1 CORINTHIANS 82004 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 1 Corinthians 8

AI Andrew [00:00:00]:
You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2004.

Jerry Simmons [00:00:15]:
1st Corinthians chapter 8. As we look at 1st Corinthians chapter 8, we remember that, chapter 7, as we looked at, the last 3 weeks, has been dealing with the subject of marriage. And and we looked at it at the beginning of chapter 7 at how the chapter 7 kinda marks the division of the book of first Corinthians. The first half is Paul dealing with some issues that came up and some things that needed to be taken care of. But chapter 7 and on is Paul answering some of the questions that they had as they had written him a letter or sent people to him to ask him these questions. And so the rest of this, epistle, the rest of this letter is Paul answering those questions that they had. And We looked at the last couple weeks. We looked at the area of marriage, and they had questions about, well, should a husband and wife continue in a a sexual relationship within their marriage? And Paul said, yes, of course.

Jerry Simmons [00:01:07]:
It's necessary. Do it. He also went on to ask about or they went on to ask about, well, what if I'm in a marriage, but I'm a believer, but my spouse is not? Do I stay? Do I leave? What does the Lord want me to do in that situation? And so Paul dealt with that very clearly. Then last week, we looked at those who are not married, those who are single, and how should they live, what should they be like, and what should they be doing and being involved in. And so, Paul dealt with that. Well, as we go on now, he goes on to to talk about the next question that they had in chapters 8, 9, and 10, all dealing with the same question, but sometimes just different aspects of it. So we'll be looking at it over the next couple weeks as well. But the question is the question that they had, what they wanted to know was, is it okay for a Christian to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols? Was it alright if Christians would partake in and eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol? Now Paul takes advantage of this opportunity here, and he uses this question to talk about, kind of a much bigger issue of the idea of Christian liberty.

Jerry Simmons [00:02:12]:
And what are Christians allowed to do in the freedom that God has given them, and what aren't they allowed to do? What is the governing principle? What keeps and and sets the boundaries for those things? For the liberty that that God has given us. And so Paul takes the next few chapters, 8, 9, and 10, and deals with this specifically. Now as we look at chapter 8, we'll look and see specifically about, an area of eating meat and eating the sacrifices within the temple area that they were sacrificed, in. And so we'll talk about that in a second. But we understand, and I'm sure that you know, that there are many things that the Bible does not speak about directly. There's many things that are what we call maybe gray areas. Areas that are left to our conscience or our own convictions. Areas that the bible doesn't necessarily speak for or against, but areas that we have to make decisions about for ourselves and for our family about are we gonna allow ourselves to continue in certain, patterns or certain habits or certain things, or allow ourselves to participate in certain events.

Jerry Simmons [00:03:15]:
And there's different things within our life that we have to make decisions on that aren't necessarily spoken about in the scripture. And so Paul takes this opportunity here, and I believe there'll be principles that we can learn, where scripture is silent, how do we determine what God would have us do? How do we determine what God wants us to do? Well, before we dig into chapter 8, I'd like to give you just a little bit of background so that it makes a little bit more sense and puts the things in context. Because the question to us doesn't really sound very relevant. The question is, hey, is it okay for a Christian to eat meat that was sacrificed to an idol? Well, today, in the United States, in California, we don't have, the the temple worship and the idolatry that they had back in the city of Corinth. And so it doesn't it's not really relevant to us. It doesn't really relate very easily to things in our own life. How does that, you know, compare to things that we go through? Well, back in that time, during the during the time that Paul was writing this, you remember that the city of Corinth was kinda just down the street from the city of Athens, which was the center of the Greek culture. And that's where, kinda everything originated from and and where they would, really practice a lot of their worship and stuff.

Jerry Simmons [00:04:31]:
And it was a very religious culture. You might remember the apostle Paul in Acts chapter 17 was walking around, and he saw all these different idols and and one altar that said even to the unknown God. And so Paul used that to preach the gospel to them there at Athens, but they were very religious, and they were very superstitious, in their beliefs. And so they believed that there were demons everywhere. They had the idea and the belief that, man, in every mountain, every tree, every rock, every grove, you know, everything that you could think of had it had a demon within it or had demons around it. And so they were very superstitious in that way, being very fearful of demons. Well, one of the things they believed was that demons lived within meat. The meat that was within an animal, that there was demons within that.

