Knowledge and Love are the Basis of Christian Ethics
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Truth Taught- Knowledge and love must motivate our Christian ethics and behavior
There is involved more to living as a Christian than just knowledge. Right theology is extremely important but we must also love each other. We must exhibit love toward one another. Speaking the truth in love is one example. We can tell someone the truth but that’s only half of the command. We must also do it out of love for them and in a loving way. If you cannot speak the truth in love to someone else then it’s time to rethink your own relationship with Christ.
This next section which covers Chapter 8:1-11:1 is all about living in community in the Church and how we are to relate to one another.
There were some in the Church of Corinth that saw themselves as more mature than others. They thought that they understood most everything and that their knowledge, their gnosis was all that mattered. Because, they thought that they had a better grasp on certain truths than others, they could live out their supposed Christian freedoms without considering their brothers and sisters in Christ. They were making their ethical decisions based solely on knowledge without considering the fact that love not knowledge is the basis of their Christian behavior.
There are some things in the Christian life that we are free to do or not do. In those cases, our Christian liberties must be balanced with our love for others. We must consider, will my actions cause my brother to stumble? If so, in light of my Christian Liberties I will choose to act in a way that will not cause my brother to stumble. The sin then occurs when my actions cause my brother to go against his conscience. I have sinned in my freedom if I cause my brother to go against his conscience.
This is not ever a perfectly accomplished because we cannot always monitor everyone else. At the same time, we cannot be so concerned with their beliefs and maturity level that it causes us to do something clearly unbiblical or, in fact, to go against our own conscience. This balance can be somewhat difficult to navigate.
Here, Christian love takes the form of the stumbling-block-principle. We must remember, Paul is not talking about offending someone else but causing another to fall by urging them in an action they cannot do freely.
1 Corinthians 8:1–13 (ESV)
8 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
1. Knowledge and Love Must Form the Basis of Christian Ethics (8:1-3)
8 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
Now concerning continues another question in which they wrote Paul about. The Apostle is picking up another concern they had. How do we navigate the pagan practice of eating meat that was formerly devoted to an idol?
we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” We all have a certain amount of knowledge. That’s a given. On any topic, some will know more than others.
Here’s what I mean…When I was in seminary, I was the campus electrician. I was sometimes on call. When something wasn’t working right, they would call me and I would go try to fix it. Sometimes it was simple other times more difficult.
One time I went to one of my professor’s houses, which was on campus because his electric water heater was not working. Now this man was the eminent NT scholar and still is today. He was a wonderful teacher and really knew the Bible. But when it came to other areas, he did not have a clue. I’m not making fun of him because God had gifted him in languages and understanding that few possess. He has written volumes on the NT and I was so blessed to use his commentary when we went through the Gospel of John. He even sent me an email encouraging me as I undertook the Gospel of John.
The water heater was turned off. To me that was a simple fix turn it on. But he was wired differently and had different type of knowledge.
All people have knowledge and it’s different. If we are not careful, we can think that all people must have the same knowledge we do. There are those who are very good in school. They read and retain and can do well on tests, then there are those who are more hands on and can fix things they’re not readers but love to get their hands dirty. I’m thankful when the mechanic has the knowledge to fix my car. I don’t want a mechanic with clean hands.
People are gifted in different ways and have different types of knowledge.
The same thing is true within the Church.
What is the effect on a person who just has knowledge? It puffs up. It can build up one’s pride and arrogance. Knowledge makes people think they are superior to others.
Here’s Paul’s play on words…
This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.
Knowledge by itself cannot build others up, it can only puff up the one who has it. In the same way, love by its very nature cannot puff up but only build up.
He then reminds us that everyone no matter how much knowledge they possess has an imperfect knowledge. We don’t know everything on any subject nor is our knowledge completely accurate. Our knowledge is incomplete and flawed.
So, anyone who thinks he truly knows does not know because he is self-deceived. True knowledge has eluded him. True knowledge would tell him he does not know everything.
Knowledge must be accompanied by love. This is love for God and for one another.
But knowledge with love is different. It builds up. It’s the kind of knowledge we see when God deals with us. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
This verse is really difficult to translate and the order gets things backwards. It sort of doesn’t make sense in English. Paul is showing us how God’s gnosis is different than the Corinthians who simply highlighted knowledge without love. His point is God’s knowledge is coupled with love. He loves us and knows us unlike the way they were knowing.
