Chapter 8
This chapter exemplifies Peter’s statement regarding the extremely difficult writings of Paul, which if misinterpreted by novice believers, and more-so by deluded high minded, self-professed intellectuals, leads to shipwreck in one’s spiritual life cf 2 Pet 3:15-17. The unwary believer will readily interpret this chapter as condoning eating food sacrificed to idols, and even worse condoning the ingestion of all meats kosher and non-kosher, as many a preacher has falsely proclaimed from the pulpit. It is imperative that we survey Paul’s writings and life holistically, in order to contextualize chapter 8 correctly. The following verses of scripture more than evidently express Paul’s beliefs against eating food sacrificed to idols, and once borne in mind, one may be able to understand his mindset and debate against the Corinthian illuminated ones:
a. Deut 6:4-The Shema. There is only one Elohim YHVH the Most High.
b. Exo 34:14-16-YHVH does not permit being in pagan temples, nor eating of their food. YHVH specifically prohibited this as he knew the weakness of man, and the allure of Satan’s emissaries to partake in Satan’s wickedness. Paul being chosen to be the mouthpiece of YHVH the Son, Yeshua haMashiach, would not go against this commandment.
c. Acts 15:29-Council of Jerusalem which Paul was an architect of, expressly prohibited Gentile converts eating food sacrificed to idols. Paul would not go against edicts formulated by himself and his peers, moved by the Holy Spirit.
d. Acts 25:8-Paul boldly stated that he never at any point in time taught against Torah, nor broke it deliberately.
e. 1 Cor 10:14,20-22-literally 2 chapters later in the same epistle Paul is teaching against eating of things sacrificed to idols. He could not under any circumstance be condoning such practices in chapter 8.
Some background must also be given regarding the setup of the Greco-Roman culture of the day in the first century. Satan has a counterfeit of just about everything that YHVH has set up. The sacrificial system prescribed for Israel involved sacrifice of animals on the altar, which sanctified the beasts. In most instances some of the food went to the priests, some to the layman presenting his sacrificial animal. The pagan sacrificial system mirrored this, whereby animals sacrificed to demon gods were fed to priests, and the layman. The leftovers would then be sold in the market/shambles for profit to the general public cf 1 Cor 10:25. Hence why Paul recommended not asking of the origin of food sold in the markets, as to not have to wrestle with your conscience, if its origin could be from the temples of idols.
It would have been very difficult for the Corinthian socialites within the ecclesia to totally extricate themselves from the worldly daily activities entrenched in temple business, trade, commerce and worship. In order to condone their associations with pagan worshippers, which would have invariably included dining with them, these so-called knowledgeable members of the ecclesia were using their non-belief in these false gods as reason for them to be exonerated from their practices of eating food sacrificed to idols. This is where the bone of contention was with Paul, of which he had to carefully debate through, to show them that such practices were actually detrimental to the corporate body of Messiah, as it encouraged the weak to perceive such practices as permissible, and hence would sink them back into the allure of idolatry and pagan worship.
V1 Knowledge is powerful, but like a dagger, may be used for good or evil. Pride is an unfortunate characteristic exhibited by those with any semblance of knowledge, especially in the midst of less educated company. This pride not only plagues those who are worldly, but also tends to bedevil the very elect. Once corrupted by pride, knowledge loses its desired effect of uplifting the uninformed spiritually. Agape/brotherly love supersedes all and being devoid of pride, oikodomeo/builds up, edifies others. Knowledge is not being frowned upon here by Paul, but rather that which is accompanied by pride, which corrupts and disqualifies its intended purpose.
V2 Different Greek words are utilized for the English translation ‘know’ in this verse. If any man think he eido/perceives anything, he ginosko/has knowledge, understanding of nothing oudepo/not yet as he ought to ginosko/have knowledge, understand. There is a difference between perception and understanding, of which Satan and his emissaries have confounded the world with. Perception want of understanding leads to arrogant assumptions, which can land one on the wrong side of that particular truth so perceived. Paul is building up his argument against the perceived knowledge claimed by some in the ecclesia who condoned eating of food sacrificed to idols.
V3 However those who love Elohim, are truly knowledgeable and have understanding, courtesy of these gifts being bestowed upon them by the Holy Spirit cf 1 Cor 12:8. Love must precede any desire for true knowledge, lest one be fooled by the devil in having knowledge, when they actually have misperceptions befuddling their minds cf 1 Jn 5:19-20. A clear example in our time is science falsely called such as evolution, theosophy, psychiatry, genetic engineering/modification, modern medicine that fails to cure e.g. chemotherapy and radiotherapy, dark nuclear physics which has utilized atomic energy to cause untold devastation and destruction through nuclear warfare, and a whole barrage of scholarly deception born out of the age of enlightenment in the 18th century.
France, Britain and Germany underwent a social revolution that was exported worldwide, whereby advocates of so-called freedom, democracy and reason, viewed the church and all it stood for as superstition and ignorance, which supposedly stifled progress and perfection of mankind. The world has since churned out what are perceived as giants of scholarly prowess, who have been architects of roadmaps of disaster. We live in a world totally turned upside down that labels right as wrong and blasphemes the name of Elohim all day long cf 1 Tim 6:20-21; Acts 17:6; Isa 5:20-21.
