1 Corinthians 8

1 Corinthians- written by Paul at Ephesus (modern day Turkey, huge amphitheater that was the largest
the Greeks ever made, 30,000 capacity, mentioned when in 1 Cor 15:32 when talking about fighting with
the beasts of Ephesus), about A.D. 57 in response to member of the Chole family (1 Cor 1:11) and to a
letter from the church requesting advice (1 Cor 7:1- now concerning), possibly from Stephanas,
Fortunatus and Achaicus (1 Cor 16:17).
- Certain factions had arisen in the church using his name, Peter’s, Apollos’, and Christ’s himself
who were in contentions with each other
- 1) 1st part of letter he tries to resort harmony among them by reuniting them to the sole head of
the church, then to put them on guard against teachers of false philosophy who are resting their
faith on the wisdom of men instead of God
- 2) Then he talks about immoralities that have entered the church (1 Cor 5)
- 3) Then he starts answering questions they brought to him (hot topics on doctrine and Christian
ethics)
- 4) Conclusion- elaborate defense of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead

Corinth- capital city of Peloponnese (a Byzantine military-civilian province encompassing the

Peloponnese peninsula in Southern Greece)
- Had 3 good harbors- one on the Corinthian Gulf (West) and 2 on the Saronic Gulf (East)- led to
commerce/wealth- were few harbors on the Corinthian Gulf only aiding further into its wealth
- Phoenicinans (early settlers) left a mark with their religion and mythology
o Aphrodite, Melikertes, Athene Phoenike
o Poseidon and other sea deities were held in high esteem
- They prided themselves on surpassing the other Greeks in the embellishment of their city and in
the adornment of their temples
- 1st ships of war were built here in 664 B.C.- held a leading position among the Greek cities, but
due to her love of great material prosperity it would not risk it all as Athens did and soon sank to
2nd class
o When Athens, Thebes, Sparta, and Argos fell away, Corinth came to front again as the
wealthiest and most important city in Greece, then destroyed by Mummius in 146 B.C.
o Julius Caesar restored Corinth a century later (46 B.C.) and the Roman colony quickly
became one of the most prominent centers in Greece
- When Paul visited Corinth, he found it the metropolis of the Peloponnesus
o Jews flocked to this center of trade and one reason he remained here so long (Acts
1811) due to this strong Jewish nucleus
o At this time the city was fully Roman, hence the many Latin names in the NT: Lucius,
Gaius, Quartus, Justus, Titus, etc.
- The Church of Corinth- consisted principally of non-Jews (1 Cor 12:2- You know that when you
were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.)
o Paul had no intention at first of making the city a base of operations for he wished to
return to Thessalonica, but he had a revelation and stayed 1.5 years (Acts 18:9-11 9One
night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be
silent. 10For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many
people in this city.” 11So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching the word of God
among the Corinthians)
 o Paul found strong opposition in the synagogue, so he left the Jews and went to the
Gentiles (Acts 18:6), but Crispus the ruler of the synagogue and his house were believers
(Acts 18:8). Few Corinthians were baptized by Paul himself, only Crispus, Gaius and
some of the household of Stepahnas (1 Cor 1:14,16). Paul wrote the 1st Epistle to the
Thessalonians while in Corinth (1 Thess 3:6)
o The church here was composed of mainly the lower classes (1 Cor 1:26)
- Eventually, earthquake, malaria, and the harsh Turkish rule swept away everything except for 7
columns of one old Doric temple (all that is left above ground marking the ancient city)

Paul- small, little

- His dad was of the tribe of Benjamin (Philemon 3:5) and a Pharisee (Acts 23:6) and Paul had
somehow acquired means of the Roman franchise (I was free born- Acts 22:23). Paul was born in
Tarsus a Gentile city of Cilicia probably around A.D. 0- A.D. 5

Now concerning- this expression shows that transition to a new topic and alludes to that it is replying to
a question that the Corinthians sent to Paul (1 Cor 7:1)

Knowledge- talking about the knowledge that idols are nothing

- Knowledge puffs us up- it feeds our ego and pride-
o We like to hold it over others that we know something that the other doesn’t
o We also like to use this to inflate our spirituality- I’m more spiritual than you because I
know more
o We often know less than we think we do, and often we don’t even know what we
actually think we know
o Things that are puffed up, are puffed up by air; the more inflated it becomes the
hollower and emptier they become
o I think Paul is speaking from experience from which he had learned from. Think about all
Paul has done, encountered in his life, and was called to do- there are a lot of big
moments that could have easily puffed up Paul, but he knew if he did them in love it
wasn’t about him, but God and his people
- Love builds up- love is the lens which we should view things, not through knowledge alone
o The one who loves God is known by God
 It is better to love and be known (by God) than to know without love- God
enters the verse when we love, not when we know something