Jerry Simmons [00:05:18]:
And so what they would do because they believe that they if they ate this, then that demon that was in that meat would then be in them, and and then they would be in a world of trouble. So they thought, well, how can we get rid of this demon? Well, what you do is you sacrifice it, they would say, to a good God. Because what would happen is if there's a, you know, a God that you worship that's good, and you sacrifice that meat to that God, what that God does is it goes in, it kicks out those demons, and the god takes up residence in that meat. And so when you eat that meat, then you're worshiping that god. You're becoming, and partaking of that god. And so back then, it was a very serious thing. It was a very, common thing for them to do. They would all very well understand why this question was so important because it was everywhere.

Jerry Simmons [00:06:05]:
You might remember that we talked about the city of Corinth had at least 12 temples, and there was much idolatry, much religion that was going on in the city of Corinth. As they would offer these sacrifices to these gods to protect themselves from the demons, the meat would be divided up into 3 different areas. Number 1, a portion of the meat of the animal would be burnt up as an offering to whatever god they were worshiping, whatever, idol that that they were sacrificing to. The the second part of the meat would go to the priest, those who were offering up the sacrifice on behalf of the one who is worshiping. And so the second half part of the meat, and depending on which god you were offering to, would depend on, you know, what part of the meat that the priest got. And then whatever was left, the leftover meat would go to the worshiper, the one who was offering the sacrifice. And and then that worshiper would then in turn throw a feast. Now they would either do it in the temple of that god.

Jerry Simmons [00:07:04]:
Right there, they had different, like, rooms and sections where you could have a kind of like a party or a feast there. And, they had tables and rooms so that so that you could invite your friends over, invite, you know, people you know, friends and family, to to worship with you and to celebrate this feast and to eat the leftover meat from this animal. Or the other thing they would do is they would pack it up and take it home, and do the same thing, but just at their home, celebrate the feast there by offering and eating, of that that meat that they had sacrificed. So back then at that time, every time that you would sit down to eat meat, whether it be at someone's house, whether it be at the temple or in the marketplace, you would not know if that meat had been offered to a God. You would not know if it had been offered as a sacrifice to an idol because what the priest would also do, because they would be offering many sacrifices, they would have an abundance of meat. And so what they would do is they would sell it in the marketplaces. So every time you went to go buy meat, it would be very hard to know to tell, hey, is this been sacrificed to an idol or not? We don't know. And so, it was a question that that concerned the Corinthians.

Jerry Simmons [00:08:12]:
Is it okay? Is it right for us, for Christians, to eat meat that has been sacrificed to an idol? Well, with that in mind, let's read it together. First Corinthians chapter 8, starting in verse 1, it says this. Now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him. Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other god but one. For even if there are so called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are many gods and many lords.

Jerry Simmons [00:08:58]:
Verse 6. Yet for us, there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live. However, there is not in everyone that knowledge. For some, with consciousness of the idol until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol, and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food does not commend us to God, for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware, lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died. But when you thus sin against the brethren, you wound their weak conscience and sin I'm sorry.

Jerry Simmons [00:09:57]:
You sin against Christ. Verse 13. Therefore, if food makes any if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. Paul here outlines the situation. He gives us a picture of what's going on. And like I said, chapter 8 is the first part, and we'll look at the rest of it in chapters 9 and 10 in the coming weeks. But as we look at this portion of scripture, as we look at what Paul is saying here, he starts out in the first three verses and kinda says, hey, first things first. Before we get into this issue, I know you're concerned about this.

Jerry Simmons [00:10:32]:
You wanna know what the answer is, but before we get into that, we need to lay down some some things. We need to lay down, and you need to understand the priority of certain things within a Christian's life. In verse 1, he says, now concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Now here's what was going on. The believers in Corinth, there were those who believed that they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted, and we looked at that in first Corinthians chapter 6, about 4 weeks ago where Paul said, hey, all things are lawful for me. Yes. We do have liberty. We have freedom in Christ.

Jerry Simmons [00:11:08]:
He has set us free. We're not bound under the law any longer. And so the Christians there in the city of Corinth said, hey, well, I know that I'm free. I know that I'm able to do what I want, and so they would have this kind of superior attitude that I can eat, you know, the the meat sacrificed to idols if I want. I'm free to do so because I'm free in Christ. They said because they had this knowledge, they they had the knowledge that that they were free in this area, they would be able to do so. Well, Paul says, hey, understand this. We all have a level of knowledge.

