December 26, 2004

KNOWLEDGE OR LOVE, WHICH?

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

   "Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. And if any man think that he knows any thing, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same in known of Him (1 Corinthians 8:1-3). It seems we are faced with two contending virtues, knowledge and love. Which will solve the problem at hand?

   The problem concerned "eating of those things...offered in sacrifice to idols. The proscription from the Jerusalem conference stated, "abstain from foods offered to idols. These "decrees...to keep were according to the apostles and elders (Acts 15:28, 16:4). Enlightened by the gospel, saints at Corinth figured that according to their knowledge, "an idol is nothing in the world, and "there was no God but one. Why not take advantage of choice foods at bargain prices. The logic was sound but their application missed an important point.

   Not all saints had "this knowledge. Some still had a lingering "conscience of the idol, if they ate it as "a thing offered to an idol... their conscience being weak is defiled. Food "does not commend us to God, for neither, if we eat, are we the better...neither if we eat not are we the worse (8:8). Food does nothing for the believer's relation to God. But, "take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak, and through thy knowledge... the weaker brother perish, for whom Christ died (8:11). Actions like this are called "sin," and are not only against one's weaker brethren, but also against Christ! Whereas one's knowledge might embolden him to "eat things without regard to whatever dedication might have been associated with certain foods, love would consider the scruples of weaker brethren to be sure to put no cause of stumbling before them or cause them to violate their conscience. If we "have all knowledge...and have not love, we are nothing (1 Cor. 13:2).

   Romans 14 treats the same, yet opposite, situation where Jewish converts had scruples against eating things forbidden by the Law. This case is one where Gentile converts were insensitive toward some of their number who still had "a conscience of the idol.

Ivan L. Burgener