1 Corinthians 8:12-13

Applebury's Comments

Text

1 Corinthians 8:12-13. And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, ye sin against Christ. 13 Wherefore, if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I cause not my brother to stumble.

The Limitation of Christian Liberty (13)

Commentary

Wherefore.The apostle is ready for the conclusion of this part of his argument about meats sacrificed to idols. Christian love may cause one to give up a right for the sake of a brother in Christ. We may have a perfect right to do a thing, but if in doing so we wound another our right must be given up. This principle will solve many problems about what is right or wrong for the Christian.

if meat causeth my brother to stumble.Paul states a condition that is real. He does not say If some one should be found at some future time, making the condition general. He is saying what he would do when he faced the real problem. He has indicated all along that it was not wrong in itself to eat the meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. The whole problem had to do with causing a brother for whom Christ died to stumble. That he would never do.

I will eat no flesh forever.This did not bind Paul to become a vegetarian. It was only in the case of offending a brother. There is no particular point in his using flesh instead of food except that it is specific, referring to the flesh of the animal that had been sacrificed.

that I cause not my brother to stumble.This is the real reason for the course he had chosen and which he had recommended to the church. Do we really think of others as brothers in the family of God? Are we really concerned lest they stumble? Jesus died for them; Paul was unwilling to cause them to stumble and perish.

Summary

The eighth chapter which begins with the discussion of Things sacrificed to idols raises the question of the limitation of Christian liberty. This topic continues through chapter ten.
Meats used in idol worship were not only eaten in the feasts connected with idol worship, but were commonly sold in the markets. Thus the Christian was confronted with a serious problem: Was he participating in idol worship by using such food?
Paul says, We know that we all have knowledge. It is possible that this was an opinion of the Corinthians. More probably, it was Paul's estimate of the situation in general. All know certain things about idolatry: there is really no such thing as a god represented by an idol.
If, however, one assumes that this is complete knowledge, he is reminded that such knowledge only puffs up while love for God expressed in proper consideration for those who are not fully informed about idolatry builds up the church. The particular knowledge that God created all things and that we are to serve Him through Christ is not shared by some. The custom of eating at idol feasts caused some to believe that they were worshiping the idol. The conscience was defiled because it was weak. A strong conscience would have forbidden such eating by one who believed it to be idolatry.
While Paul recognized that eating such food in reality neither commended nor condemned one, nevertheless, it was wrong to set an example that would lead a brother to do this who supposed that he was actually worshiping the idol. The one whose conscience isn-'t strong enough to keep him from doing what he believes to be wrong is destroyed by your knowledge. He is the brother for whom Christ died. Thus sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Relationship to Christ is the controlling principle that limits one's liberty. Therefore Paul says, If food is causing my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh forever.