Jerry Simmons [00:11:40]:
We all have a level of understanding in God. But he says the important thing here in the end of verse 1 is that knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. See, everyone has a knowledge of God, Paul would say. We all know that, yeah, you you might have a level of understanding of God, you might have much knowledge, but the problem with knowledge is is that it puffs up. It inflates, is what the word literally means. It inflates your ego. It inflates my ego. It inflates us to kind of give us a superior attitude.

Jerry Simmons [00:12:15]:
You ever meet one of those people, or have you ever been one of those people that you have a superior attitude over others. That, man, you just feel like you've got it all going on. You know it's you know, you're in the know. They're not in the know. They they're inferior to you because, you know, you've got the knowledge that matters. You know and understand the things that really matter. And so Paul said, watch out, because knowledge puffs up. Knowledge puffs up.

Jerry Simmons [00:12:40]:
In first Corinthians chapter 4, we talked about that as we looked at it, about the dangers of being puffed up. Right? You might remember, what was the danger of being puffed up? Well, eventually, God has to pop you, because he brings low those who are prideful. He brings the the haughty and the prideful to destruction, the word tells us and declares. And so when we're puffed up and proud of our own knowledge, when we have that superiority attitude that we are the ones who know, we are the ones who have arrived, we are the ones, who who know what's really going on, then there's a danger there because we're we're becoming prideful about how much we know. You might know about a lot about God. You might have been a Christian for a long time, but Paul says watch out, because knowledge in and of itself simply puffs up. It inflates you, and it's not a good thing. He says in contrast to that, knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.

Jerry Simmons [00:13:36]:
Love builds up is really what the word means. Love builds up and causes those around you to grow. There was a famous preacher who once said that some Christians grow, others just swell. And it's the same idea that apostle Paul is talking about here. You can grow, meaning that you're drawing closer to Jesus Christ. You're causing those around you to draw closer to Jesus Christ, or you can just swell. You can be puffed up in the knowledge and the things that you know about God without ever really getting close to God. Love is to be the defining characteristic in our life, just like Jesus.

Jerry Simmons [00:14:15]:
Jesus had the defining characteristic of love. In first Corinthians chapter 13, Paul explains to us, and we'll look at it when we get there, but he explains to us that knowledge without love is useless. He says, hey, if I can understand all mysteries and have all knowledge, it's nothing. It's vain unless I have love. The important thing, the thing that the apostle Paul is saying here is love. Love is more important than knowledge. Love is more important than knowledge because we can know, like I said, we can know a lot of things about God without ever getting to know God. Knowledge does not necessarily draw you closer to Jesus Christ.

Jerry Simmons [00:14:54]:
It should and it will when it's in the context of love, but without love, it's nothing and it's worthless. And so our focus should not be on how much we know, but on how much we love. In verse 2, Paul goes on to say, and if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. Paul now is addressing those who do have that superior attitude, the know it all attitude. Hey. I know it all. I've got it down. You don't have to tell me nothing.

Jerry Simmons [00:15:21]:
He says, hey. If you think you know it all, if you think you got it all together, understand this, you don't know as you ought to know. Again, in first Corinthians chapter 13 verse 9, Paul said, hey. Right now, we know in part. We don't know entirely because there's a whole spiritual realm, a whole, area of of spirituality that we just don't know. We don't understand. We're limited in our understanding. And so however much we think we know, it's not nearly as much as we should know, and that's the difference.

Jerry Simmons [00:15:51]:
Paul says to to focus on love because love draws us closer to the Lord, but knowledge in of itself does not. In verse 3, he goes on to say, but if anyone loves God, this one is known by him. If anyone loves God now as you're reading the portion of scripture, you might think or you might come to the conclusion that it would say, but if anyone loves God, then he knows God, or if anyone knows God, then he loves God, or something like that. But what it says is if anyone loves God, this one is known by him or known by God. The important thing is not how much we know about God. That's what Paul is saying again and again. It's not how much we know about God, but it's how much we love God, how much we're drawing close to Him. Knowledge is not the most important thing, and it doesn't always draw us close, but it's those that love God that God knows.

Jerry Simmons [00:16:47]:
See, love builds up. When I act in love, when I work and operate in the area of love, not only do I build myself up, do I draw myself closer to the Lord, but those around me get drawn closer to Jesus Christ. They get built up as well. And so it's important that I operate, that I live my life as a life of love because those who love God, Paul says, are known by Him. You might remember in Matthew chapter 7 verses 21 and 23 or 3 23, when Jesus was talking to his disciples and and he said to them, hey. On that day, on the end of days, the judgment day, many will come to me and say, Lord, Lord, didn't we do many miracles in your name? Didn't we do great things for you? Didn't we know a lot about you? But Jesus said that God's gonna say, hey. Depart from me. I never knew you because it was never a love relationship that you had with me, but it was just a lot of knowledge about me.

