But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
- 1 Corinthians 8:7-13
In the previous verses, Paul began to answer the question from the Corinthian church on whether it was acceptable for them to eat meat that had been sacrificed to pagan idols. His conclusion in that section was that idols are nothing and worthless, especially compared to the one true God who created everything that exists. Here, Paul elaborates on that conclusion a bit more and then goes on to discuss the freedom we have in Christ.
“This knowledge” that Paul references in verse 7a is the knowledge that God rules over all and that idols are nothing. Yes, idols exist, but only our sinful minds can give them any sort of power over us. God created all things, and everything that becomes an idol was created by Him. But, not every person has this understanding of God. Those who believe in idols give those idols power over their lives.
Even if the person now has saving faith in Jesus Christ, their former belief in the pagan idols may still color their thinking. They may think of food that was sacrificed to idols as coming from the idol rather than how all food comes from God, who created all things. Their conscience is weak (verse 7b); they have not yet developed a stronger moral and theological awareness of God. Paul says that because of this, their conscience is defiled. That word “defiled” can mean ruining something good with something that is even, or it can simply mean feeling guilty.
Paul brings another conclusion in verse 8: “But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.” Food in and of itself is not a spiritual thing; eating certain foods does not make us more or less spiritually mature. Therefore, there is nothing inherently wrong with eating food that had been sacrificed to idols. Because of this, whether individuals in that congregation chose to eat that food or not was a matter of freedom for them, where they can make the choice to do so or not.
Next, Paul speaks more about this idea of Christian liberty. Verse 9 reminds me of the phrase I often say, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” Paul instructs them in verse 9 to make sure that when they are acting in personal freedom, that doesn’t cause someone else to stumble in their faith. This stumbling could simply be a sense of guilt or it could go so far as taking them back into the practice of pagan idolatry. What they are doing may be fine for them, but it may not be fine for other believers.
In verses 10-11, Paul gives them an example, which very likely may have been something that actually happened. If a person who is very immature in their faith sees a believer eating food that came from the temple of a pagan idol, what would they think? Would they think that the believer is endorsing idol worship simply by eating that food? A new, immature believer may not yet understand that idols are nothing; they may still consider them as gods. If that’s the case, then that immature believer may have their faith destroyed by that knowledge and revert back to idolatry.
If a believer knowingly participates in a scenario like the one Paul describes, then they’re using their Christian freedom to harm their brothers and sisters in the faith. If we do that, it is a sin and we are sinning against Christ (verse 12). If you cause someone else to sin like this, you are sinning against your brother or sister in Christ and you are sinning against Christ Himself. It is important to note that the “you” in this verse is a plural you in Greek, which means that Paul is not just talking to one individual but to that congregation as a whole.
Because of this, Paul declares in verse 13, “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.” Paul includes himself in this discussion, thus giving it a wider reach and not just limiting it to the first-century Corinthians. It is possible that Paul faced this very dilemma while in Corinth himself, but he may also be including himself as a means of camaraderie with his fellow believers, showing that this principle applies to everyone.
This principle still applies to us today as well. We don’t face the same issue of eating meat that was sacrificed to pagan idols, but unbelievers and those who are newer to the faith are watching us. Are our actions helping them to grow in their faith, or are our actions causing them to stumble in our faith? We have the freedom to do anything, but is what we are doing beneficial for building up our fellow believers?
Paul’s heart was so focused on the mission that God had given him – to reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ – that he was willing to change his entire lifestyle for it in every way. Not only did Paul go on his missionary journeys to spread the gospel, but he was also willing to give up eating meat if that’s what it took to encourage his fellow believers and not cause them to stumble.
What are you willing to change in your life for the gospel of Jesus? There are many “believers” who aren’t even willing to give up a Sunday morning to attend a worship service in person or give up one evening of their week to go to a Bible study. While God doesn’t call us all to radical life changes, is there something that you are doing that is causing a fellow believer to stumble in his or her faith? This week, ask God to show you if there is something in your life that you should change in your own life to help encourage other believers in their faith.
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