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1 Corinthians 8

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Knowledge vs. Love 1–3

1
Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. ​
2
If any man thinketh that he knoweth anything, he knoweth not yet as he ought to know; ​
3
but if any man loveth God, the same is known by him. ​

The Truth About Idols and God 4–8

4
Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no God but one. ​
5
For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many; ​
6
yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. ​
7
Howbeit there is not in all men that knowledge: but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. ​
8
But food will not commend us to God: neither, if we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better. ​

Liberty Must Not Cause Stumbling 9–13

9
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak. ​
10
For if a man see thee who hast knowledge sitting at meat in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols? ​
11
For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died. ​
12
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. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 8

Verse 1

things offered unto idols — Eidolothyton, found also in Acts 15:29, 'abstain from meats offered to idols', and in Rev 2:14, 20. 'Puffeth up' (physioo) is Paul's verb for pride in 4:6, 4:18–19 and 5:2, and 13:4 says charity 'is not puffed up'. 'Edifieth' (oikodomeo) is to build, the figure of 3:9–14.

Verse 2

he knoweth nothing yet — 'Think' is dokeo, the verb of 3:18, 'seemeth to be wise'. The proverb is Prov 26:12, 'Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.' The measure given is 'as he ought to know', which 13:12 puts as the fulfilment still to come: 'now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known'.

Verse 3

is known of him — The sentence turns from the man's knowing to God's: love for God is followed by being 'known of him'. Paul puts the same turn in Gal 4:9, 'ye have known God, or rather are known of God', and 2 Tim 2:19 says 'The Lord knoweth them that are his'. God's knowing is seen when he says to Moses, 'I know thee by name' (Ex 33:17).

Verse 4

an idol is nothing in the world — 'Idol' is eidolon. The second confession, 'none other God but one', is that of Deut 4:39, 'the LORD he is God… there is none else'. Isa 41:24 says of the gods of the nations, 'ye are of nothing'. In 10:19–20 Paul qualifies what is offered at the altar: 'they sacrifice to devils, and not to God'.

Verse 5

gods many, and lords many — 'Lords' (kyrios) is the title v.6 gives to Christ. Deut 10:17 names the one God by the same two titles, 'God of gods, and Lord of lords'. Those 'called gods' are described in Gal 4:8 as 'them which by nature are no gods'. The parenthesis allows that the names exist.

Verse 6

one God, the Father… one Lord Jesus Christ — The prepositions are those of Rom 11:36. 'Of' is ek; 'in' translates eis, the 'to' of 'to him' there; 'by' is dia, the 'through' there. The Father is source and goal of all things, and all things are 'by' the Lord Jesus Christ: 'All things were made by him' (John 1:3); 'by him were all things created' (Col 1:16).

Verse 7

their conscience being weak is defiled — 'Conscience' is syneidesis, 'weak' is asthenes, and 'defiled' is molyno, to stain, used elsewhere only in Rev 3:4 and 14:4. The principle is set out in Rom 14:14, 'there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean'. 'Unto this hour' (arti) means until now.

Verse 8

meat commendeth us not to God — 'Commendeth' is paristemi, to present, the verb of Rom 12:1, 'present your bodies a living sacrifice'. 'Better' is perisseuo, to abound, and 'worse' is hystereo, to lack. Rom 14:17 says the same: 'the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.'

Verse 9

this liberty of yours — 'Liberty' is exousia, authority, the 'power' of Rom 13:1 and the root of 'brought under the power' in 6:12. 'Stumblingblock' (proskomma) is the word of Rom 14:13, 'put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way'. 'Take heed' (blepo) is the verb of 3:10, and Gal 5:13 gives the use of liberty: 'by love serve one another'.

Verse 10

be emboldened — The Greek is oikodomeo, the verb of v.1: the weak man's conscience is 'built up' to eat. 'Idol's temple' (eidoleion) occurs only here. 'Sit at meat' is katakeimai, to recline at table. In 10:28–29 Paul speaks of the conscience of the man who points out that the food 'is offered in sacrifice unto idols'.

Verse 11

for whom Christ died — 'Through thy knowledge' takes up the gnosis of v.1. 'Perish' is apollymi, the verb rendered 'Destroy' in Rom 14:15, 'Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died'. 'Brother' (adelphos) is used four times in vv.11–13.

Verse 12

ye sin against Christ — 'Sin… against' (hamartano eis) is the construction of 6:18, 'sinneth against his own body'. 'Wound' is typto, to strike, the 'smote' of Luke 18:13. Christ's words are close: 'Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me' (Matt 25:45), and of offending 'one of these little ones which believe in me' (Matt 18:6).

Verse 13

make my brother to offend — 'Offend' is skandalizo, to cause to stumble, twice in this verse; Rom 14:21 uses it with 'flesh': 'It is good neither to eat flesh… nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth'. 'I will eat no flesh' (ou me, never) carries the strong negative. The practice is stated in 9:22, 'To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak'.