his Jewish background, he eats pork.

So that would be a good example of this, what we're talking about. You should not eat that in front of someone like that. That's a real problem. Myron's the same way. He's not Jewish. To him, it's just...

Right. Borders on sin. Myron's not Jewish? No, he's not. No. Well, I've never asked if he's not Jewish. Sammy Davis Jr. was. But he borders on him thinking it's sinful if you eat a lot of fat in it and stuff like that because you're killing the body.

So people like that, you have to be a little careful what you eat in front of them, I think. Alright, Trudy?

I disagree with that in the sense that they claim to be scholars and Christians of the Word of God, and God has blessed everything. But they don't agree. They don't agree. So then you disagree with the Bible, David.

Well, yeah.

I'm just saying they don't agree, and so they're worried that you're doing stuff.

Well, then you need to show them Scripture. Look, God has blessed it. It's all mine. You can try that.

I've tried that. It doesn't always work because they believe it strongly, and you and I do the other way. I'm not going to reverse that.

Let's keep the questions and answers oriented up here. No, just a minute.

Whatever your name is. Yes. What's the big difference between if you eat it in front of them and if you eat it at home and they know you eat it at home? Should you not eat it at home?

Well, I want to say you eat it at home and forget about them. But if it is a real problem to them, then you need to talk to them.

Yes. I feel like I'm worth swallowing a snack here. I think that the most important thing is if you're operating in faith and the Holy Spirit prompts you that a weaker brother is by you, and He will tell you this.

If you're in line and they're watching you, He will quicken your spirit and say that this will offend us. At that time, you can, by faith, trust the Lord that He has prompted that and not offend your brother in that area.

He won't prompt you at home if you're sitting there eating with your family and have not had that prompting of the Holy Spirit. He won't say, if you eat this now, your brother is going to be thinking this.

But with your brother there in front of you, He will prompt you. If you are not heavy-laden with sin and haven't confessed and you're not clear before God, which we should try to be every day by repentance and coming to Him and confessing our sins, then the Holy Spirit will speak to you.

You'll be in line, and that person will look at you, and you'll look at him, and the Holy Spirit will remind you that this is an offense to Him. And you've got this. And that's called operating with faith and walking in the Spirit.

Christian Liberty and the Weak Brother

I think we need to go to chapter 9, verse 19 and 20. For though I be free from all sin, yet have I made myself servant to all that I might gain more. So it's a matter of being concerned about that brother who is not quite where you are, and let God bring him where you are.

And in verse 20, and unto the Jew, I became with the Jew that I might gain. The Jew. So, Paul is saying that we need to be discerning of the Spirit as we're dealing with our enemies. Yes, Fred. Brother, wouldn't it be much the same as two individuals, a Christian and a Jew, living on the same floor of an apartment house, and they are, they see each other every day, they love each other, and so perhaps better than their own brothers.

So the non-Jew, I think, might have her own kosher kitchen, so to speak. She might have dishes that she serves only when they come, but serves out of the others when they're there. But she does preserve that ritual in honor of them, in honor of God's adoration to us.

That's the way I picture it. All right. The approach that I've always taken, and I haven't been wrong yet, is to become as much one of them as you possibly can without violating your Christian principles.

It's unto Christ that we're doing it. It's not that enemy. That's right. It's unto Him. And say, Lord, it's because I don't want to offend you. Because he goes back to the cup, and you give a cup of water to someone in his name.

So the same thing, if you sacrifice, although he doesn't require sacrifice, he requires obedience to him, but if you do it unto him, and say, Lord, I leave in your hand, which is what Mr. Frederick was pretty much talking about, then that is pleasing to him because it's done unto him.

All right. Eight. But meek commendeth us not to God, for neither if we eat are we the better, neither if we eat not are we the worse. So all of this is kind of beside the point, and you have to be aware of who you are and where you are at any given moment, and if the Jew is there or the non-Christian or a weak Christian, we're talking about weak Christians, really, if the weak Christian is there, then I wouldn't do it, but I'd sure spend time trying to educate him.

As if the apostle had said, it is not the eating or the not eating that makes a man either better or worse, more or less acceptable in the sight of God, but we must take great heed, lest by our example, example, other take occasion to worship the idol.

You therefore ought to so eat as to give occasion to the fall of your weaker brother. But take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. That's, I heard somebody speak that a moment ago.

Take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to them. Now we're talking about the weak Christian. Still the apostle holds forth this truth to us that much such a man certainly sins who uses his liberty so that it becomes a snare and a stumbling block to the weak brother.

