Craig Gaunt
Biblical Hermeneutics
Freedom in Christ is Freedom to Serve and Love
In 1 Cor. 8:1-11:1, Paul uses some issues that we today may (wrongly) consider trivial to make a very important point. Christian freedom, when submissive to love, leads to liberty from sin not liberty to sin. Paul is writing to a city that some would consider the “Hollywood” of his day. It was a city of great wealth, had equally great ethnic diversity, and its citizens were idolatrous and proud of it as seen by their decadence. It was a city where there was temptation at every corner to throw caution to the wind and join the party. In the pagan temples, there were marriages, festivals, celebrations of all kinds.[1] The Corinthian church now has a serious dilemma: the truth is that there is no deity but the one true God, so what should it matter if a believer eats the leftover sacrificial meat in their home, in public, or even in the false idol’s temple? The problem is that there are some believers who are viewing this eating of meat as a blasphemy of Christ because of its former associations. Paul then has to walk a line between preventing “weak” believers from falling away and affirming that there are no such things as pagan gods. He is concerned about both. The modern day (weak) equivalent could be if you have a group of former alcoholics in the church who associate themselves with Christians who are “social” drinkers. How does one approach the situation in a way that is glorifying to God, true to the Word, and edifying for believers? One word: Love.
It would appear that the “strong” believers are those who are not bothered by where the food they buy in the marketplace comes from. They know the truth that there is one God and one Jesus Christ, through whom all things are made (1 Cor. 8:6). Furthermore, they heed Christ’s words which say that “it is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean” (Matt. 15:11). These were the ones who may have either been flaunting their newfound freedom to others, or those who may have used this truth of knowing there is only one true God to claim superiority over those whose consciences were still troubled by their former life in paganism, or it may have even been some who sincerely encouraged believers to eat pagan meat before these believers were confident enough to do so. Either way, Paul says that this new liberty comes with a great responsibility toward a “weak” believer.
When Paul speaks of these weak believers, he does not mean those who have a flimsy sense of morality and is not patronizing them, but rather those who have an unjustified sense of guilt over the issues that the truth of Christ has not been completely understood to free them. The lure these “idols” had and the associations they carried for former pagan believers were so entrenched that it would enslave them if they would ever eat in the temple or even think about eating meat sacrificed to them.[2] With Corinth having a Jewish presence, Paul also was concerned with Jewish believers as well. How would their consciences be affected if they had grown up strict monotheists and suddenly had idol meat put before them, or if they saw the “strong” believers eating in the idol temples? Paul has to tread lightly when he writes his answer so he uses truth combined with experience (both his own and his people’s) to answer the dilemma and exemplify Christ’s love.
Christian freedom and liberty in 8:9 is realizing that Christ has died so that we may be free but not free to pursue immorality but holiness and humility. In other words, Christ has freed us from sin by the cross in order that we may be free to imitate Him! In our lives as unbelievers, we were separated from doing this by our sinful nature that the cross has destroyed. He had the right to leave us in our broken, tarnished state but loved us enough to humble himself to the most shameful death. Likewise, Paul had rights as an apostle such as receiving compensation for his duties (9:3-14). This challenge Paul faces is difficult for a reader in our context to understand. Indeed, often the image comes to mind that an itinerant preacher taking money for his services is somehow less noble than one who does not. However, in the Corinthian church it was the exact opposite. Paul, by refusing the money of the patrons of Corinth was also refusing their honor and status bestowed upon him, and this was basis for their slander against him because he would not take any fees.[3] He did this so that he would be presenting a better example to the Christians of his day that nothing would compromise his presentation of the gospel message. In contrast to most televangelists today, Paul would command that if making money by preaching the gospel weakens a believer, do not do it. Paul also demonstrates Christian freedom to serve all by saying that, as long as it does not include sinning, he has been sensitive to other groups’ consciences so that, “by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22). Rather than stressing his superiority in saying that all believers must be like him in every way and completely cut ties to their former lives, Paul became Jewish for the Jews and Greek for the Gentiles (1 Cor. 9:19-23). It is this Christian freedom that not only allows us as believers to reach out to other cultures without compromising our core faith, but also gives us the love to serve them so that Christ may be revealed.
