Much like the churches today, the Corinthian church faced some complicated issues. Those who were strong and felt endowed with knowledge claimed freedom to eat food sacrificed to idols, but in their zeal to exercise their freedom, they had forgotten the main point - the gospel.
When we get so focused on ourselves and the knowledge that we have that we forget those who are weaker, then we evidence that we have lost sight of the cross of Christ. On the cross, Jesus showed us what love is, and He called us to love others the way He has loved us. So, the aim of people who want to live and grow in the gospel is not to show how much we know but to display the cross to our fellow believers!
Let’s see how Paul teaches this truth:
“However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do. 9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.”
1 Corinthians 8:7-9
Question 1. From 1 Corinthians 8:7-9, how does Paul make the point that what matters isn't what we know about specific issues or our freedoms, but how we love other people?
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Paul said, “...not all believers know this,” referring to believers in Christ who were unsure about eating food offered to idols. These weaker brothers and sisters incorrectly thought of that food as being offered in the worship of real gods and that if they were to eat it, then Jesus would be unhappy with them.
Similarly, today’s church is dealing with many divisive issues. And in these matters, there are always people who want to exercise their “superior knowledge” to live in “freedom” to the detriment of other people who are less knowledgeable or who are simply weaker in their faith.
Paul is adamant that people with more knowledge of a given subject are held to a higher standard - the standard of love! In other words, you do not love your brother or sister if you exercise your freedom at their expense.
Whenever we hurt a weaker brother or sister by exercising our freedoms, we must deny the cross of Christ to do so. After all, Jesus chose to be hurt rather than to hurt, to surrender His freedom rather than cling to it. He died out of love for you, so how incongruent is it if His followers seek to retain their freedoms, claiming “more knowledge,” and send someone away from Christ who would benefit by hearing the gospel!
Living and growing in the gospel means not only that we look at Jesus, fixing our eyes on Him who endured the cross, but also that we begin to look like Jesus. We gladly lay down our freedoms out of love to reach others and allow weaker believers time to grow in their faith.
Question 2. Think of an issue that is dividing the church today. How does 1 Corinthians 8:9 apply to the heart of the issue? Please explain:
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