June 9, 1 Corinthians 8
What if fast food places that dot our urban landscapes and cluster at interstate highway exits were idol temples? What if all the food sold there had been sacrificed to the burger god or the pizza god before it was offered for sale? At one time, you worshipped those gods, and you also spent some time at the fried chicken god’s temple, too. But now you know better. You heard and believed the message about the one true God who gave his Son to save you. You turned from idols to worship the Lord. Could you, as a Christian, believing in the one true God and the Lord Jesus Christ, eat at the temples? Could you get it to go, or maybe at least go through the drive-through?
Paul’s answer is yes, and maybe no, too. Knowing that an idol is not a real god, and knowing that eating certain foods makes us neither better nor worse in our standing with God, we could eat a barbecue sandwich or have an ice cream cone from the idol temple without doing anything wrong. But as we indulge, puffed up with all that sophisticated knowledge about our rights and privileges in Christ, we also need to know that some fellow believers might still be struggling with the concept. We could offend their weak conscience by eating the questionable food, and might lead them to violate their conscience if they ate with us. What we “know” and are free to do without hurting ourselves could destroy a brother or sister for whom Jesus died! By insisting on our rights and exercising our liberty without considering our influence on others, we could sin against them and Christ who died for them by disregarding their conscience. So Paul said he would never eat meat that he was free to eat, if doing so would make his brother stumble.
In our time and place, there’s not much confusion about the religious significance of food offered for sale to the public. But there’s a portable principle here that goes beyond the context. When we do what we do with a haughty assurance based on our advanced knowledge, we may be puffed up, but it’s unlikely we’ll be building up the people around us. When I assert and exercise my right to do a questionable thing without loving regard for my brother and sister, I jeopardize their well-being by tempting them to violate their conscience. How dare I claim to be a disciple of the Lord who taught us to deny ourselves and follow him when I stubbornly cling to my rights? Jesus laid down his life for you and me. We should be willing to lay down our privileges in humble consideration of others, who may not yet know or understand all that we’ve been blessed to learn.
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament,
Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—June 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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