Jerry Simmons [00:17:49]:
I never knew you, is what God will say to those who just rely strictly on their knowledge, and don't develop that relationship with Jesus Christ. It's all about getting to know Jesus and drawing close to him. So Paul says in verse 4, therefore, since we understand this principle, since we've dealt with this now, we know that the most important thing is not knowledge, but love. Now we're ready to look at this thing is not knowledge, but love. Now we're ready to look at this issue. Now we're ready to look at this and say, okay. What is the Lord saying? We're equipped now to to adequately deal with the area of meat being sacrificed to idols. So Paul says in verse 4, therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no other god but one.

Jerry Simmons [00:18:38]:
He says we know according to our knowledge, if you wanna focus on knowledge, I'll I'll stay in that realm for a minute, Paul says. We know that an idol is nothing. Basically, he's following their logical conclusions. The the believers at Corinth were were using logic to determine whether they could or could not eat this meat. Those who said, hey. It's no big deal. I know better, so I'm able to do that. I can exercise my freedom.

Jerry Simmons [00:19:03]:
They would have some kind of, logical argument like this. First point, there's only one God. Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 39 says, the Lord himself is God on heaven and on earth. There is no other. We know above all that there is only one God. So their first point then, okay, if there's only one God, and we know this scripture teaches it, then point number 2, idols are not gods. The idols and idolatry that people are worshiping, they're not real. They're false gods, they're false deities.

Jerry Simmons [00:19:37]:
It's false worship because they're not real, because there's only one God. So, therefore, point number 1, there's only one God. Point number 2, idols are not gods. Then, point number 3, if they're not gods, then meat sacrificed to them is no different than any other meat because they're not real to begin with. It doesn't make a difference if it's sacrificed to it or not because it's not real. It can't affect it. It can't change it. It can't, you know, there's no demons.

Jerry Simmons [00:20:04]:
There's no gods in it. It's just it's just me. It's just indifferent. And this was the logical pattern of the thinking that the Corinthians had that some of the people would have in their superior attitude, like, hey, I already know there's only one God. I know that idols are not gods, and so, therefore, it doesn't matter if I eat this meat or not. It's no big deal. Now, Paul agrees with them, and he closes out verse 4. He says, and that there is no other god but one.

Jerry Simmons [00:20:31]:
There is only one god. Verse 5, he goes on to say, for even if there are so called gods, meaning they're not really gods at all. He says, whether in heaven or on earth as there are many gods and many lords. What's he saying? Well, there's many things that people worship, that people call gods, which are not gods at all. There's many things that people serve that are not lords. They think they're lords and they make them their lord because they serve Him, but they're not real lords at all. They're false things, they're false gods. It's false religion and it's false worship.

Jerry Simmons [00:21:04]:
Now that was very prominent in the Greek culture, like I said. There was lots of gods. We see it in Athens, we see it in Corinth. They were a very religious people, very superstitious people, but the problem is and what Paul is addressing here is religion does not get you to heaven. Religion does not draw you closer to the Lord. This worship of these different things, whether it be of the one true God or of these false gods, it's not about the religion, and the knowledge, and the information. It's about the love relationship that you have with Jesus Christ. Because he goes on in verse 6 to say, yet for us, there is one God, the Father of whom are all things and we for Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we live.

Jerry Simmons [00:21:48]:
He says there's one Lord. There's one God. There is only one way to him. And so if you and I want to experience heaven, if we want to go into eternity and spend the rest of eternity with God, we don't have very many options. It's not like a menu. Okay. Which, you know, one kinda works out the best for me? Which one's kinda most convenient or easiest or, you know, which one do I wanna follow? There's there's only one way. Why? Well, because there's only one God and one Lord.

Jerry Simmons [00:22:17]:
It's Jesus Christ. And so we need to do it his way. He's the only one, so His way is the only way. In John chapter 14 verse 6, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father but through me. Jesus said it very clearly. He is the one Lord. He is the one God.

Jerry Simmons [00:22:39]:
So if you want to go to heaven, if you want to be with the father for eternity, there's only one way, and that's through believing in what He did for you on the cross as He died, for your sins, and rose again 3 days later, that you might have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It's all about that relationship. It's not about how much you know, but it's about how well you know Him. We need to get to know Jesus. There's only one way. In John chapter 3, you might remember when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus and said, hey. If you wanna go to heaven, if you wanna spend eternity with me, then what you must do is be born again. You must be born again.

