"But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak!" (I Corinthians 8:9)
In last week's lesson on I Corinthians 7:25-40, the apostle Paul gives some final words of instructions and guidance to the Corinthian believers' in response to questions they addressed to him concerning marriage versus singleness. And he started by giving his peal opinion that "in view of the present distress," it was good for both men and women to remain in whatever state they were in when God called them to salvation. And so, if a man was "bound" to a woman, he should remain "as is," and not seek to be "released" from her; and, if released, not to seek another wife! But that "if a man does in fact marry, he thasn't sinned; and if a virgin (ESV says, 'a bethrothed woman") marries, neither has she sinned!" And yet, by getting married, they both would open themselves up for "trouble in their lives"! And he proceeds to tell them that he's giving the advice he's giving them "to spare them the trouble," and to free them from the "anxieties" that come with being married! "The one who is unmarried," he said, "is concerned (or at least can be concerned} about the things of the Lord, and how he (or she!) might please the Lord, while the one who is married is more concerned about the world, and how he (or she!) might please his wife (and she her husband)"!
Then, in verses 36-38, we noted Paul giving advice to fathers who were making vows to keep their daughters as "virgins"--at least as it's interpreted in the NASV, while the ESV and other versions see it as Paul giving advice to men who are considering whether or not to follow through on marrying their betrothed virgins! Assuming Paul was advising fathers (which is MacArthur's understanding), it should be understood that, in the Jewish culture of that day, parents, and particularly fathers, played a dominant role in whether, and to whom, their daughters might marry! And so arranged marriages were the norm for that day! As to why the vow, Constable notes that fathers may have resorted to making such a vow because of what Paul had written about singleness as the preferable state; or because of the "ascetic infuences" in the church of Corinth, that gave a false sense of "spirituality" for those remaining "celebate"! Or, perhaps, because of the "present distress"! In any event, Paul seemed to be coming to his senses by further advising the fathers that they should feel free to change their minds and break their vows in view of their daughter's strong desire to marry and the appropriateness of allowing this to take place! (Same advice for men who were considering whether to follow through in marrying the virgin to whom they betrothed!)
There was one further reason for Paul's belief that it was better for some people to remain single, and that is because of the "permanency of marriage"! Paul ends his discourse by writing that "a wife is bound to her husband as long as her husband lives," and that only after he dies is she free to remarry"! (And the same "bounding" would apply for the husband!) In that regard, remember how the disciples reacted (in Matthew 19:19) when Jesus taught the same principle! Then, "it's better not to marry," they concluded! (Giving the impression that they seemed to fear "being stuck" for life in a bad marriage!)
And with that, Paul concluded his discourse, including his opinions, on marriage versus singleness, in response to questions raised by the Corinthians on the subject!
And so, on to our chapter 8 where the apostle Paul sets out to address another issue raised by the Corinthians, that being questions concerning "eating food offered to idol"!
The Corinthians raised this question apparently because they lived in a "polytheisic, and polydemonistic" world where both Greeks and Romans worshiped many pagan gods but, according to MacArthur, also believed in many evil spirits which, among other things, would try to invade human beings by attaching themselves to the food they ate; and that somehow the spirits could be removed if food was offered (or sacrificed!) to them! And so the food that wasn't "burned on the altar," as a sacrifice for the pagan gods (including prime meats!), was served at pagan feasts, and what was left over was sold in the local marketplace! And so this became a primary source of food (mostly meat!) for the people to eat!
Some of the more "knowledgeable" believers knew that idols "were nothing" and that there was only one God, and so had no problem eating the left-over meat, which was available both at local pagan feasts, and in the local markets! Food was food! However, other less knowledgeable and "weaker brothers" who had been involved in worshiping pagan gods and offering food sacrifices before becoming Christians, were bothered by their conscience about eating such food again, and felt "defiled"--and even tempted to return to pagan worship!
And so Paul's response was for those more "knowledgeable" believers to "take care that "this liberty of theirs did not become a stumbling block for their weaker brothers"! And possibly even result in them returning to their pagan worship and empty rituals! And so Paul reminded them that even though their knowledge and belief about the existense of only one God, and the harmlessness of eating the food offered to idols was basically correct, they might be "ruining" (Phillips says "bringing spiritual disaster"!) to a weaker brother for whom Christ died"! And not only was this a sin against a weaker brother by "wounding his conscience," but a sin against Christ"!
And so Paul established the example--and the principle--for how a loving Christian brother should react to such a situation by determining that "if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble"! And thus establishing an important principle for how "love" changes ones' attitude and actions in cases where one is exercising "liberty in Christ"!
Paul's writing in Romans 14:13-23 adds importantly to our understanding of this passage: "Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way! I know and am convinced that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean! For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love! Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died! Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men! So then we pursued the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food! All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith and whatever is not from faith is sin!"
How then shall we live!
Merry Christmas, my beloved brothers!