V4 Paul addresses the question posed to him regarding food offered to idols. He acknowledges that idols are indeed false elohim, unworthy of any reverence Deut 6:4. Note however that he has not condoned eating food sacrificed to them though. He is careful in his phraseology.
V5 These false idols are representatives of false elohim in heaven and earth. The fallen angels and their Nephilim offspring were the source of false elohim worship, and continue to pervade the world to this day. The Corinthians were in the midst of a pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses, which were worshipped by the heathen, and of which part of the ecclesia once worshipped prior to their conversion to Christianity.
V6 However YHVH Elohim is the one and only true Elohim, the Father being whom all things emanate from and in whom we exist by His Holy Spirit, and the Son, our one Lord, being the creator of all things and by whom our existence is cf Jn 1:3; Heb 1:2; Col 1:16-17. Paul throughout his epistles refers to the Father as Theos/Elohim, and to Yeshua as Kurios/Lord, Master. The Septuagint Bible of which was used in Paul’s day translated the Hebrew name Yehovah as Kurios throughout the Tanakh and Elohim as Theos. Paul was not separating the Father and Son into different categories of deity, but was moreover reflecting the equality of both participants in the triune manifestation of YHVH Elohim, the one and only true Elohim. The Father is the source of all things (good and evil) but in whom the saints are in via His Holy Spirit, whilst the Son is the agent by whom all things (good and evil) are, but by whom the saints are called.
V7 Despite a mature saint being knowledgeable of the reality of one true Elohim, the immature Christian, who is not fully cognizant of this, and still believes that the other idols have power and are something in this world i.e. have conscience of the idol, may be confounded to see other members of the ecclesia eating food previously offered to false gods, and partake in this practice too, believing he is reverencing the idol. This would ultimately defile his suneidesis/conscience, which, in the immature saint is weak. The suneidesis is the soul, as distinguishing what is morally good and bad. This verse brings to light that we all have different degrees of strength of conscience, which with growth in spiritual maturity proportionately increases.
V8 Broma/food does not paristemi/bring near to Elohim the one so eating it. Eating food does not draw one nearer to Elohim; nor does refusing to eat such alienate one from Elohim. What emanates from the heart determines one’s proximity to the Most High cf Matt 15:17-20. Once again note Paul has carefully not related this statement to permission to eat food sacrificed to idols. He has not mentioned idols at all in this general point he has made.
V9 This verse is pivotal in this chapter in consolidating Paul’s goal in differentiating knowledge in love, versus knowledge in haughtiness. Despite knowledgeable Christians being aware of the fact that eating food is of no consequence, if they were to be seen eating food sacrificed to idols, despite their firm belief that their perceived knowledge allows them to get away with it (though Torah clearly prohibits it), the saint so deluded should be circumspect of their perceived liberty in eating such food being a possible proskomma/obstacle, occasion of apostasy to the immature saint, who is still not conversant of scripture. Immature Christians are vulnerable to deception by the forces of evil, drawing them back into idolatry outright.
This was Paul’s major concern regarding the Corinthians' false belief that eating food sacrificed to idols was of no consequence, if one was convinced that the idol meant nothing. In chapter 10 Paul highlights to them that these idols actually have a demonic entity in the background to which one would be sacrificing to unknowingly.
V10 Paul reinforces his aversion of such a belief held by the so-called puffed up knowledgeable ones, that it is permissible to eat food sacrificed to idols on the premise that idols mean nothing. He highlights how a neophyte in Messiah, lacking scriptural maturity and understanding may by his weak conscience be convinced that eating food sacrificed to idols is inconsequential, and actually wholly partake in the ceremony too, leading to their spiritual destruction. Like a baby imitating its parents, it may not understand why in winter its parents warm their hands by the fire, and may in their absence imitate them and crawl into the fire altogether, totally unaware of the danger of surpassing specific limits that lead to harm. The responsibility lies with the parents to nurture the baby, as much as the mature Christians in the ecclesia are to carefully lead the neophytes to truth, without ambiguity.
V11 Through repetition and reinforcement of his point, Paul reiterates how a mature Christian’s conduct that is ambiguous, may lead the immature down a slippery slope of spiritual destruction. This would indirectly hold that ambiguous mature Christian answerable to this sin.
V12 Such indirect sin affecting the immature believer, could lead to them losing their hope of salvation, and by so wounding the conscience of this member of the body of Messiah, this so-called knowledgeable Christian would also be answerable to Messiah, by being responsible for this sin’s manifestation.
V13 To totally erase any possible misunderstanding of Paul’s argument he categorically states that he would rather not eat meat altogether, if it would mean preventing any ambiguity regarding the ingestion of food sacrificed to idols, in order not to confound the weaker Christian, and more-so give no room for that Christian’s salvation being put in danger.