We've been studying a lengthy section regarding foods offered to idols. A person who brought an offering to a pagan god was allowed to take a third of the meat home. He could sell it if he didn't need it, he could enjoy it with his family, or he could invite friends into his home to share it. People living in Corinth saw this meat sold in the marketplace all the time, and it was usually offered at a bargain price. This made it financially tempting for the poor. It was financially tempting even for the wealthy, because who doesn't love a bargain? It would be rude when attending a dinner to ask the host about the source of the meat, so a person could consume meats that had been offered to idols without knowing it. Paul tells the believers at Corinth how to handle these situations.
"'I have the right to do anything,' you say---but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'---but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others." (1 Corinthians 10:23-24) In yesterday's study Paul warned the believers about associating too closely with idolatry. Some of them might be weak enough in the faith to turn back to idolatry. Even if they are too strong in the faith for this to happen to them, their behavior might affect those of weaker faith. Paul reminds them to always be aware of the influence their behavior has on those around them.
"Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.'" (1 Corinthians 10:25-26) At the market they are to treat all meats the same. They can't assume that meats sold at a bargain price were sacrificed to idols. There are many other reasons why a merchant might put items on sale. They shouldn't even ask about the origin of the meat. If they know it was sacrificed to an idol, and they eat it anyway, they might become too casual in their attitude toward idolatry. Or if their fellow believer sees them purchasing the meat after asking about its origin, that person might be offended. Or the merchant himself or the unbelievers at the marketplace might think Christians are still engaged in idolatry, thus giving Christians a bad name.
"If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience." (1 Corinthians 10:27) We are allowed to eat meals with non-Christians. Jesus was accused of being a "friend of sinners" because He attended all the dinners He was invited to. He attended those dinners in order to show love toward unbelievers and to share the truth of God with them. We've all probably eaten meals with people who aren't Christians. So Paul says to the believers at Corinth that it's okay to go to dinner at the house of someone who isn't a Christian. I want to add that there could be exceptions when it's not okay to go. Some examples would be if you are invited to eat in a home where drunken debauchery or drug use is going to be occurring, or if you are invited to eat out at a place where a Christian shouldn't be seen, or if you are invited to eat with an unbeliever at a restaurant that uses sex appeal to entice patrons into the establishment. (Christians should not participate in the exploitation of women who are dressed in skimpy clothes or, God forbid, in no clothes.)
When a believer at Corinth sits down to eat at the house of an unbeliever they aren't to ask about the origin of the meat they are served. But if the host or someone else at the table offers the information that the meat was served to an idol, the believer isn't to partake of it. "But if someone says to you, 'This has been offered in sacrifice,' then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience." (1 Corinthians 10:28)
The believer is not to eat of the meat if someone informs him of its origin. To eat it is to risk offending another believer at the table. To eat it is to risk being accused of not being fully devoted to Christ. Paul doesn't advise the believer to get up and leave, so I'm making the assumption that the believer can stay and partake of items other than the meat. Another reason I'm making this assumption is that the "someone" who advised the believer that the meat was offered to an idol may be another believer who is at the table. I don't know how likely the pagan host or an unbelieving guest at the table would be to offer this information, but another believer seated at the table would be likely to offer it, and so it seems the other believer has not left the table after finding out about the origin of the meat. We could compare this situation to a diabetic person who has been invited to a meal. Eating items that contain a lot of sugar would be harmful to the diabetic, but he can remain at the dinner and eat the items that are not high in sugar. The believer in Corinth can avoid the meat he has been informed has been offered to idols, but he can probably remain at the dinner and eat from the other dishes.
Paul knows there will be objections to his advice. Those strong in their faith won't see why they have to adjust their behavior to suit those weak in the faith. They will want to know why they should worry about being judged by other believers if they eat meat that was offered to idols. They know that an idol is nothing because the god it represents doesn't exist, so they consider this meat the same as any other meat. And in essence, they are right. But they have to be aware of offending the conscience of other believers. If a believer is sitting at the table, and his fellow believer beside him informs him the meat that's going to be served was offered to an idol, he should abstain from the meat to avoid hurting his fellow believer. We don't live just for ourselves; we live for the Lord, and that means showing love to the Lord's people. "I am referring to the other person's conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom judged by another person's conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced for something I thank God for?" (1 Corinthians 10:29-30) Paul says, "It's not a sin to eat meat that you know was previously offered to an idol, but it is a sin if eating it hurts someone else."
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God---even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." (1 Corinthians 10:31-33) He cautions, "Don't do anything that will hinder the faith of your fellow believer, and don't do anything that might hinder unbelievers from coming to Christ."
There are things we feel we can do in good conscience. An example of this would have to do with alcohol. Some Christian denominations feel it's okay to have an occasional drink or to have a couple of glasses of wine or beer with dinner. Other denominations feel it's sinful to have any alcohol at all. It wouldn't glorify the Lord to imbibe alcohol while sitting with a believer who would never dream of taking a drink. It also wouldn't glorify the Lord to drink alcohol with unbelievers who drink alcohol themselves but who consider it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol. Anything that hurts our testimony is something that fails to glorify the Lord and it's something that could hinder the faith of others. We must always be aware that both believers and unbelievers are watching how we live. Let's strive to live in a way that brings glory to our Savior. When we glorify Him by how we live, we draw others to Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment