I like biblical studies.  I like Greek and Hebrew words.  But, that stuff is worthless if it doesn’t translate to changing lives.  So, from time to time I hope to help us all digest a challenging passage of scripture.  I may digress into word studies, but my goal will always be to bring it around to a big picture application.  So what passage will I digest first?  1 Corinthians 8:1-13. (I won’t post the whole passage when I do stuff like this. I suggest looking it up on biblehub.com)

“But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do” 1 Corinthians 8:8.

Sounds like, “Eat whatever you want.”  Christianity can be seen through a very libertine lens.  God gives us grace.  Therefore, do whatever you want.  We know we are supposed to avoid sin, but for the “no better if we do” things it is up to our discretion.  Right?  Should I eat Mexican food or BBQ?  That’s for me to decide.  Sometimes 1 Corinthians 8 is used on a corporate level.  Should we have contemporary music or hymns?  At least, that is how I have heard this passage used.  Often, this passage is used to talk about alcohol.  So, how can this passage mean something to us today?

First, I want to clarify what is going on before we start applying this passage.  Let’s identify the characters:

People with “rights” (v9). I will call them “Strong” = People that know idols are junk because there is only one God (v6-7a)

“Weak” people (v9) = People that have a lower developed conscience and have a history with idols (v7)

Both of these parties are likely not very Jewish.  In the early church, Jewish Christians were still freaked out about hanging out with Gentiles (Acts 15).  You could probably forget about un-kosher food left over from a pagan temple.  Plus, Corinth was a Gentile hub, not a Jewish (this is only important in that it helps us understand why Paul doesn’t go off into a Law vs. Spirit throw down like in Galatians).

Since it is highly unlikely that Paul is answering questions raised by a Jewish party, we can imagine the conversation going like this.

Setting: Corinthian house church meeting.  Center-stage is the table for the communal meal centering on the Lord’s Supper.

Strong Person (the host): I want to eat some meat.  Gnom, gnom, gnom.

Weak Person: Gasp.  That meat was sacrificed to idols!

Strong Person: So, what?  Idols aren’t anything.  And besides, these are just the leftovers sold in the market.

Weak Person: But, it seems wrong to me.  God doesn’t want people worshiping idols.

Strong Person: This is a snack, not worship.

Weak Person: (whispering to friends) I don’t know if we should meet here again next week.

Do you notice how the labels play out?  The person who is acting morally superior is labelled weak.  They don’t sound weak.  The labels should provide a tone and attitude to Paul’s caution against causing a brother or sister to be “destroyed by your knowledge” (v11).  Instead of being aggressive, someone labelled weak should be conciliatory.

Strong Person: So, what?  Idols aren’t anything.

Weak Person: But, it seems wrong to me.  And you may be right, but it just weirds me out.  One day I may think like you, but can you help me by not eating idol meat at the Lord’s Supper?

Strong Person: I’m sorry.  Sure I will stop.  My freedom is less important than us getting to fellowship together.  But, I hope one day you will feel free like me.

Now our weak person is acting weak, and our strong person is acting out of servant leadership.  The strong person gives up his freedom.  The goal is to preserve fellowship.  Now, think about times in your life where someone has made a request for you to constrain your behaviors or you have attempted to constrain others.  For example, “Don’t watch shows like that”, “Please turn that music off while I’m around”, “Don’t dress that way in church”, “I can’t be around alcohol”.

First, clearly establish if there is sin at hand.  If someone is asking you, “Please don’t murder while I am around” you aren’t dealing with 1 Corinthians 8.

Second, evaluate the attitude and tone of the request.  Is the weak person acknowledging weakness?  Is the strong person emulating Christ’s strength?  How can both parties acknowledge their roles?

Third, preserve fellowship.  This is why Paul says we “sin against Christ” (v12).  In Corinth, the church was becoming fractured over this idol food stuff.  Freedom is not the most important thing in the church.  Fellowship and unity is a big deal (John 17:21).  Libertinism is not what Jesus modeled (Phil 2:5-11).

You may have a big question now, “What if in step two, the weak person thinks they are the strong or vice versa?”  This is usually where this passage gets muddled.  Someone champions 1 Corinthians 8 to say, “Everyone should be cool with me drinking alcohol” or “Good Christians just don’t do things like that.”

This passage only directly applies to a time when someone needs an extra moral layer that is not a sin one way or another.  If this “weak” person is boastful about getting their way or the “strong” person is bemoaning “silly rules”, then you may as well throw out the whole passage.  Everyone needs to go read Philippians 2:1-11 until your eyes fall out.