1 CORINTHIANS chapter eight

jack

knowledge versus love and the law of love

related Scripture: ROMANS 14; 1 CORINTHIANS 9:22

1 CORINTHIANS 10:23-33; 1 CORINTHIANS 6

arrogance or edification

Summary verses 1-3

  1. Paul comes back to the law of love and supreme sacrifice that he introduced in chapter 6:12ff.
  2. The background is the meat that was sacrifice to idols sold in the market-place and served in restaurants.
  3. The Corinthians, like so many believers, had knowledge with respect to “lawful things” like eating meat, but were falling short of correct application.
  4. Knowledge when incomplete produces a read-out that is arrogant.
  5. A believer who flaunts his liberty in Christ fails miserably to apply the higher spiritual principle toward weaker believers.
  6. So he fails to glorify God in his body; the body’s primary function isn't biological gratification, but to lend itself to edification with respect to self and others.
  7. Whenever “lawful things” interrupt the edification process, then they are to be foregone.
  8. If your whole thrust is concentration of what is “legal” then your knowledge is sub-par.
  9. Paul isn't knocking knowledge (as some teach) but knowledge that is

self-serving, incomplete, and which fails to edify the on-looker.

  1. If you know certain things are not sinful, you still lack the knowledge that counts with God.
  2. Love edifies explained:

a.  You avoid making “lawful things” an issue in the presence of potential positive volition.

b.  You don’t want to be the cause of turning them off because they can't handle certain activities due to false norms and standards.

c.  So in the presence of unbelievers, and unfamiliar believers, you are sensitive not to offend their conscience over “non-essentials” like food and drink.

  1. Love for God explained:

a.  It is not to originate in the emotions, but is founded on knowledge.

b.  Those who love the Lord both know and do the Word.

c.  Love for God is reflected in our love of the brethren, the law of love being one of the highest applications.

d.  Scripture JOHN 14:15,21,23.

e.  Believers who don’t apply don’t love, despite the rhetoric.

f.  God knows those who are acclimating.

  1. Example: drinking and the Bible belt.
  2. You should examine yourself to see if you are abusing your liberty in Christ.

knowledge about idols (verses 4-6)

Summary verses 4-6

  1. The communicator’s response is to teach the true knowledge of God.
  2. Paul's statement about idols versus the one true and living God came as a shock to the Gentiles.
  3. Gnosis on idols:

a.  The idol of stone, wood, etc. was itself impotent as any other inanimate object and hence was useless to bless or curse.

b.  Bible doctrine prohibits the production of overt representations of the invisible.

c.  Worshippers tend to equate the idol with the god.

d.  Behind idols are demons which systems blind the adherents to the Doctrine of Divine Essence.

e.  Behind all mythology is a kernel of truth.

f.  So we know there are demon gods and Lord's who administer Satan's lies.

g.  We who know the Doctrine of the Divine Essence and the Trinity are not enslaved to polytheism.

h.  And that God, through the Second Person, is the source of all things, including us, body, soul, and human spirit.

the problem of the weaker believer

Summary verse 7

1.  We must recognize that others do not possess the same knowledge we do about lawful things.

2.  “Some” refers to two categories:

a.  Unbelievers who have a weak conscience and defile it each time they eat thinking that it will bring them blessing.

b.  Believers who are lacking Divine viewpoint, who think that they have sinned when they eat. (A believer discovers that he has eaten a steak sacrificed to an idol.)

food doesn’t advance us spiritually

Summary verse 8

1.  Avoiding legitimate things for the sake of another is spiritual advancement.

2.  Application leads to growth and production.

be sensitive to the weaker believer

1.  Each believer who has knowledge is responsible to believers, be they fundys or new positive types, not to offend their weak consciences.

2.  You are never to become a discouragement to potential positive volition.

edification or demolition

  1. Paul presents a case which is likely to occur.
  2. A man attends a celebration held in an idol court.
  3. Having the correct knowledge, he attends.
  4. Being there and eating is not sinful.
  5. But the fact he ate knowing the weaker believer was present and vibrating is a sin.
  6. The Corinthian rationale for so doing was that the weaker believer would be edified and encouraged to eat also.
  7. The purpose in refusing to eat was to promote edification.

the true result of arrogance

Summary verse 11

  1. Paul states the true situation.
  2. The believer with all his knowledge and arrogance has a part in the weal believer’s downfall.
  3. Instead of a part in his edification.
  4. Inevitably we are all responsible for our own Ph2.
  5. Paul says don’t be an obstacle to positive volition, potential or otherwise, in the name of the non-essentials.

an area of sinning verse 12

summary: believers resolve verse 13

Summary verse 12,13

  1. Such activity does not edify the believer with knowledge, but discourages the weak believer.
  2. You are to stimulate edification and so you are to treat him sympathetically.
  3. You are to demonstrate no less concern that Christ died for him.
  4. We have documented another area of potential sinning.
  5. Paul dramatically makes his point by saying he’d turn vegetarian if necessary to keep from sinning.
  6. Each must apply this to your own niche.

15.