Jerry Simmons [00:23:20]:
You must be born of the spirit, not just of water. Everybody's been born once, but you must be born again. For you and I, there is no other way. For anybody else around us, there is no other way because there's only one God, and it's only on His terms that we approach Him, and that we get to go to heaven to spend eternity with Him. So Paul says, what's the important thing here? It's not how much you know, but it's who you know. Do we know him? Do we love him? Are we known by him is the question. Well, Paul, using their arguments, using their train of thought, okay. Yes.

Jerry Simmons [00:23:56]:
There is one God. Yes. The idols are nothing, so the therefore, the the meat is not really different. There's nothing different about it. But in verse 7, he says, however, even though all those things are true, there's something else to consider, Paul would say. However, there is not in everyone that knowledge. Not everybody knows those things that you're saying. Those 3, you know, proofs that you have that you're okay, that you're doing the the right thing.

Jerry Simmons [00:24:21]:
He says not everybody knows that. Now to get the context to understand the idea, I mean, think about those who were raised in the city of Corinth. They've been raised there their whole life, involved in idolatry and the worship of these different gods. It's part of their very being. They were brought up that way, and so to them, just because they're saved, it doesn't mean to them that all those things are false and then they're not real. Because at one time, they were bound to those things. They were caught up in those things, and they were they were bound to them in the sense that they couldn't leave them. They they continued on.

Jerry Simmons [00:24:57]:
They still felt the the guilt. They still continued on in their sin, and they were bound in different things, but they worship these gods, and it was a part of them. So now that they're saved, to them, that's a a very dark area of the past. It's something that's very real to them. It's not something that, oh, well, it's no big deal. Now I'm saved. No. No.

Jerry Simmons [00:25:15]:
No. It was something that was part of their very being because they were brought up that way. And so Paul says, hey. Not everybody knows that. Not everybody has come to the understanding that idols are nothing, that it's not a big deal, but they believed in them their whole life, and so it's not always easy for them to accept it. He goes on, in verse 7, and it says, I'm sorry. Yeah. Verse 7.

Jerry Simmons [00:25:40]:
However, there is not in everyone that knowledge. For some, he says, with consciousness of the idol until now, eat it as a thing offered to an idol. He said that there's some still that continue to eat the meat that's been sacrificed to idol, but because they haven't fully understood everything yet, they still feel guilty about it. They still feel that man is still participating in in the worship of this God. They still feel that there's something connected there between the God and the the meat that was sacrificed to it. And so he said, hey, there's some that still don't even understand that, yet they still partake of it, and they just feel guilty because they don't understand that that there's nothing really of substance there. He goes on to say that and their conscience, being weak, is defiled because they're going against what they believe or their conscience. They're defiled or they're unclean.

Jerry Simmons [00:26:32]:
They're basically sinning against their own conscience because they're doing something that they do not believe is right. They're doing something against what they believe, and they still feel like they're worshiping that idol, that false god. They haven't yet come to understanding that food doesn't matter, that food is nothing. Because in verse 8, Paul says, but food does not commend us to God, for neither if we eat, are we the better, nor if we do not eat, are we the worse. He says, hey. If we if we eat, it doesn't make us any better. It doesn't draw us closer to the Lord. If we don't eat or abstain from eating, it doesn't make us any worse or any farther away.

Jerry Simmons [00:27:11]:
It doesn't matter. It doesn't do anything for our relationship with Jesus Christ. It's just a matter of the flesh, a matter of the rituals. In Matthew chapter 15 verse 11, as Jesus was talking to the scribes and the Pharisees, and and, they really didn't like what he had to say, but they were challenging him about the area of not washing the hands. And and Jesus explained to them, okay. Look. I understand you have the rituals, the washing of hands. That's what you do before every meal.

Jerry Simmons [00:27:38]:
But he explains to them something else, another principle. He says, it's not what goes into a man that makes him unclean, but it's what comes out of it. So the washing of hands, it it doesn't affect anybody spiritually. Yeah, hygienically, it's a good idea. You wanna wash your hands, you wanna, you know, not give yourself added germs because we have enough already. But spiritually, it doesn't bring you closer to God. It doesn't affect your relationship with Jesus Christ. It's just a matter of ritual.

