1 Corinthians 8: Build Each Other Up in Love

verse 1: Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

◇ The first virtue for Christians is love. Jesus was nailed to the cross because of love. God gave his one and only Son for sinners because of love. Love is not just for oneself, but for the benefit of others.

The Corinthian church seems to be a very dynamic church. There are continuous issues among the saints. This time, the problem arose from eating meat that had been offered to idols. Someone was tempted by a Christian eating food that had been offered as a sacrifice. Why eat meat offered to idols? Is it okay to eat unclean food?

There are various people in the church. There are people who have been attending church for a long time and those who are still new and unfamiliar with the church. There are mature believers and immature believers. There are people with a lot of knowledge about faith and those without. There are people who have left their pre-Christian lives behind and those who still carry them. There are wealthy people and poor people. There are so many different people that it is impossible to list them all.

What can bring such a diverse group of people together in one church? What can enable them to face one God despite their differences? For the sake of those who stumble at the sight of Christians eating food offered to idols, Paul said he would never eat meat again to avoid causing his brothers and sisters to stumble.

Paul knows that the sacrifices offered to idols are nothing. What meaning could there be in idols that are nothing more than stone and wood? However, Paul did not insist on his knowledge. He put aside his knowledge for the sake of his brothers and sisters who did not yet have such knowledge and had not fully left their past behind. It is more important to not cause a brother to stumble than to judge right and wrong immediately.

Paul's attitude must be love for his brothers and sisters. Isn't this love the power that brings together a diverse group of people in the church?

♧ Lord, please fill us with love that does not cause our brothers and sisters to stumble and saves them! Holy Spirit, lead us in truth!