Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It
Is To Men As They Are
"Preach The Word"
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CHAPTER 3-UNDERSTANDING
I CORINTHIANS 8
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Personal conviction has become today's standard for
deciding right and wrong among many fundamentalists.
No longer does it matter what God may have
had to say about the matter in the Scriptures. In stead,
the individual is given the freedom to make up his own
mind. If he feels something is wrong, it is wrong. If he
is not "convicted" about it yet, he may continue the
practice.
Where could such a teaching come from? It is obvious
that in the Old Testament God never gave such
leeway to His people. In the book of Judges, every man
did that which was right in his own eyes. However,
what was right in their eyes was sin to God. Each time,
God sent oppression upon them. Jeremiah cried out
about the lack of conviction in his day: "Were they
ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay,
they were not at all ashamed, neither could they
blush." (6:15) Therefore, God pronounced judgment
upon His people: "They shall fall among them that fall:
at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down,
saith the Lord."
The idea that "personal conviction" constitutes an
acceptable basis for deciding right and wrong comes
from a common misunderstanding of I Corinthians 8,
and a faulty comparison with Romans 14. Unfortunately,
many times we get so deep in a verse we miss
the lesson of the passage. We become like those who
CC annot see the forest for the trees.
Paul wrote to a troubled church at Corinth. They
were a divided church (chapters 1-4). They had problems
with immorality, and were even bringing the
civil law courts into their personal disputes (chapters
5-6). Problems with appearance, actions at the Lord's
supper, and the gifts of the Spirit (chapters 11-14) led
to more divisions. Many misunderstood the doctrine of
the resurrection (chapter 15).
One issue that created a problem was the eating of
meat offered to idols. Paul dealt with that issue in
chapters 8 through 10. Many make the mistake of set
ting chapter 8 by itself, therefore, coming up with
faulty conclusions about Paul's teaching. However, a
thorough reading of the book obviously brings those
three chapters together.
Before going into detail in chapter 8, it is important
to see how the chapters fit together in the argument.
In chapter 8, Paul addressed the Corinthians who felt
there was nothing wrong with eating meat offered to
idols. Paul appealed to their feeling of spiritual
superiority. Basically, he said that if they were truly
spiritual they should have been willing to do without
meat offered to idols, for the sake of the ones who
believed it was wrong.
In chapter 9, Paul reminded them of how he had
been willing to give up things which were right for him
to do to keep from offending others. He explained how
he had the right to have his needs met by the church
(vs 4). He had the right to a family life (5). He had the
right to not have to work to support himself (6). Paul
defended his last right with illustrations from the
world (7) from Scripture (89), from reason (1112),
and from religion (1314 But Paul declined taking advantage
of those rights in order to keep his testimony
before all. Surely, if Paul was willing to give up things
which were definitely right for him to practice, the
spiritual" ones at Corinth would be willing to give up
a practice they thought was right for the sake of
others.
Chapter 10 begins with an Old Testament example
of what happened when God's people became more
concerned about the things of the world than their
If elationship with God, even after they had witnessed
mighty acts from God. Paul followed with a strong
passage condemning the eating of meat offered to
idols. Although it is true that the idol was nothing,
the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice
to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye
should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink
the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils" (20,21).
If we keep the context of the entire passage in mind,
it will be easier to understand what Paul is saying.
KNOWLEDGE VERSUS LOVE vs. 1-3
Paul began by reminding those who ate meat offered
to idols that we all have knowledge. Those who opposed
their practice had knowledge, too. Many times our
knowledge causes us to forget the love principle when
dealing with others. Knowledge puffs up. Charity
builds up. Knowledge is more concerned with me. Love
is more concerned with others. Knowledge thinks, "Me
first." Love thinks, "You first."
Knowledge says, "I won't go to Hell if I do it." "It
won't hurt me, I'm spiritual enough to handle it." "I'm
not convicted about it yet." "I know what I can
handle." A person with uncontrolled knowledge thinks
himself more spiritual than he is.
The person who thinks he knows all he needs to
know, is considered as knowing nothing by others. But
a person whose love for God is supreme has a real
testimony.
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT IDOLS & GOD 4-6
The argument used to justify eating meat offered to
idols was true — the idol is nothing. Paul begins, "We
know." As the psalmist wrote:
"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's
hands. They have mouths, but they speak not:
eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears,
but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell
not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet
have they, but they walk not: neither speak they
through their throat. They that make them are
like unto them; so is everyone that trusteth in
them." (Psalm 115:4-8)
They also had true knowledge about God. There is
only one God. There is only one Lord — Jesus Christ.
Yes, their knowledge was true, but they used their
knowledge to come to a faulty conclusion. Idols are
nothing, but devils are real. Really, what the gentiles
were sacrificing to were devils (10:20). This latter
truth is not explained until Chapter 10 because Paul
began where the people thought they were at spiritually.
THEIR TRUE CONDITION 7-13
Paul used the term "weak" concerning those who
believed it was wrong to eat meat offered to idols. This
has been taken to imply that the "strong" Christians
were the ones who ate the meat offered to idols. Many
commentators have missed the sarcasm of the terms
and the true point Paul was making.