Jerry Simmons [00:28:05]:
It's a matter of religion that you've always practiced, Jesus said. And they didn't like it. The disciples came to him later and said, hey. Don't you know that you offended, the scribes and Pharisees when you said that? But Jesus said it doesn't matter. It's not what goes into a man, but it's what comes out. It's what's in the heart that matters and not what goes in. So the food is nothing. It doesn't draw us closer to the Lord.

Jerry Simmons [00:28:27]:
It doesn't make us any closer or farther away from Him. Well, he goes on in verse, 9 and says, but beware. Okay? Even though we know this is true, even though we know that idols are nothing, that there's only one God, that food doesn't bring us or push us away from God, he still says in verse 9, beware. Take heed. The word literally means to to look into the future and and to see how it might affect a certain situation or a certain person. Take heed. Beware. Watch out.

Jerry Simmons [00:28:55]:
Yes. Idols are nothing. Yes. Food doesn't matter. But at the same time, we still need to beware. We need to take caution. We need to take heed in the things that we do. Why? Well, because the exercise of our liberty, Paul says, might not be so good for those around us.

Jerry Simmons [00:29:14]:
He says and continues on in verse 9. He says, but beware, lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. He says beware. Take heed. Watch out. Yes. I know those things that you're saying and thinking are true, Paul would say. Meets nothing.

Jerry Simmons [00:29:32]:
It doesn't matter. What's the difference? What's the big deal? He says, but beware. Not everybody knows this. Not everybody has come to that same level of understanding, so you need to watch out. Because he says the liberty that you practice, the liberty that you have might become a stumbling block to those who haven't attained that yet, to those who are weak, to those who are around you that do not have that knowledge, that understanding that you have. So he says, watch out. Beware. Take heed.

Jerry Simmons [00:30:03]:
Think about those around you and how that would affect them. Now he says, beware lest the liberty of yours become a stumbling block. And what is a stumbling block? Well, it's just what it sounds like. Something that would cause someone to stumble in their faith, in their walk with Jesus Christ. Something that would cause someone even to stumble, into walking away from a relationship with Jesus Christ. So Paul says watch out because you don't want to be a stumbling block. You don't want to cause someone to stumble in their walk with the Lord, or to walk away from the Lord. In verse 10, he says, for if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? Why should we beware? What's the big deal? How would it be a stumbling block? Well, he says, look, as you're there in that temple, eating the meat, yeah, it it's a good deal.

Jerry Simmons [00:31:03]:
Right? Because what would happen is as the priest would sell the meat, they would sell it at a lower price because it already been used in its primary function, which was to sacrifice to the idol. And so the meat that was sold by the priest would be a cheaper rate. It'd be a great bargain, a good deal. Where if you got meat that was slaughtered just for the purpose of eating or for the purpose of serving in that sense, it would be more expensive, because that's what it was meant to do. And so it was it was a higher cost to it. So the Christian could easily say, hey, it's a good deal. You know, it's a 2 for 1 special. I'm gonna go down and what's the big deal? It's not a big deal.

Jerry Simmons [00:31:41]:
I'm just, you know, I'm being a good steward, you might say. But Paul says, watch out. Because as you're there, as you're enjoying your mead, enjoying the festival or whatever is going on within that temple, You might be free to do so, but what about the new believer? What about the person who's weak in their conscience, who's weak in their walk with the Lord, who sees you? What about them? Well, I don't care about them. Well, that's the point. We need to be operating in the area of love that others are more important than our own pleasures, than our own satisfaction. Paul says, watch out because you're going to be seen by people as you're in that temple, as you're eating that meat. And for some people, that's a big thing because how do you not know that that that person was, you know, just delivered from that same area of idolatry, that same god that you're, you know, in their temple, and now they see you participating in something that they were just delivered from, that God has just set them free from. And they go, wow, that person's a strong believer.

Jerry Simmons [00:32:49]:
I guess maybe I can continue on too. I'll just continue on and, you know, worship both gods or do whatever, you know, cause me to stumble because I don't understand that I was just or that you were just celebrating your liberty and and eating the meat there in that temple. See, it's kinda opposite than what we normally might think. You would normally think that, well, it's the strong Christians who are very conscious of, you know, the things that they do, and they're kinda more legalistic and following the the rules and regulations because, you know, they're they're more conscious about the things, that they do in their walk with the Lord. And and part of that is true, but what Paul is teaching here and as he teaches throughout all of his epistles, that it's really the the strong Christian who is the most free, who's the one who has been set free, and who enjoys their liberty. And it's the weak Christian, the younger Christian, the more mature Christian that is more conscious conscious of those things because there are many times things that they were brought out of, that they were bound in, they they were captive too. And so Paul says, hey, the person next to you might not be as strong as you are. They might not be as strong as you think.

