1 Corinthians 8:1

as touching things offered unto idols These were the parts of the sacrifice not consumed by fire, but reserved, as in the Jewish peace-offerings (see Leviticus 7:15-16; Leviticus 22:30), for the use of the priest and the worshipper. Sometimes (see ch. 1 Corinthians 10:25) the meat not consumed was sold in the shambles as ordinary butcher's meat, without any notification that it had ever formed part of a sacrifice. "Most public entertainments," says Dean Stanley, "and many private meals, were more or less remotely the accompaniments of sacrifice.… This identification of a sacrifice and a feast was carried to the highest pitch among the Greeks. Sacrifices are enumerated by Aristotle (Ethicsviii. 9), and Thucydides (ii. 38), amongst the chief means of social enjoyment." Hence the difficulty referred to in the present chapter was likely to be an extremely pressing one. Among the Jews (Numbers 25:2; Psalms 106:28) to partake of these sacrifices was strictly forbidden. See also Revelation 2:14. For a description of heathen sacrifices, see Homer, Iliad, Book 1. 606 13. Cf. also Horace, Odesiii. viii. 6, 7: "Voveram dulces epulas et album … caprum."

we know that we all have knowledge Some have supposed a parenthesis commencing at -we all have knowledge," and including the whole passage between these words and -we know that an idol," &.c., in 1 Corinthians 8:4, where the construction in 1 Corinthians 8:1 is resumed. But it is better to regard the parenthesis as beginning at -Knowledge puffeth up," and extending thence to the end of 1 Corinthians 8:3. These words are not to be regarded as ironical. Admission into the Christian Church brought with it a vast amount of spiritual, and even intellectual, enlightenment. "I do not undertake to teach you as men destitute of knowledge; but ye are to be admonished to use what ye have well and prudently." Estius. This commentator further remarks that there is no contradiction between this verse and 1 Corinthians 8:7, inasmuch as here it is knowledge generally that is spoken of, whereas there a particular sort of knowledge is meant. The meaning of this apparent digression is, "We all know that Christians, by virtue of their fellowship with Christ, possess knowledge; but it is not upon their knowledge that they are to rely. -And yet shew I you a more excellent way." "

but charity edifieth Rather, love. So Tyndale. Nothing has done more to obscure the connection between different passages of the New Testament, and to weaken our sense of the identity of sentiment between its different writers, than the use sometimes of the English word love, and sometimes of the word charity, derived from the Latin caritas, to translate the Greek word uniformly used throughout. To edifymeans to build up, a metaphor taken from the gradual building of a house (aedes), and applied either (1) to the gradual formation of individual character, or (2) to the growth of the Christian Church. The word is found in both significations in ch. 1 Corinthians 14:4, but it is more commonly used in the second. See ch. 14 throughout; Ephesians 4:12; Ephesians 4:16, &c., and note on ch. 1 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19. -It is love that edifieth;" love that builds up both the character of the individual man and the society, each member of which is -chosen in Christ," to be -holy and without blame before God in love."