1 Corinthians 8:4-7

Butler's Comments

SECTION 2

The Persons (1 Corinthians 8:4-7)

4 Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that an idol has no real existence, and that there is no God but one. 5For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earthas indeed there are many gods and many lords6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through being hitherto accustomed to idols, eat food as really offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6 The Sure: After digressing toward the subject of true knowledge, Paul comes back to the question of eating meat sacrificed to an idol. He appeals to the validity of using empirical knowledge to establish that an idol is not a god. He uses an interesting idiom in Greek to say this. Literally it reads, oidamen hoti ouden eidolon en kosmo, or, we know that no an idol in the world (is). The RSV translated it, ... we know that an idol has no real existence. Idols are out of this world. They do not exist.

Throughout Chapter s 8, 9, and 10 of this epistle, and in Romans Chapter s 14 and 15, Paul deals with the problems arising in the area of opinions because some Christians are strong and some are weak. The terms strong and weak are not referring to spiritual strength or weaknessnor to morality. Both categories of brethren, if they have not love, consider themselves spiritually superior to the other. Without love, the one who abstains (or the weak) will consider the other worldly. Without love, the one who partakes (or the strong) will categorize the scrupulous as Pharisaical. The terms weak and strong have to do with matters of opinion or individual preferences. They have to do with an individual's cultural, psychological, traditional background and experience. The translation weak and strong is unfortunate. It would be better to translate, him who abstains and him who eats as in Romans 14:3; or, better yet, the sure and the suspicious as we have done in our outline.

Since Paul classifies the weak (1 Corinthians 8:7) as those whose scruples cause them to abstain from eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols; by inference, we classify the strong as those who could, with good conscience, eat meat sacrificed to idols because they knew that an idol was not a god.

It should be a matter of certain knowledge to every Christian that there is only one God. He is God of the whole universe, God of all men, Creator of everything that exists, and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, co-equal with God. It was clear to every Jew (Deuteronomy 6:4). If there is only one God, it is clear that an idol has no real existence. Therefore, the worship of idols is sheer folly; it is the worship of nothing.

1 Corinthians 8:7 The Suspicious: But such knowledge was not so certain in the minds of some of the Christians at Corinth. To some of the Greek-Christians the images (idols) did represent something. In the pagan world there were many so-called gods and lords in the heavens and on earth. So, in the mentality, opinions, or suspicions of the Greek-Christians these images were real beings called gods. Paul repeats his admonition in chapter 1 Corinthians 10:19-20 that an idol has no real existence, but he warns there that eating meat sacrificed to an idol may endanger even a sure Christian of fellowship with demons!

The Greek phrase, All-' ouk en pasin he gnosis, is literally, But not in all the knowledge. The RSV translation, possess, is not a good translation. No doubt, every Christian in Corinth had been taught that there was only one God, Jehovah, and one Lord, Jesus Christ. They undoubtedly acknowledged the teaching. But what they acknowledged was not in themthat is, not integrated into their willingness. The knowledge that there was only one God was something about which they still had emotional reservations. Paul wrote in Romans 14:23, But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, because he does not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. These Greek-Christians had been taught there was only one Godthey had mentally acknowledged itbut they still didn-'t trust it! In Romans 14:5, Paul writes, Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind. The Greek verb there is plerophoreistho, meaning literally, completely carried. It is the same verb as in Hebrews 10:22, translated, full assurance of faith. In other words, unless the knowledge is carried fully by the mind, the weak or suspicious Christian should not engage in the action.

The question of urgency, however, is, why do not all Christians have full assurance that idols are nothing? Paul's answer is, some, through being hitherto accustomed to idols, eat food as really offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. The reason for their weakness is a life-time consciousness of idols as gods. RSV translates the Greek word sunetheia by the word accustomed, but it means literally, to know with. It would be better translated, consciousness. The word does not emphasize compulsion to do right, as we think of conscience. It emphasizes a conscious knowledge of what is right or wrong. Paul's point is that these Greek-Christians had lived so long with idolatry in their every-day consciousness, they were simply conditioned or trained to accept the idea that an idol was really a god. People may live in an environment where what is false is so widely accepted and practiced as true, and never challenged, they grow up assuming it is true. Such attitudes become so deeply ingrained on the mind through constant exposure and the pressures of circumstance they are not easily wiped out of the mind. Jewish Christians had difficulties changing their minds about many things in the Mosaic system abrogated by the New Testament.

The Greek phrase, hos eidolothuton esthiousin, is literally, as an idol offering they eat.. They felt they were still partaking in the worship of the idol by eating food which had been offered in the pagan sacrifices. Missionaries today have similar experiences. A belief in witchcraft or voodoo long continues to lurk in otherwise well taught Christians and they allow themselves to be bothered by it. Plummer offers this comment: It is the force of habits which lasts.. They have been so accustomed to regard an idol as a reality, as representing a god that exists, that. in spite of their conversion, they cannot get rid of the feeling that, by eating food which has been offered to an idol, they are taking part in the worship of heathen gods; they cannot eat from faith (Romans 14:23).

The meat, in itself, was neither clean or unclean. It was indifferent. But since they could not help feeling it was defiled by having been offered to idols, they went against their own judgment of what was right and thereby judged themselves. While Paul plainly classifies this as a sign of intellectual weakness, he also makes it clear in the remainder of the chapter that such weakness was entitled to forbearance and respect from Christians who were not bothered by the weakness. Foods have nothing in themselves which will bring guilt upon a person (see Mark 7:18-19; Luke 11:41). When people do something they are convinced is wrong they bring condemnation upon themselves. God is greater than our mind, and if our own mind condemns us, we will stand condemned (cf. 1 John 3:19-21). An uninstructed mind may condemn what is not wrong, or allow what is; but in any case, it ought to be obeyed until it is instructed.