The text this morning is from Paul’s first to the Corinthians, the eighth chapter:
Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
The Corinthian church was really messed up. Someone had come along and told them that because they were free in the Gospel, there really wasn’t any real necessity to obey the Law. A man was living in sin with his stepmother, the church supported it, the church had divided itself into those with wealth and those without, they had divided themselves according to their favorite preacher, and who knows what else. The Corinthian church was messed up.
So, they wrote to Paul and asked for his advice about everything. Our passage today picks up with Paul’s advice to them regarding meat offered to idols. This was a pretty common practice all throughout the world at this time. There are all these temples everywhere, temples of Apollo, Zeus, Athena, temples with oracles, temples with vestal virgins, and every temple, being dedicated for a particular purpose, demanded the worship of the people gathered there.
Now, what I’ve always found fascinating is that you could find in these temples shadows, perversions of what God demanded occur in His Temple. God demanded sacrifices, so, too, did the false gods. God demanded a life of an animal to deliver one from their sins, so, too, did the false gods. But, in these temples, the perversions were that the sacrifices would appease their false gods, make them fat and happy, and that would cause the gods to leave the people alone, not mess with their lives. Yet, in truth, the one, true God demanded these sacrifices that people might realize how involved He is in every aspect of their lives, even using the sacrifices to point to the sacrifice which was coming through the death of His beloved Son.
In the Greek and Roman temples, however, the meat that would be offered to the gods, once its use was over, would be put back into the marketplace and sold to the people. In fact, it’s likely that this was how most of the Gentiles at this time got their meat. City-dwelling people don’t have farms or animals like the rural folk did. So, they had to get their meat somewhere, or just eat vegetables and try to find lots of protein somewhere else. They got it from the temple vendors.
Was that okay still for a Christian to do? Could they go out and buy meat from the vendors of the false temples? Paul’s basic answer was this: love God and love your neighbor; he echoed Jesus’ summation of the entire Law. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
He makes it clear that there is no such thing as a god besides the one true God. Though many “gods” seem to have power, seem to demand certain things, only two things are possible: one, they’re an idol and have no power unto themselves except what crazy people ascribe to it, or, two, there is power in the false god and it is derived from the power of the demon masquerading itself as that god. Was Zeus in some sense real? Did he ever interact with the people? Maybe. But, if he ever did, it was a demon pretending to be a god. There is no god but God Himself, and He is only made known to us through Christ Jesus.
This is what Moses tells us in the Old Testament reading: a prophet like him from the brothers of Israel will be raised up, and He shall speak the words of God, and if anyone doesn’t listen, his life will be required, it will be forfeit. This is what the people, and even the demon, are saying in the Gospel lesson: Jesus is the Holy One of God, teaching with authority, commanding the demons to do His bidding. Jesus reveals the one true God, of whom He is the Second Person of the Trinity. Jesus is God, and He reveals God to us, shows us who He is, shows us how He loves us, cares us, provides for us, forgives us, saves us. No other god, no other demon, despite all the flowery words they may have can or would do the same.
So, when Paul is asked about whether it’s okay to eat the meat offered to these false gods, he says love God and love your neighbor. Are you worshipping the false god when you eat the meat? If yes, if you can’t get over the idea that this belongs to some demon, then don’t do it. If no, if you’re not worshipping the false god, then go for it. Meat is yummy.
Ah, but, what about a weaker brother? What about one who still struggles with leaving behind the old, false gods? Would you offend him if you eat the meat? Would you tempt him to run back to his idolatry? Would it destroy his faith if he were to see you doing this? If no, then go for it. If yes, then you better abstain from meat until the person is strong enough to accept it.
By the way, that’s kind of implied in this passage, but not stated outright: there’s nothing wrong with eating this meat, but if a weaker brother is offended, don’t do it, and, on top of that, work with them to help them understand, give them the knowledge, stand with them, teach them, that this is okay and their conscience need not suffer under it. When they get to that point, great! Until then, bear with them in patience. If they reject the knowledge, that would be one thing. In that case, you would be called to teach them understanding by example. But, if they’re genuinely weak, if they truly don’t understand, have patience.
Let’s try to put this into context: can a Christian watch TV? Perhaps an odd question, since cable or streaming services are basically utilities today. But, most of the programming out there isn’t what we would call “wholesome.” Almost every show out there has extramarital sex or some reference to it. Almost every show advances a socially liberal gospel of acceptance and tolerance. Almost every show makes fun of Christianity at some point. But, is it okay to watch those shows? I’d answer with Paul: love God, love your neighbor.
So, are you being lead away from the Word of God by watching these shows? Are you using discernment? Are you comparing what these shows teach to the Word of God? Are you tempted to skip church to watch them? I mean, if you can watch TV, Netflix, Hulu, whatever, and you aren’t being lead away from the one true God, then, please, feel free. Use these things as entertainment, a provision to enrich your life, but not to take over it.
Yet, let’s say you have a Christian friend who is super offended by some of what they see. They know of these weird shows and they really don’t want to have anything to do with it because it tempts them. A show about sex in the city tempts them to lust after the pretty people. A show about home improvement causes them to covet. A show about murder brings up old hatreds for people who abused them. So, they avoid the TV. Nothing really wrong with that, right? If you know they feel this way, are you going to invite them over to watch something? No! Are you going to talk about what they missed on the latest sitcom? Of course not!
You aren’t going to offend them. You aren’t going to risk it. But, what if they’re tempted back to all their old sins because you still watch all this stuff? Then you give up the TV for their sake, and try to teach them what God says about it all: everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Watch what edifies, not what breaks down. It may take time, it may take effort, but our care for those whom Christ loves is essential. Through our love for Christ, love for the neighbor flows.
And why do we love Christ? Simply put, He is different than any other god, every other god. This is a brilliant message of Christianity. Every other god is false, none has provided even a basis is fact that you can prove the love of that god. Yet, Jesus is so true, He leaves witnesses, He leaves what people have written, He leaves footprints. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is so factual that it is the center of certainty with knowledge. There is no more true thing than Christ. And if He historically lived, spoke, and taught, and if He historically suffered, died, was buried, and was resurrected, then what He taught must be true because He was resurrected. If He then claims to be God, then claims He’ll be resurrected, and He’s resurrected, then He must also be God. It’s amazing, and it’s the only religion that can claim such a thing and prove it.
You love because He first loved you. You love because He lived and died and was resurrected for you. You are freed from the condemnation of the Law because He gave that to you. You are welcomed into eternal life because He promised that to you. You can be patient with other because of He had mercy on you. You can bear with those who are weaker because He has lifted you up.
You see, we teach others what we ourselves have received: that Christ was crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day, He rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling and reigning over all things, taking care of and providing for you. Through His death and resurrection, He has given power to those means of grace which He promised to you, His Word, His Baptism, His Supper, that you might receive the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. And as your faith is being strengthened, as it is becoming stronger, seeking after all truth, you can lead others in the same.
Knowledge puffs up if you get it on your own, if you lean on your own understanding. But love, love for you from Christ, love for the neighbor from you, love builds up, love teaches, loves supports. From Christ, the one true God, you receive His love when you hear His Word, when you remember He washed you, when you are fed by Him, and you can share that then with all those around you, building up the body of Christ, even in the places it is most weak. Love God, receive love from God, and love your neighbor. That’s what the Christian does. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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