Before we jump into the next several articles (from the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians in the Bible), let’s set some context. In the first century, Corinth was in Greece (as is modern Corinth – no surprise there), so the influence of Greek and Roman pantheistic beliefs had an “environment effect” on members of Christ’s church who had converted from that religion. Residents of Corinth who found salvation in Jesus Christ had typically converted from a background of Greek or Roman religions, even as other people in Corinth continued to practice the traditional beliefs of the Corinthian culture.
As you might imagine, the religions of that day involved animal sacrifices. The sacrifices didn’t necessarily go to waste, though, since the animals who were killed could be butchered and sold in the local meat market. In fact, an ancient author wrote, “Sacrifices were devised by men, I do think, as a pretext for eating meals of meat.” [ROMAN RITUALS AND SACRIFICES | Facts and Details, quoting Clement of Alexandria in “Stromata” (c. A.D. 200)] So, while there were religious elements of these sacrifices, they also provided an opportunity for the ancient equivalent of a modern cookout or barbecue.
As a result of Christian evangelism in Corinth, we can envision believers in Christ having left their previous lifestyle, but still walking past the meat markets on a regular basis and remembering how they had previously sacrificed to false gods before enjoying a meal together with family and friends. Having abandoned idols and turned to the true God, it could be a little unnerving for some of them to attend one of these meals again, knowing that the food had started out as a sacrifice to an idol.
With that in mind, let’s read 1 Corinthians 8:7-8:
But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
1 Corinthians 8:7-8 NIV
Even if this specific issue isn’t necessarily a problem for many Christians today, all of us were sinners and we each have different experiences, history, and scars that impact how different temptations impact our spiritual lives. Just because we don’t have to worry about food sacrificed to idols doesn’t mean that we should lord it over those who did, since each of us has our own challenges.
So, I encourage you to read through all of 1 Corinthians 8-10 before continuing in this series of articles, but also – like a high school writing assignment – “compare and contrast” your challenges and weaknesses against those of others. Are there (non-sinful) behaviors that other people seem to enjoy without consequence, but which would send you down a bad path? Are there similar behaviors that you participate in, but which would cause problems for others if they were to join in?
Maybe if you and I look at others as human beings who simply have different difficulties from us, rather than being “better” or “worse” than us, we’ll gain some empathy and compassion for them.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for March 17, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, March 17, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 Corinthians, by Richard E. Oster, Jr. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 