1 Corinthians Chapter 8 Commentary - BASIC PRINCIPLES OF LOVE: SEEKING THE GOOD OF OTHERS ABOVE YOUR OWN

[Dr. Henry, President of the AOCI]

CHAPTER 8 – A BASIC PRINCIPLE OF LOVE: SEEKING THE GOOD OF OTHERS ABOVE ONE’S OWN

INTRODUCTION: Greeks and Romans were Polytheistic (worship of many gods). They believed that evil spirits would try to invade human beings by attaching themselves to things (in this case it was food before it was eaten). They believed that the spirits could be removed only by the particular animals which provided the food that would be sacrificed to the god’s. Sacrifices were meant to cleanse the meat from demonic contamination. Whatever parts of the animal that was not burned on the altar was served at the wicked pagan feasts and what was left was sold out on the market place. The Christians were not just having problems with buying and eating the meat that was sacrificed to these false gods but also with eating these meats at the pagan temples. There where two fundamental things being misused in this portion of scripture: 1) Knowledge 2) Christian Liberty. Instead of building each other up and simply loving each other, they had a bad attitude toward one another. Paul again regards the unity of the church more important than even questions of conscience which in his mind are minor. The whole matter of eating food sacrificed to idols is one of indifference and is not considered a moral issue with God. The weak are not to judge the strong in faith in matters of conscience and the strong in faith are not to impose what they allow on another believer but each are to receive each other as God has received and accepted them. When disunity and lack of love results from minor issues, it then becomes sin because it divides the church.

Vs. 1 Paul begins by saying that they all have the knowledge (or knew about) the idol situation at Corinth and that these deities where not real and that the evil spirits did not contaminate the food. Paul says that this knowledge has become a means of arguments, opinions, and division among the church so much that pride has stepped into the church. By “knowledge” Paul is meaning SELF PROCLAIMED KNOWLEDGE AND EVEN BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE WHICH IS NOT GOVERNED & MOTIVATED BY THE LOVE FOR GOD.
Vs. 2 Paul is saying that the Corinthians knowledge is incomplete and imperfect. There actions should be ruled by love of God and should be central to not only this situation but all matters of conscience (non essential beliefs).
Vs. 3 Christians who live by the law of love are known by God and are demonstrating true Christian virtue (power). Love helps Christians not only God but one another which demonstrates the fruit of the spirit which depends
Vs. 4-6 Paul starts by saying that the idols are nothing and that the reality is that there is only ONE GOD and ONE LORD JESUS CHIRST (an affirmation to the equality of the Father and the Son).
Vs. 7-11 our conscience depends upon what we are taught and come to believe is true. Here Paul tells the church in this situation that a defiled conscience is one that has been violated, bringing fear and guilt. Some of the church members had a weak conscience in connection to eating this meat sacrificed to idols. But there is no real reason for concern here since this was not a matter of morality but of morally indifferent things. (READ ROMANS 14:1-6)
Vs. 12-13 although our conscience is not infallible, it is a serious matter to violate it or tempt others to do so. The Christians who are more liberal (in terms of things related to indifferent things they permit of non moral issues) can tend to be impatient with the weak and call them legalistic. The temptation of the weak (or Christians that are very careful what they allow in their lives and have a very sensitive conscience) is to condemn the strong minded Christians for behavior that seams to be lawless license and call non moral things sin. Both Christians must exemplify the love of Christ and not wound each others conscience by what they permit or do not permit. THE CONCLUDING COMMENT AND THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE PAUL WANTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THIS CHURCH IS THAT CHRISTIANS NEED TO FOCUS ON THEIR “LOVE” FOR ONE ANOTHER AND SEEK THE GOOD OF ANOTHER ABOVE THEMSELVES.