Jerry Simmons [00:34:03]:
And so you need to be careful and think about when you participate in those things, how it's gonna affect them. In Romans chapter 15 verses 1 and 2, Paul said, you need to bear with the the weaknesses of the week or the scruples of the week. Bear with them. Lift them up. Encourage them. Don't cause them to go against their conscience. Don't cause them to violate what they what they themselves believe to be right or wrong. In verse 10, He uses the word embolden.

Jerry Simmons [00:34:33]:
He says, hey, if they see you, it might embolden them to to go against their conscience, to go against, their weakness. It might embolden them. Now it's an interesting word because it's the same word that we looked at in verse 1, which means to build up. When it said love builds up, well, it's the same word here, only it's just translated a little different. It says embolden. But really, what it's saying is we have an option as Christians. You can do one of 2 things. You can, through love, build up those around you and draw them closer to Jesus Christ, or through your knowledge, you can build them up to destruction.

Jerry Simmons [00:35:13]:
Build them up to violate their own conscience and to violate the things that god has put in place within their heart and within their spirit. So what are we gonna do? Build up towards love, towards a relationship with Jesus Christ, or build up stumbling blocks in the lives of those around us. Paul says beware. Watch out. It's a very serious thing. You don't wanna be involved in that. Because in verse 11, he says, and because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died. Because we bring that destruction into people's lives, when we embolden them, when we encourage them, when we build them up to go against the things that they believe, it puts them down a track, an avenue, a road that they should not be going down and thinking that it's okay to violate the things within you that God has put there, to violate that conscience that God has given you.

Jerry Simmons [00:36:09]:
He says the weak brother will perish. His life, his faith, his freedom destroyed by the very act of us exercising our freedom, of us exercising some of the liberty that God has given us. Now, obviously, this is not gonna happen in every case. Right? Every time someone's in a temple eating meat and someone sees them, oh, you know, I gotta go back to idolatry. He did, so I did too, and I left no. It's not in every case. It's kind of an extreme example, but Paul says it's it's possible. And so we need to beware.

Jerry Simmons [00:36:43]:
We need to watch out. Because not that it would happen in every instance and every case, but watch out because you don't know what the person next to you, what the person around you has come from. You don't know what might cause them to stumble. As Christians, we need to be careful. We need to watch the things that we do, and the liberties that we take, the things that we feel free to do. The person next to us might not feel so free to do that, or to participate in that. It might be a stumbling block. It might cause them to go back into an area of bondage.

Jerry Simmons [00:37:14]:
It might cause them to go back into an area that they were once bound to. It might cause them down to go down the road of sin or to walk away from the Lord. It might. And so we need to be aware. We need to think ahead and to to wonder and ponder what are my actions, what are my liberties doing to those around me. Verse 12 says, but when you thus sin against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. It's a serious thing Paul says. It's not something you just kinda shrug off, but it's serious.

Jerry Simmons [00:37:45]:
Hey. Think about this. Think about this. Because if you wound their conscience, if you cause them to to go astray and to to stumble in their faith, Paul says you're wounding the very body of Christ. You're offending Christ himself because Christ is in them, and you're causing them to to sever that relationship that they have with Jesus Christ. It's a serious thing that we need to think about as Christians and not be kinda haphazard about it. It's no big deal, because we could cause people to stumble by the exercise of our liberty. Verse 13, Paul says, therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Jerry Simmons [00:38:28]:
Paul makes a pretty bold statement here. He says, hey, if it's meat that causes my brother to stumble, I'll never eat it. I'll never again eat meat. I'll never do that because I don't wanna do anything that causes the brothers and sisters around me, the Christians around me to fall into sin or to follow a path of sin. Now it was a very bold thing that the apostle Paul would say, and what he's really saying is that, hey. I put the needs of others above my own, and that is really what you and I need to be doing. He's saying, I'm gonna take the avenue of love. I'm gonna take the pattern that Jesus Christ gave us of loving others and considering them as more important than ourselves, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes.

Jerry Simmons [00:39:12]:
Whatever sacrifice it is to me, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to build them up, to encourage them, to draw them close to Jesus Christ. And I don't wanna do anything that would cause them to walk away, to stumble in their relationship with Jesus. So we need to be careful, Christians. Now there's no hard and fast rule. I mean, this was a part of their culture. Today, like I said, we don't have the same situation. We don't have the same scenario, because there's not the temples with the idols and us sacrificing meat, at least not in California, at least not in the American culture. In other parts of the world, it still exists, but not here, not now.