When Christian knowledge even theology is coupled with love for others then we are patient and kind. We become more like Jesus through love. Our theology which is right and accurate does not become a club to beat others over the head. When connected with love it is the means to build others up and to lift up Christ.
There is the attitude Paul wanted them to have toward their knowledge and their love for others.
2. An Idol has No Real Existence Because There Is Only One God (8:4-6)
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
Notice, Paul repeats two points they made in their letter and he affirms both points…
we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”
What they mean is that the carved image, say of Isis, for example, cannot have any reality since Isis is not real. Whatever the idol looks like cannot resemble Isis because no one has ever seen Isis because Isis does not exist.
They also affirm that the reason Isis does not exist is because there is no God but one.
In these statements, everyone is in agreement.
Here’s some context…What some of the Corinthians wanted to do was to continue going to the Pagan Temples to eat with the Pagans who were worshipping their false gods. Some have said that these temples were possibly the first restaurants. Because everyone in Corinth worshipped their gods, they began eating meals in the temples which consisted of the meat sacrificed in honor of those same deities.
Their argument was that since these gods do not exist then it is okay for us to go to the temples and eat.
Paul does affirm the fact that while not in reality but in some there is a belief, an existential reality…
5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”
He’s beginning to explain that yes there is only one God and yes, all the pantheon of other so-called gods which do not really exist but in a way do exist in the belief system of some and they are on earth and in the heavens. They don’t really exist but they do exist within the minds of some.
He tells them we know. We understand the dynamic of the situation. First, an idol has no real existence it is simply a carved image. Paul will go on later to tell us there is more to it than that but for now, the idol has no real existence…we know that. We also know that these idols represent pagan gods who are really no gods at all because we know there is only one God made up of three persons the Father, Son and holy Spirit.
We see the reality, only one true God and the existential reality for some, other gods are believed in. Now how was the Church to address this issue?
3. With Freedom Comes Responsibility (8:7-13)
7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
The dynamic is that Christians who have been saved from paganism were used to worshipping false gods in the temples devoted to them. Part of their worship included eating a meal in the temple dedicated to their false god.
Their former lives as pagans, in which they believed in these gods, continue to inform their experience in the present.
7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
So, when certain Christians who have overcome this idea and continue to eat meals in the temple of their former false god and those with a weaker conscience see them, their eating has become a stumbling block to their weaker brothers. This defiling of someone else’s conscience as Paul writes is sin on the part of the eater.
12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Notice what Paul is telling us…Eating meat sacrificed to idols itself is not sin but the effect it has on someone else who may be weaker or a new believer coming out of paganism is a sin. This is an example where love trumps knowledge.
The former pagan may know in their head that their former idols were not real gods and have no genuine existence in reality. However, their former way of life is so woven in to the fabric of their conscience and emotions in such a way that old associations cannot be quickly discarded. For them to return to their former place of worship was potentially like returning to their old way of life.
In the verses we can deduce some of what was taking place.
-Some Christians in Corinth with knowledge of the fact that food in the cultic temples was not sinful to eat because idols are nothing.
– They were encouraging others to agree with their knowledge and to go with them and also eat of the cultic meal in the temple.
– There were some Christians who were not quite where the others were. For those with superior knowledge, it was just meat and just food. For the weaker Christian it was not just food but food sacrificed to their former idol. To eat, they had to go against their conscience.
Notice that this person is no longer a weaker brother but a brother for whom Christ died.
11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.
That is what the other Christians had to care about. A brother’s life is at stake and superior knowledge which puffed the other up is bringing the weaker brother down. What is missing here is love that causes us to refrain from exercising all our freedoms if they might bring a weaker brother down.
Conclusion
In the Church today, this is a call for everyone to consider other brothers and sisters. Personal behavior and ethics are not only dictated by our knowledge and Christian freedoms but also by love for those within the Christian community. Our knowledge and love must motivate our behavior. If exercising a certain freedom causes my brother to stumble then I must refrain from that freedom for the good of the other’s conscience and soul.
Sometimes the weaker brother needs taught. Sometimes the weaker brother needs time. We must always consider and love others more than we love our rights and freedoms.
Benediction:
Colossians 3:14–17 (ESV)
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Resources Used
1 Corinthians by Gordon Fee
1 Corinthians by Edwards
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