Tuesday, January 29, 2013

1 Corinthians 8

I've been reading thru the book of 1 Corinthians (sporadically, I'll admit) and I'm really enjoying it. I took a class in college that was just on 1&2 Corinthians and we spent most of the semester on this book. I am reading it now in the ESV and still learning so much. Today I read chapters 8-10 and seeing that I need some major attitude adjustments in my heart. In chapter 8 Paul starts talking about knowledge. Knowledge is a good thing, right? I mean, it's not bad. Well, according to Paul, it can be. The knowledge he is talking about is knowledge that something is not wrong. In their time, the situation was meat, because meat was used to offer sacrifices, and God had specifically stated what meat was to be eaten, or given to priests or burned. But they were eating meat offered to idols, not their own sacrifices... which I guess God hadn't addressed in the law. (I haven't read the law lately so don't quote me on that.) On top of that, they were no longer "under the law" because of Christ, so they weren't offering sacrifices and Christ had kind of restated the law, and all the priest stuff and temple stuff was changing. All this set the stage for Christians who understood the situation to realize that meat offered in sacrifice was just meat. Idols and false gods are not real, so why would it matter if they ate the meat that someone else offered to them? They weren't offering, so really they weren't wrong. The problem Paul brings up is that not everyone understood this. Not everyone had this "knowledge". And the ones who had this knowledge were become a little prideful of their freedom, and instead of considering the situation carefully they were just acting on their freedom and eating meat. The hardest part is that when they ate meat, no one knew if it was meat they got at the market or from an idol sacrifice. (sound kinda like "If you go to the movie theater, no one will know which movie you're going to?") That's why Paul says 8:7 "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." I noticed that the person isn't weak, their conscience, on this topic, is weak. It seems like that means they would be easily tempted to go back to former idol worship. Modern day example? Someone gets saved and comes out of a very worldly lifestyle. They love the Lord and want to grow, so they abandon anything that has to do with their old way of life - music, choice of companions, hobbies, where they spend time, money, etc. Let's say the hobby they abandoned was, something just for an example, maybe beer-pong. Then as they are growing, they go to a Christians house one day and are asked to play Ping-Pong. This is silly, but just go with my example. Now, we know that ping-pong is not wrong. But lets use it in this chapter, since we don't have issues with meat causing people to stumble. Paul says (example inserted) "However, not all posses this knowledge. But some, through former association with [drinking, play ping pong] as really [being in a bar], and their conscience, being weak, is defiled." and to take it a step further, (v10) "For if anyone sees you who have knowledge [playing Ping-Pong in your house], will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to [play beer-pong]?" Ok, so this example is really far-fetched, but the point is the same, without any paraphrasing - v11-12 "And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ." Which is why Paul concludes in v 13 "Therefore, if [Ping-Pong] makes my brother stumble, I will never [play Ping-Pong] lest I make my brother stumble." This is tough stuff. This requires so much from us. First of all, it requires that we be perceptive to believers around us. Not just new believers, but also believers who have "weak" consciences on certain topics. A weak conscience does not mean the person is weak. Maybe we could use the word "tender" instead. The point is that this persons conscience will not allow them to do this and Romans 14:23 is very clear "But whoever has doubts is condemned if he [plays Ping-Pong], because the [playing] is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." No ifs, ands or buts about it. Second, it requires that we be willing to set aside anything that could cause a brother or sister in Christ to be tempted to sin. If that believer has a tender conscience toward certain music, going to the movies, or playing Ping-Pong, we should not allow our knowledge to "puff [us] up" but instead we should choose "love [which] builds up.' (Rom 8:1) Third, I think this passage calls us to consider whether we are acting out of knowledge or love. I see so many ways in my life that are characterized by "I have no conscience problem with this situation" and that's the only standard I set. It goes so. much. deeper. than just my conscience! I would never want to make something any issue more important than a brother in Christ's spiritual well-being. "Therefore, if ________ makes my brother stumble, I will never __________, lest I make my brother stumble." Lord, help me to lay down my knowledge of what I am rightfully allowed to do, that causes me to be puffed up(and defensiveness is a good sign of "puffed-ness"), and instead take up love, which allows me to consider my brothers and sisters in Christ and build them up. Because I know that "[Ping-Pong]does not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we [play Ping-Pong] and no better off if we do", I can set down my right and take that opportunity to put another believer ahead of myself.

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