Jerry Simmons [00:39:49]:
But there are things as I'm sure if there are in your life, that the Lord is bringing to your mind right now that we do need to beware, that we do need to watch out for. Things that we need to ponder, hey, me being here, me doing this, if it was to be seen by brother Joe or sister Jane, would it stumble them? Would it cause them to enter into an area of sin that God has freed them from? Would it cause them to stumble in their relationship with God? And we need to be very careful. Now like I said, there's no hard and fast rule. It's no it's not black and white. That's why it's called the gray area. That's why it's called the area of conscience. But what we need to do is we need to beware. We need to apply the governing principle.

Jerry Simmons [00:40:41]:
The governing principle, as we looked at in the first three verses, is love. It's not knowledge. It's love. And so our actions, our choices, our decisions need to be based on love. Have you ever rented one of the moving trucks from, like, U Haul or Ryder? They all have governors installed in the engine, so that you can't go over certain speed limits because you shouldn't be driving so fast in in those big trucks. In fact, my truck that I used to have had a governor on it. And I I don't know this from experience, but yes, I do. But it was set at 103.

Jerry Simmons [00:41:21]:
And so right at 103 miles an hour, it would cut out and it would not not allow me to continue on going faster than that. There's a governing principle that needs to be in place in your life and my life, and it needs to be love. That at any point, at any time, we try to go past or outside or do something that is not in love, then it would cut out of our lives, that it would cut it out, that we would not continue on. We would not be able to press on in those things, in those areas, in those situations. And so I ask you as as a Christian, as a believer, are you involved in things that are not based on love? Are you involved in things that could cause others to stumble? The exercise of your freedom. Yes. You have it. You're free in Christ.

Jerry Simmons [00:42:08]:
Celebrate your liberty, but do it within the confines of love. That those who are around you, that those who see you, that you yourself would be edified, would be built up in your relationship with Jesus Christ, that you would be drawn close to him and not pushed away, not walking away, not caught up in things that once bound you. Paul says beware. Watch out. Yes. You're free, but be careful because there's those around you who are not so free. There are those around you who recently came from those situations. There are those around you who are hurting and struggling with those very things.

Jerry Simmons [00:42:45]:
And seeing you involved in them, seeing you doing them, practicing them, whatever, could be the very thing that the enemy needs to put a stronghold back in their life and draw them away from Jesus Christ. Man, I never want to be the tool of the enemy to draw someone away from Jesus. I never, ever, ever. And I'm sure that there will always be things that we struggle with. Yes. There will always be areas that we have trouble with. Yes. But to the best of my ability, I wanna walk in love.

Jerry Simmons [00:43:18]:
I wanna do things that will edify, that will encourage people, rather than take them away from Jesus Christ. There's only one way to him. There's only one way to heaven. There's only one right religion, and that is to have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The out flowing of that, the product of that, will be that of love, where our actions, our decisions, our responses, the things that we do will be in love, and those around us will be blessed, not discouraged, not stumbled, but built up in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Does that describe your life? Does it describe mine? We all need work, so let's pray. Heavenly father, as we look at this area, Lord, the area of exercising our liberty, our freedoms, God, there's so many things that this could potentially apply to in our lives, god. But, lord, we ask that you would make it clear to us, lord, if there are things that are causing people around us to stumble, if there are things in our lives, lord, that could cause the person next to us to walk away from you or to be bound up again, and things that you have freed them from and delivered them from.

Jerry Simmons [00:44:34]:
So, Lord, we ask that you would give us the heart that says, hey. It doesn't matter what I have to sacrifice. My desire is to be a blessing and to serve those around me. Lord, give us that heart. Give us the heart of Jesus, that we would be controlled and governed by love. That that would be the overriding thing in our lives, that no matter what else, lord, that we're people who love, you, those around us, and people who draw others close to you, Jesus. Lord, we know that there is only one way to heaven. There is only one way to eternity with you.

Jerry Simmons [00:45:10]:
And so God, we thank you for your gift, for your sacrifice upon the cross. Lord, we ask that you would draw us close. Help us to love you and to be known by you. Help us to draw those around us closer to you, because we love you, Jesus. And it's in your name we pray. Amen.

AI Andrew [00:45:33]:
We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of his word. Visit FerventWord.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.