1 Corinthians 8 - Knowledge vs. Love

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 - Paul contrasts knowledge vs. love. Knowledge focuses us inward on ourselves, love focuses us outward on others. He's setting the stage for his teaching on food sacrificed to idols.

1 Corinthians 8:9 - This one verse sums up the chapter: "take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." In verses 1-3 Paul establishes that knowledge cannot trump love, in verses 4-6 he establishes that idols are nothing, there is only one God, implying that food offered to them is simply food.

However, the last paragraph of this short chapter proclaims that knowledge of the truth that there is only one God, that Idols are nothing and therefore the food is fine, is dangerous. Some do not understand this, for them an idol holds real power and food offered to it is contaminated. So, to eat it is to lead the weak astray, for they cannot fathom a way that this is not a sin against God.

Paul says that if it makes his brother stumble, he will never eat meat (v. 13). Are we willing to do the same, sacrifice our freedoms for the sake of our 'weaker' brothers?

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