Basic Principles Governing the Believers’ Life: Considering the Knowledge and Conscience of Other Believers, Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu

Bible Study Material on 1 Cor. 8:4-11

Introduction

This passage deals with the church’s questions about meat offered to idols. This was a serious problem for them, especially since the church was made up of both Jews and Gentiles.  And the Jewish believers were anxious to avoid any contact with pagan idolatry.

The situation was this: most of the meat in Corinth was slaughtered at the temples. The priest kept part of the meat, but the rest was used for private feasts or sold in the markets. In fact, sacrificial meat was sold at a cheaper price, making it that much more attractive to these poor believers. If a friend or neighbour invited a believer to a feast, it was likely that the meat had been dedicated to an idol. This lesson attempts to answer the question: Should the believer participate in the feast? Would eating such meat defile the believer? Paul answers these questions explaining that believers are to consider other believer’s knowledge and conscience.

Consider other Believer’s Knowledge (1 Cor. 8:4-8)

The believer’s life cannot be lived in its fullness if a he/she is ignorant of the Word. We must always take into consideration that some believers do not understand the blessings of freedom we have in the Messiah.  They live in religious slavery and try to regulate their lives with rules and rituals (see Colossians 2:16-23). Paul clearly states that idols are not real and that meat offered to idols could never hurt anybody’s body or spirit (verse 8). There is one God and Savior, and we worship and obey only the Lord. But some believers do not have this knowledge. They do not realize that no food is sinful of itself (note Romans 14:14), and that meat and drink can never make anybody a better believer. How patient Jesus was with His ignorant disciples! And how patient we must be with one another!

As a disciple grows in grace and knowledge, through reading and obeying the Word, he/she understands the truth, and the truth sets him/her free (John 8:32). The believer sees knowledge as a tool with which to build not a weapon with which to fight.

Consider other Believer’s Conscience (1 Cor. 8:9-11)

Conscience is that inner judge that condemns us when we do wrong and commends us when we do right. It “bears witness” to us (Romans 2:15 and 9:1). Some basic facts about the believers’ conscience are presented below:

• The believer’s conscience has been purged (Hebrews 9:14 and 10:22) and is termed a “good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:5, 19).      
• Repeated sin not judged and confessed will make it a defiled conscience (Titus 1:15).
• It can become a seared conscience (1 Timothy 4:2) that no longer convicts. We must strive to have a conscience void of offence (Acts 24:16).

The new believer, or the untaught believer, will have a weak conscience (1 Corinthians 8:7, 10, 12). If he/she sees another believer eating meat that had been dedicated to a pagan god, this experience might offend him and perhaps lead him into sin. Because his spiritual senses are not fully developed, he will go to the other extreme and perhaps disgrace the name of Jesus (see Hebrews 5:11-14). The unbelievers around him will not affect a mature believer with a strong conscience. But the believer with a weak conscience will be confused and, if he or she follows other believer’s example, might get into trouble.

Paul takes up this same principle in 1 Cor. 10:25-33, so we might look ahead at these verses. “Don’t go around being a spiritual detective!” he states. “If invited to a feast, and if you want to go, then go right ahead.  But don’t ask a lot of questions. However, if the host tells you that the meat was sacrificed to an idol, do not eat it!   Why? — So that you can be a testimony to the weaker brother who might be offended and might get into sin.” 

Paul then anticipates an argument. “But, you ask, why should we have our freedom limited somebody else’s immaturity? If we bless the food and eat for God’s glory, isn’t that enough?” No!  Believers are to follow a different rule. We must do everything possible not to offend the Jews, Gentiles or other believers.

Conclusion

Whatever a believer does, even if it does not hurt him, he must never hurt anyone else.  While we may think that this principle limits us, it really does not, for it allows us to be a greater blessing to others and to win the loss to Jesus (10:33).