The past few articles have tried to untangle the complexity of balancing freedom in Christ with wisdom and love for others. Neither more rules nor a selfish insistence on our rights are likely to solve all of this. However, for a specific situation affecting believers in Corinth (i.e., whether or not to eat meat sacrificed to idols, which was a big deal in that time and place), Paul offers some practical advice.
If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience?
1 Corinthians 10:27-29 NIV
Basically, if these Corinthians Christians were eating some meat, they shouldn’t worry about its provenance, even if they were eating with someone who probably had gone to the temple markets and bought some meat that was sacrificed to an idol. After all, according to the Lookout (cited below), the meat that had been offered to idols tended to cost less, and who doesn’t like a good deal?
However, if someone called out that meat had been sacrificed to idols, this was a good opportunity for believers to express their faith and to show love to others. This wasn’t an opportunity to show off a “holier than thou” attitude, or to brag about how much better of a Christian one was by not eating meat sacrificed to idols. instead, it was a consideration of the other person and their conscience.
I don’t think that Paul is trying to limit our freedom here with more rules, though. In fact, I think that he would be disappointed if this became just another legalistic rule.
If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
1 Corinthians 10:30 NIV
He isn’t curtailing the freedom of the Corinthian Christians who know that an idol is just a piece of crafted wood, stone, or metal. Eating meat that an idol worshiper sacrificed to that idol doesn’t inherently hurt those Christians, since God provided food for us and we can be thankful for that. However, if our choices hurt someone else, we should be kind enough to give up our rights in order to accommodate them.
So, how about us? Are we living in an excess of rules, unnecessarily limiting our freedom in Christ? Are we living in selfishness, exploiting our freedom in Christ even when it drags other people away from Him? Or, are we walking the line between the two extremes, being considerate of others and always seeking their salvation and growth in Christ, even when it may require us to yield a little bit of our freedom for a time? Remember, the abundant life that Jesus offers is more than good enough to bless us, even if our love for others compels us to occasionally pass on something we want.
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 
I like the way you covered the passage and subject! It’s interesting to consider meat offered to idols as being a cheaper alternative to what wasn’t offered to idols. From a spiritual standpoint, what is cheaper may cost you later.
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Thank you. That’s a good point about the true cost of short-term decisions!
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