UNITY AND LIBERTY (8:1-13)
Neal Pollard
We notice again Paul’s transitional statement: “Now concerning….” This signifies Paul’s change of subject. The specific issue he addresses is “things sacrificed to idols” (1). But, in his usual fashion, the apostle will pan out to the broader issue. The principle is tempering biblical knowledge and love. Paul will repeat this principle several more times in the letter (13:1ff; 14:1; 16:14). Have you ever known someone who seemed to have a deep, mature level of knowledge but share it with arrogance and an air of superiority? Even if you appreciated their grasp of what the Bible says, you probably didn’t care much for how they shared it. In more severe cases, one can ruin a weaker brother or sister (11). We can wind up sinning against a brother or wounding his conscience by our headstrong or self-serving application of knowledge (12). Whenever we insist on our rights, even at the expense of the conscience of a weaker brother or sister, we will be a source of division in the body of Christ. Paul gives Corinth a principle they can apply to any number of issues, not just this one.
Some Of Us Will Have A More Mature Understanding Than Others (1-7a)
It may well have been Jewish Christians and some more grounded Gentile Christians who realized that meat originally used in pagan worship and resold in the marketplace was not a big deal. They understood that idols were not really gods (4) and that there is only one true God (4-6). Perhaps it was among Gentile converts that eating meats sacrificed to idols was a stumbling block. They had been in those “worship services,” and they may have associated it with religious error and all that went along with it. But, these brethren were to be united despite their different levels of faith and maturity.
None Of Us Can Choose “Liberty” Over Love (7-13)
Why?
First, exercising our liberty can defile a weak conscience (7).
Second, exercising our liberty can become a stumbling block to the weak (9).
Third, exercising our liberty can ruin a weak brother (11).
Fourth, exercising our liberty can be a sin against that brother and consequently a sin against Christ (12).
There is certainly a need to educate and help strengthen and mature that weak brother in Christ, but throughout that process a prevailing attitude of care and concern for the weak brother must be maintained. Paul makes clear what principle ought to rule in matters like this. He writes, “Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” Maybe that seems unfair or unreasonable. But how small a sacrifice is that for the salvation of vulnerable spiritual family members? They should matter more than any earthly thing, even things we have a legitimate right to engage in. The point is, stop and consider the weight of your influence. Your weaker brother is watching.
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