Friday, June 23, 2017

1 Corinthians 8

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. v.13

Read chapter 8
Now the big question: "Can Christians do _____?"  The question then was can believers eat food sacrificed to idols and this is still the question today if believers can do something that nonbelievers do.  Paul is addressing the stronger believers here in answering this question as they had deeper knowledge and understanding of their freedom in Christ and as it has to do with conscious sake.  Out of love for the weaker brethren the stronger ought to be mindful of their actions.  Paul even starts off the chapter that "knowledge puffs up, but love edifies" (v.1).  The meat markets in that day had meats for everyday eating and meats specifically for sacrifices to idols.  The idol meat was cheaper than the normal meat so if a believer bought the idol meat or ate it at a guest's home this would either offend another believer or cause someone who's thinking wasn't mature in knowledge of food sacrificed to idols (if they realized idols are false and therefore something not real can't contaminate food) they would buy it too, but through their weak conscious they would be sinning.
For example, I stopped drinking alcohol for this reason.  I had a tolerance of alcohol where I could drink a glass or two of wine and be fine, but I remember one time hearing someone say "Well if Nicole's drinking than I can drink."  This made me sad and upset a bit.  I did not want to be someone else's standard for drinking and their justification as to how much they could drink (they might easily have a different tolerance and get drunk quicker or could turn in to an addictive behavior).  So I decided I'd rather not drink at all to not cause someone else to stumble in something that could lead to sin.  
What are some other ethical ways a stronger and weaker believer need to look out for each other in love this way?

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