In Corinth (and other cities with pagan believers) meat was that had been used for sacrificial purposes in
the heathen temples was divided into 3 parts: 1) priests 2) the one giving the offering 3) remaining
portion was sold in the market- often the market was in the temple or right outside of it. Sometimes it
was easily identified as such (like previously mentioned), but at other times it wasn’t, such as a public
market. A Christian might unconsciously eat of the meat if visiting a friend (1 Cor 10:27)
- 2 different opinions:
o some felt as though an idol was nothing so it could neither consecrate nor pollute what
was offered in its temple- they didn’t care if the meat came from this source and would
even join in a repast held in the outer court of the heathen temple (1 Cor 8:10)- Paul
seems to fall into this camp
 o others felt that there were heathen converts who had not completely gotten rid of the
old superstition or whose conscience would accuse them of not having wholly given up
idolatry if they partook in this even in its social aspect
 Jews would also have found offense due to their traditional hatred of idolatry
that would not allow them to regard this as “nothing”
- Doesn’t exist in our culture really, but does in others still to this day i.e. a woman in India who is
a Christian married to a Hindu who hunts an animal and brings it back to feed the family, but
praises whatever god for it, should the woman still feed this to her family?
o Mardi Gras- when others were outright against it

Food does not bring us closer to God (amoral- doesn’t have the ability to have morality)
- We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do
- Morally neutral- many things in life fall under this category- i.e. a car- brings nothing to the
morality equation, but could serve as a stumbling block

We know that an idol is nothing and that there is only one God
- Even if these so-called gods existed, yet for us there is but one God, the Father for who
everything was created from and for whom we exist and one Lord, Jesus Christ
o Why did Paul mention one God, then decide to mention one Lord who is Jesus?
 To establish what separates Christianity from others including Judaism?
 Jew would have believed in God the Father, but not Jesus, plus the love of God
to send Jesus to redeem us is symbolized in these 3 verses

New convictions don’t obliterate the power of old associations

Christian men are bound to restrict their liberty so that they don’t tempt the weaker brethren on to a
path on which they cannot walk without stumbling. What is harmless to us, may be fatal to others

Verse 11
11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.
- Full of death and darkness, weak brother (a sinner who deserves death), whom Christ died for
(Christ’s innocent death), destroyed by your knowledge (death and destruction of something
that was redeemed by death (and resurrection) itself)

Romans 14:13-23- Cross Reference

13Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block
or obstacle in your brother’s way.
- Previous set of scriptures talks about the law of liberty
o 1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions. 2For one
person has faith to eat all things, while another, who is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The
one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does
not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who
are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he
will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
14I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone
regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

Ezekiel 14:1-11 Cross Reference

Idolatrous Elders Condemned

1Then some of the elders of Israel came and sat down before me. 2And the word of the LORD came to
me, saying, 3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks
before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way?

4Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up
idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I
the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry, 5so that I may take hold of the hearts of the
people of Israel. For because of their idols, they are all estranged from Me.’

6Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Repent and turn away from your
idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7For when any Israelite or any foreigner dwelling
in Israel separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, and puts a wicked stumbling block before
his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I the LORD will answer him Myself. 8I will set
My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people.
Then you will know that I am the LORD.

9But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will
stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. 10They will bear their
punishment—the punishment of the inquirer will be the same as that of the prophet— 11in order that
the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their
transgressions. Then they will be My people and I will be their God, declares the Lord GOD.’ ”

The Lord want to cut off from his people the ones who have idols in their hearts
- There are people who are creating dissention amongst His people and God will stand for that

I love how Paul starts off the chapter- he starts off tackling the real issue at hand- some of the church
knows what is right, but they are using that knowledge against their own brothers and sisters instead of
choosing to love them and lay their rights down, so they don’t offend them. Aha, Jesus imagery
moment- Jesus laid down his rights (He was fully Lord in Heaven, he laid those rights down, then He laid
down his right to live even though He was perfect and Holy for us out of love, not knowledge).
Christianity is new, especially to the bulk of this Gentile, previous pagan believing body. Think about
when you first entered into a relationship with Jesus and all the things you didn’t know. How did you
best learn the things of God, through someone else’s judgement or through someone else’s love who
wanted to show you what was right and teach you? Then he answers the question at hand about the
food sacrificed to idols. He starts with the heart, then appeals to the brain. Food sacrificed to idols isn’t
commonplace in our culture, but the heart of the matter is. We should love others and put them before
ourselves and care enough about them to not be a stumbling block to them.