Paul has already dealt with the subject of strength and weakness in the early chapters of 1 Corinthians, reminding us in 1 Cor 1:18-25 that God’s weakness is stronger than our strength and His foolishness wiser than our wisdom. In 1 Cor 8 he talks about a ‘weak conscience’ (1 Cor 8:10, 12) and gives instruction on how those who are ‘strong’ should behave in relation to those with weaker consciences.
‘Conscience is that internal court where our actions are judged and are either approved or condemned.’ (Warren Wiersbe) It is God-given (see Rom 2:14-15), but is not necessarily aligned with God; we have to learn to train our consciences in godly ways and godly thinking and must be careful not to ignore it, since it can be defiled and even seared (1 Tim 4:2). The weak Christians in Corinth felt it was a sin to eat meat sacrificed to idols. Because of their upbringing, earlier habits, or former lifestyle, the weak still believed that they were participating in idol worship by eating the meat. The Bible suggests that some in Corinth could not shake their past. As believers in Jesus Christ, we must be sensitive to our spiritual brothers and sisters. We must learn to defer to them when it is appropriate. For, in the end, what difference does it really make whether we eat or not? Paul argued that if weaker believers felt in some way that a connection to an idol was offensive, that view should be respected, without making them feel foolish. It is not right to encourage someone to do something bad that his conscience tells him he shouldn’t do. The conscience should be respected. There is a danger that ignoring one’s conscience could lead to doing other things that are wrong, things that are not indifferent but are sin.
The issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols is one that is not essential to salvation. It’s a ‘grey area’ in many respects. Paul’s advice was that those who knew that the issue was not really about food should do nothing to harm those whose consciences would become easily defiled (1 Cor 8:7), wounded (1 Cor 8:12) or offended (1 Cor 8:13); in other words, the strong should defer to the weak.
This is not the way of the world. In the world, the strong trample over the weak, but this is not the kingdom way (see Matt 20:24-28). In the kingdom, what counts is faith expressing itself through love (Gal 5:6), love which puts the needs of others before one’s own needs (see Phil 2:1-11). Love builds up (1 Cor 8:1). Rom 14 deals with similar topics, saying ‘Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling over disputable matters.’ (Rom 14:1) When it comes to grey areas (the technical term for which is ‘adiaphora’), Paul’s advice is simple: ‘make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.’ (Rom 14:13) He was fully persuaded that no food in itself was unclean (Rom 14:14), but was more concerned about how he treated fellow believers than about standing on his high horse and proclaiming his strength and liberty: ‘ If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.’ (Rom 14:15)
Love is always the yardstick by which we are measured (see 1 Cor 13:1-13). We can be technically right but still in the wrong if love is not our motivation. Paul knew that the problems in the Corinthian church were not simply a question of what meat was eaten. He knew that ‘Corinthian Gnosticism had an essentially self-regarding element which was incompatible with Christian love.’ (C. K. Barrett, Commentary on 1 Corinthians, P 189) Paul reminded the ‘strong’ Corinthians that if they did not act out of love, then their strength (knowledge) was irrelevant. ‘The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. (Rom 14:17-18) ‘Knowing it all’ isn’t the goal. We can know doctrine and still not grow in grace or in our personal relationship with God. Instead, we must combine knowledge and love, ‘speaking the truth in love’ (Eph 4:15), having a love that ‘abounds more and more in knowledge and depth of insight’ (Phil 1:9) and which cares about avoiding leading anyone else into sin. It takes a strong man to say ‘no’ not only to sin but even to other non-sinful practices out of consideration for others. Paul reminds us that knowledge must be balanced by love and experience must be balanced by caution; freedom must also be balanced by responsibility: ‘“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 Cor 10:23-24) As always, we must remember we’re part of a community; no man is an island and each man is his brother’s keeper…