Lowell
In last week's lesson on I Corinthians 7:25-40, the apostle Paul gives some final words of instructions and guidance to the Corinthian believers' in response to questions they addressed to him concerning marriage versus singleness. And he started by giving his peal opinion that "in view of the present distress," it was good for both men and women to remain in whatever state they were in when God called them to salvation. And so, if a man was "bound" to a woman, he should remain "as is," and not seek to be "released" from her; and, if released, not to seek another wife! But that "if a man does in fact marry, he thasn't sinned; and if a virgin (ESV says, 'a bethrothed woman") marries, neither has she sinned!" And yet, by getting married, they both would open themselves up for "trouble in their lives"! And he proceeds to tell them that he's giving the advice he's giving them "to spare them the trouble," and to free them from the "anxieties" that come with being married! "The one who is unmarried," he said, "is concerned (or at least can be concerned} about the things of the Lord, and how he (or she!) might please the Lord, while the one who is married is more concerned about the world, and how he (or she!) might please his wife (and she her husband)"!
Then, in verses 36-38, we noted Paul giving advice to fathers who were making vows to keep their daughters as "virgins"--at least as it's interpreted in the NASV, while the ESV and other versions see it as Paul giving advice to men who are considering whether or not to follow through on marrying their betrothed virgins! Assuming Paul was advising fathers (which is MacArthur's understanding), it should be understood that, in the Jewish culture of that day, parents, and particularly fathers, played a dominant role in whether, and to whom, their daughters might marry! And so arranged marriages were the norm for that day! As to why the vow, Constable notes that fathers may have resorted to making such a vow because of what Paul had written about singleness as the preferable state; or because of the "ascetic infuences" in the church of Corinth, that gave a false sense of "spirituality" for those remaining "celebate"! Or, perhaps, because of the "present distress"! In any event, Paul seemed to be coming to his senses by further advising the fathers that they should feel free to change their minds and break their vows in view of their daughter's strong desire to marry and the appropriateness of allowing this to take place! (Same advice for men who were considering whether to follow through in marrying the virgin to whom they betrothed!)
There was one further reason for Paul's belief that it was better for some people to remain single, and that is because of the "permanency of marriage"! Paul ends his discourse by writing that "a wife is bound to her husband as long as her husband lives," and that only after he dies is she free to remarry"! (And the same "bounding" would apply for the husband!) In that regard, remember how the disciples reacted (in Matthew 19:19) when Jesus taught the same principle! Then, "it's better not to marry," they concluded! (Giving the impression that they seemed to fear "being stuck" for life in a bad marriage!)
And with that, Paul concluded his discourse, including his opinions, on marriage versus singleness, in response to questions raised by the Corinthians on the subject!
And so, on to our chapter 8 where the apostle Paul sets out to address another issue raised by the Corinthians, that being questions concerning "eating food offered to idol"!
The Corinthians raised this question apparently because they lived in a "polytheisic, and polydemonistic" world where both Greeks and Romans worshiped many pagan gods but, according to MacArthur, also believed in many evil spirits which, among other things, would try to invade human beings by attaching themselves to the food they ate; and that somehow the spirits could be removed if food was offered (or sacrificed!) to them! And so the food that wasn't "burned on the altar," as a sacrifice for the pagan gods (including prime meats!), was served at pagan feasts, and what was left over was sold in the local marketplace! And so this became a primary source of food (mostly meat!) for the people to eat!
Some of the more "knowledgeable" believers knew that idols "were nothing" and that there was only one God, and so had no problem eating the left-over meat, which was available both at local pagan feasts, and in the local markets! Food was food! However, other less knowledgeable and "weaker brothers" who had been involved in worshiping pagan gods and offering food sacrifices before becoming Christians, were bothered by their conscience about eating such food again, and felt "defiled"--and even tempted to return to pagan worship!
And so Paul's response was for those more "knowledgeable" believers to "take care that "this liberty of theirs did not become a stumbling block for their weaker brothers"! And possibly even result in them returning to their pagan worship and empty rituals! And so Paul reminded them that even though their knowledge and belief about the existense of only one God, and the harmlessness of eating the food offered to idols was basically correct, they might be "ruining" (Phillips says "bringing spiritual disaster"!) to a weaker brother for whom Christ died"! And not only was this a sin against a weaker brother by "wounding his conscience," but a sin against Christ"!
And so Paul established the example--and the principle--for how a loving Christian brother should react to such a situation by determining that "if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble"! And thus establishing an important principle for how "love" changes ones' attitude and actions in cases where one is exercising "liberty in Christ"!
Paul's writing in Romans 14:13-23 adds importantly to our understanding of this passage: "Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way! I know and am convinced that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean! For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love! Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died! Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men! So then we pursued the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food! All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith and whatever is not from faith is sin!"
How then shall we live!
Merry Christmas, my beloved brothers!
Lowell
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