1 COR 8:1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

This church wrote to Paul to ask him some questions and, beginning in 7:1 (“Now concerning the things about which you wrote…") he answers those questions one by one. He just finished answering their question about whether people should get married or divorced. Now he’s moving on to the next question.

To me, as I study through this letter, it’s helpful to read Paul’s reply and then try to reconstruct the questions he was responding to. In this section, I imagine the question to be something like:

“Hi Paul. Many of us know that since idols aren’t real gods, there’s nothing sacred about meat that was sacrificed to them. So we bought some of that meat for dinner and got criticized for it by others from the church. They were offended. Please settle this dispute. Is it OK to eat idol meat or not?”

The Jerusalem Council gave strict direction regarding eating idol meat about 7 years earlier (Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25), though those rulings are usually considered situational and temporary.

This question arose because in that day the local butcher was next door to the idol temple. Pagan priests would feed their coffers by sacrificing live animals and then selling the meat to the public. The meat was cheap and fresh.

Verse 1: Paul began his response by pointing out we all know things that other people don’t, and that special knowledge can make us arrogant. Love, on the other hand, is incapable of making a person arrogant. Rather than puffing ourselves up, love builds other people up. Love makes us humble rather than arrogant.

Verse 2: Further, he says, if someone is fixated on what he knows, he doesn’t know it the way he should because he knows it arrogantly.

Verse 3: On the other hand, if your focus is upon loving God, then you know that God knows you.

So that is the starting point. If you need to make a decision about what is right and what is wrong, and your decision will affect other people, begin by asking yourself “Which am I elevating the most here: How well I know or how well I love?”

The latter is the starting point for good decisions.

8:4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

Paul continues…

Verse 4: So apply that principle to your question about eating meat sacrificed to idols. What would a decision based on “what you know” look like? What would a decision based on “who you love” look like? Let’s explore that question.

We KNOW that idols are fake. We KNOW that the only real God is our Father and the only real Lord is Jesus Christ.

8:7 However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8 But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.

He continues…
Verse 7: But some people don’t understand this so well. They used to worship those idols and they still think of them as gods. Eating meat sacrificed to them would trouble their consciences. They would feel defiled if they did so.

Verse 8: You know that God isn’t going to condemn you for eating the meat. But there’s something else you know – that God won’t condemn you for not eating that meat. Either of those is fine with God. God has given us liberty in this matter.

9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12 And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

But your liberty can be another man’s downfall. If he is not as strong as you, and he sees you eating meat that he thinks is sinful, he might eat it as well. But he won’t be eating that meat based upon knowledge; he’ll be eating it against his conscience. So then, because you did what you did based upon knowledge rather than love, you sinned against your brother, he sinned against his conscience, and you sinned against Christ.

Paul’s point is that even though you know that it’s OK to eat the meat, you also know it’s OK not to eat it. It would have been better to not eat the meat out of love for your weaker brother and avoid harming him.

We are responsible for doing what is best for our brothers and sisters. We are responsible for not causing them to fall.

Bottom line: When knowledge triumphs over love, doing good is bad. Never elevate knowledge over love.

Above anything else, this passage as well as a large portion of this letter, emphasizes the “otherness” of our faith. This is an area in which I see American Christianity as misguided or mis-focused. In general, Christians consider “going to church” the most important part of their religion. Personal prayer may be the second most important. Never miss a “church service;” never miss a prayer before meals, at bedtime, and when something is really troubling us. But opportunity to go on mission trip? How about that neighborhood canvassing that the church is planning to pray with the community? Or visiting shut-in and sick people. Or being there when a neighbor or coworker has a life crisis. Or calling on people whose names appear on the prayer list. Or sharing what God has done in your life with an unbeliever who is struggling. Etc., etc. Well, honestly, I’m just too busy right now… but I can make it Sunday morning, OK? And I’ll pray for those ministries. I’m sure God will put people in place to tend to them.

Jesus said to go into the world. That isn’t self-focused in any way. Our faith is an other-centered faith. That is why in Ephesians 5-6 God through Paul said to submit to, build up, and give yourself up for your spouse (not be submitted to or be built up). Honor your father and mother (not be honored by them). Slaves and masters, serve each other (not be served). It’s not about me, it’s about them for His sake. And when it becomes about me, it is no longer about them and He is not served.