But by emboldening and encouraging him into sin, that's what we don't want to do. For if any man see thee which has knowledge that it meet in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idol.

Who are fully informed in regard to the real nature of the idol worship, you will be looked upon as an example. You will be presumed to be partaking of this. This will thus encourage him and he will feast in honor of the idol.

And though thy knowledge shall be weak, and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died. Now, for through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died.

Sounds like a contradiction. All right.

Through your knowledge, you're more mature in the understanding of your freedom than that brother. But should you tell him he's got to be that way and offend him to the point where he loses his crown?

That's the whole point of it. We have to be sensitive to our weaker brothers. Well, it's the word perish I'm hung up on. Well, that one scares me. I don't know about it. All right, Greg. I'm not very aware.

I need to be careful looking at what I said in verse 10. I think what he's saying is the weak brother will perish when he's replaced by a stronger who has control over his weakness. All right, same person only as Clarence?

Well, I can't look at that because it probably meant that he was going to ruin him or we have to send the weak brother not perish as far as if he's a chosen one and has eternal life he might lose his salvation because when Christ died I think if you could cause him to sin.

Yes, Russell? In some cases. All right. This is an impossible situation. The 11th verse is a question it's not a statement. Much as I would say would your coming to church today cause you.

To sin? No. All right. So that question that he's placed there is really in the line. He's telling you because of the weakness he has in the mind will he feel this way? Yes. So you being aware of that he is weak in that area should give him that opportunity to not do that and you do it as a guide and in that process.

He'll be strengthened. All right. The whole thing is this. And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died. Your knowledge does not affect the other person in any way salvation wise.

Your knowledge affects only the circumstances. And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died. If Christ died for him he's going to be saved. I like, was it Greg's analogy of it?

Roger? Verse 10. It says.

If any man see thee which ask knowledge. Okay, so this person acknowledges yet he still sits yet he in verse 11 it says. And through thy knowledge so what it's saying is because you're known to be an upright standing individual a strong Christian, just because you do it, it's not going to automatically make that weaker person say oh, I've seen the light I can do it too.

I believe what it's saying is just because you think that you're knowledgeable or others think that you're knowledgeable still they're going to question your actions and you might think well, hey, I know what's right, I know what's wrong and you just need to do what I tell you to do.

Then it got cut. I remember a pastor friend of mine when he was when he first accepted Christ in the manner that he was old, later in life and realized standing and started going to church and he said, I'm not going to start reading God's word, I'm going to start with Genesis.

So he started reading Genesis and well, it wasn't long before he realized that as a good Christian we need to sacrifice. So he went to the pastor who he admired tremendously, and he said, Pastor, I think you're wrong, because if we don't sacrifice, we need to.

And where's the alternative? Well, you know, here's this young Christian thinking that somebody like a pastor and elders in the church at the time, we're wrong, because we need to sacrifice. Just because we think that we have been saved for so long and we know so much of the scriptures it's not automatically.

Going to sway people into the right path. Yes, but when you sin, soul against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. All sin is against who? Christ. You do not sin against your neighbor unless well, the sin belongs to Christ, you wrong your neighbor.

Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. From the whole of the apostles' discourse in this chapter, we learn that it is the duty of Christians in matters wherein they are at liberty by the law of God to do a thing, or to not do a thing, to take that part which they see will give least occasion of sin unto their brethren, and to avoid that part which, if taken, will surely will certainly give occasion unto others to sin.

That's what the whole chapter is about is that it is in the mind we should not give occasion knowingly to others and now, we're talking about eating it can be in anything so we're not to give occasion to others to find fault with us because we know more than they in the scripture let's act like we know what they know and bring them along so they will not be offended and stumble alright any word from anybody now, you all done well this morning, anything else.

Servanthood, Knowledge, and Love in Christian Conduct

Alright, Clarence, you want to say something? Who is the greatest. Who could be greater. And he clearly told them if you choose to be great in the kingdom, you have to be a servant for all and so that attitude is to serve them to try to serve that person and that is the greatness that the Lord requires.

Because Jesus himself humbled himself to the point of being a servant for all, he didn't and so the greatness comes in not showing them that but serving them in that area and coming alongside.

Alright, Roger, I mean Russell.

Alright then we have knowledge but knowledge itself we should exercise our knowledge and love.

We should not give us unconditional love no matter what we do utilizing our knowledge. Alright, is there another word. If not, we'll stand and be dismissed. Dennis, would you dismiss us. Please, sir.