If the stronger believers are still not convinced of Paul’s indictment, he uses an example from the Old Testament (1 Cor. 10:1-11). Israel, after it had been given Moses as a godly leader, had seen all the miracles of the plagues and crossing of the Red Sea, had been provided with nourishment and water in the wilderness, and even had the very presence of God dwelling with them, still fell into idolatry. This was a people that God had crafted for Himself from His grace that gave them commandments strictly forbidding the worship of anything else, and yet they still succumbed to idolatry and the immorality that went with it. Paul is warning the Corinthian church that, lest they think they are somehow superior to God’s chosen people that they too are in danger of falling into the same trap. They should never use their freedom as an excuse to think of themselves as impervious to sin. However, for those that are stirred by Paul’s words and are now afraid, he comforts them by reassuring them that the temptations they face now have not been anything new and that God will not only protect them from exceedingly great tests, but will provide for them a way out so they not sin (vv. 12 & 13). This freedom that Christ has given us is stressed here in the fact that it can be strength to believers because they are no longer bound by the sinful nature’s desires. They have the presence of God by the power of the Holy Spirit to help them resist temptation. However, it can also be harmful to other believers for the same reason Paul originally chided them for: boasting. After all, if there are still believers who struggle with certain sins, those who do not could accuse those who do of not being “real” believers. This leads to spiritual arrogance not love. Love walks alongside struggling brothers and sisters and encourages them.
Paul’s final section with these passages brings it full circle to answer the question originally posed about the meat sacrifices. In 10:14-22, Paul uses the example of communion and the Israelite sacrificial system to make a point: it is not the food but the company that is important. When the people of Israel ate the sacrifices, they were doing so understanding their relationship with God. When the Christians ate the supper of bread and wine, they understood their relationship to Christ. Sadly, the feast of an idol in the idol’s own temple implies a relationship with the demon masquerading as that idol (10:20). Henceforth, any Christian partaking in a feast in the idol’s temple is strictly forbidden. In regards to the meat itself outside of the temple, Paul would say to believers that as long as it does not violate another one’s conscience (and Paul compares that to sinning directly against Christ in the earlier section), it should not raise an issue because “an idol is nothing”. It has no power, especially over those who belong to Christ. However, if it does infringe on another’s conscience, do not be a “stumbling block” to them. In other words, do not become arrogant in what you know to the point of not being able to help other believers grow in their walk with Christ. Rather, do as He did and minister to them where they are at in life. If God is truly all-powerful then nothing and no context whatsoever could stop the spreading of this great message. Limit your freedom in order that you may love others enough to serve them. Be sensitive to where they are in their walk with Christ and do nothing to offend either the weak believer or the church as a whole.
A contemporary example from my life may be that of church attire when speaking from the pulpit. I know my congregation would argue that it is not the clothes that determine one’s salvation. On the other hand, they hold the preaching of the Word with high regard and would expect any who handles God’s Word as having reverence for both it and the position. Looking one’s best would naturally fall into place, including a button-down shirt, tie, dress pants, and suit coat depending on the weather. As a free believer in Christ, I could go up and preach in my jeans and a t-shirt, and I do not think that anyone would question whether I was saved. However, because I know my congregation’s focus would then be on my attire and not the message, I am taking away from the gospel and putting a stumbling block in people’s walk with God. Therefore, other speakers and I would always wear our best not because we have to but simply because we want to be sensitive to our flock’s needs. Jesus wants that from His followers. If the Son makes you free, you are free indeed, but that means you are free to love Him and serve others with that same love.
[1] Blomberg, Craig 1 Corinthians NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994. pg. 159-160
[2] Fee, Gordon D. & Stuart Douglas How to Read the Bible Book by Book Grand Rapids, Zondervan. 2002. pg. 329
[3] Blomberg, pg. 173