Was Paul writing to spiritual Christians or to carnal
Christians? If they were carnal, could they really have
been strong Christians? A look at previous verses in
I Corinthians will give us the answer as to the spirituality
of this group.
In the first chapter, Paul scolded them because of
the divisions in the Church (1:10-13). In Chapter 3, He
called those who took part in the divisions carnal (1-3).
Some may doubt that Paul could have used the term
"weak" sarcastically, but he had already done so in
chapter 4:9-19. In verse 10 he stated, "We are fools for
Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak,
but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are
despised." Really now, who were the weak ones, and
who were the strong ones? In verses 18-19 Paul wrote:
"Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come
to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will,
and will know, not the speech of them which are
puffed up, but the power." Remember, it was the
"puffed up" crowd that ate the meat offered to idols.
Again in Chapter 5, concerning the man taken in
adultery with his father's wife, they were puffed up (vs
1,2). Gross sin was practiced by a member in the
church, and they were puffed up about it. In Chapter
6, Paul rebuked them because there was not one
spiritual enough to judge between them in civil
matters.
From the very context of the book, those eating meat
offered to idols were not really strong Christians. They
considered themselves strong. Paul's argument in
chapter 8 was, "If you're so spiritual, you ought to be
willing to do without meat to help another brother."
By eating the meat offered to idols, they were offending
other Christians, perhaps even causing some
to fall back into idolatry. According to verse 12, this
was a sin against Christ. Could these really be strong
believers?
A point missed by many is that the Holy Spirit had
already spoken on the matter of eating meat offered to
idols at the Jerusalem council. "For it seemed good to
the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater
burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain
from meats offered to idols..." (Acts 15:28,29). The
letter to the Corinthians was written from five to nine
years after the council, surely they were not ignorant
of it. Could those openly disobeying the Holy Spirit
really have been the strong believers?
This "puffed up" crowd has its counterpart today. "I
can go to Hollywood movies. They won't hurt me." "I
can take a drink. It won't hurt me." "I can wear my
mini-skirt. It won't hurt me." "I can smoke my cigarettes.
It won't hurt me." "I can listen to rock music. It
won't hurt me." "I can watch soap operas. They won't
hurt me." "I can go mixed swimming. It won't affect
me."
These people were not concerned about whether or
not the practice was right or wrong. They were "free."
They had "liberty." Truly, their practice could not send
them to Hell. They were no longer condemned by the
Scripture. All things were lawful unto them. However,
they did not accept the fact that all things were not
expedient (I Cor. 6:12).
Obviously, the ones eating meat offered to idols were
not spiritual at all. They were carnal Christians. They
used their liberty as a license to sin, just as many do
today.
Evidently the early church came to the same conclusion
about I Corinthians 8-10. Philip Schaff wrote in
his History of the Christian Church, Volume II, Ante-
Nicene Christianity:
"He (Diocletian) issued in autumn, 308, a fifth edict of
persecution, which commanded that all males with their
wives and servants, and even their children should sacrifice
and actually taste the accursed offerings, and that all
provisions in the markets should be sprinkled with sacrificial
wine. This monstrous law introduced a reign of terror for
two years and left the Christians no alternative but apostasy
or starvation." (page 68-- emphasis added)
WHAT ABOUT ROMANS 14?
Romans 14 says nothing about eating meat offered
to idols. The subject matter of the chapter refers to
those who differed concerning ceremonial and dietary
laws of the Old Testament. None of the situations
discussed in Romans 14 concerned the moral laws of
the Old Testament. Unclean meats were cleansed at
the cross. All days were to be the same to the Christian
(Col. 2:14-17).
Still, many miss the message of Romans 14:23: "And
he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth
not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." One
should not wait until he becomes certain a practice is
wrong before quitting. The moment a person is not
100% certain that a practice is right, he should quit. If
one believes there is even the slightest possibility that
the practice could be wrong, it is sin.
In short, I Corinthians 8 is the beginning of a rebuke
to Christians who were taking part in a practice of
idolatry which violated the holiness of God. Romans
14 is a call for understanding among Christians who
differ on ceremony.
I Corinthians 8 does not hang a "spiritual" tag on
those who are now partaking in things which have
been preached against for years. With the Word of
God as the final authority, the saved who takepart in
activities which are spoken against in Scripture, are, at
best, carnal.
Paul did not make "personal conviction" the determinant
of right and wrong. Our final authority is still
"Thus saith the Lord." That the Corinthians were sinning
when eating meat offered to idols is clear in
chapter 10, according to the context of the book and
according to other Scriptures. Their lack of conviction
did not make their practice right. It simply showed the
kind of Christians they were.
"There is a way which seemeth right unto man,
but the end thereof are the ways of death."
(Proverbs 14:12)
"He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool..."
(Proverbs 28:26)
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?"
(Jeremiah 17:9)
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean
not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
(Proverbs 3:5,6)
"Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all
things to be right; and I hate every false way."
(Psalm 119:128)
The final authority for right and wrong is not personal
conviction. For the truly spiritual Christian, it is
the Word of God.
STUDY FROM DR. MIKE ALLISON
