1Cor 8:4-6 | KingComments | STEP | . A new topic: things sacrificed to idols. Obviously, the Corinthians have asked Paul questions about that, for he starts with: “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols.” You might not be literally involved with offerings to idols, but yet you can learn a lot from this section, for it is about the relation to your fellow brothers and sisters whom you are involved with. One thing a Christian may know, is that an idol – that is an idol image – doesn’t mean anything on itself. To “know” is just about knowledge: it is something you know with your intellect. The danger of knowledge though, including the knowledge of Biblical truths, is that you may exalt yourself by it. He who has knowledge of something, can easily ignore others who do not know about a certain matter. In this way knowledge is used in a wrong way. By ignoring others, overlooking them, you come short in love for them. In this way knowledge stands against love, for love does indeed consider the other person. Therefore you ought to let knowledge serve love. If you let knowledge serve love, you will not make your knowledge a lofty thing. For what do you know after all? In chapter 13 it is said that all our knowledge is in part, which means that it consists of bits and parts only. . If you love God, your heart will be focused on Him. And when your heart is focused on Him, you consciously live in His presence, and being in His presence means that you are known by Him. He sees right through you. In Psalms 139 it is written: “O LORD, You have searched me and known me” ( ). That is not a terrifying thought, but rather a feeling of security and protection. If you are close to Him, you no longer think highly of your own knowledge, but you will be more impressed by the knowledge He has about you. With that attitude you may now continue listening to what Paul further has to say about the idols and the sacrifices to idols. . You know now that an idol doesn’t mean anything. After all, it is no more than a piece of wood or stone. You also know that there is no God but one. That doesn’t only mean that there is only one God and no one else. In Deuteronomy 4 God has made Himself known to Israel as the only true God ( ). There it is written that “the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him”. In the Old Testament it wasn’t yet made known that God is a triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That was only made known in the New Testament through the coming of the Lord Jesus. God is One because the Father is God, the Son is God and also the Holy Spirit is God. It is not three Gods. “That there is no God but one” means, that although there are three Persons in the Godhead, They are together one God. This cannot be understood with your intellect, but you can simply accept that in faith. . There are many gods in the world and many lords, created by man. Therefore there are nations that idolize the sun or the moon. Other nations idolize trees or animals. All of those gods have been created for several reasons. The one idol is a piece of stone that ought to be used for health reasons, the other, a piece of wood, is used for the weather, a third one may be a celestial that can be used for conquering enemies. Of course it is absurd that such things in itself could mean something for man, whether in a good or in an evil way. Later, in chapter 10, Paul elaborates even further on this issue of idols and makes clear that behind these idols there are demons. . For a Christian there is only one God, and that is the Father. You came to know God as Someone to Whom you are related personally. He is your Father. You know Him as a child knows its father. You know yourself safe with Him. You also know the Father as Someone from Whom are all things. You know that everything you see around you and everything that will happen in future, are from Him. He is the source of the whole creation and of everything that happens. He is, as it were, the Architect of them. I’m not talking about man and what he has done with the creation because of sin. Attention will soon be paid to that. The thing is that creation and what is going to happen with it are not linked together through coincidences. The Father has made wonderful plans. Creation is a part of God’s plans and is meant to serve as an area where other and higher plans of God are accomplished. What goes for this whole goes also for you as an individual. You are not a product of time and coincidence. You were born according to a special plan of the Father. You were chosen to be in that plan and therefore a special place was given to you. You are actually there for God, the Father! That you’ve received this place before Him, is a pleasure to the heart of God. And because God is the eternal God, this place for you is not temporary, but for eternity. You shall be in the house of the Father throughout all eternity. Isn’t that great? Not only were plans needed however, and not only an architect was needed, but the plans also had to be executed. There had to be, said with reverence, a Contractor and an Executor. The latter is what you see in the Lord Jesus. He is the one Lord, “by whom are all things, and we through Him”. In John 1 it is written: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” ( ; cf. ). The whole creation is the work of the Son. But after the Lord Jesus had created all things, something happened that seemed to cause that all the Father’s plans couldn’t go on. You know what happened to creation and what happened to man. Sin entered the world. Then the Lord Jesus started again to work. That was a completely different work than when He created the world. The creation was established through His Word: “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” ( ). But sin could not be removed from creation through a word of power. Therefore the Lord Jesus said: “Behold, I have come to do Your will” ( ). John the baptist testified of Him: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” ( ). On the cross the Lord Jesus abolished sin because God made Him sin and He suffered God’s judgment on sin. After He accomplished this work, He returned to heaven and “God has made Him both Lord and Christ” ( ). To Him God has given all authority. Only in that way God could carry on His plan. You have been allowed to know that Lord and the work He has accomplished. You are allowed to know that you are there through Him and through Him you have become a partaker of the plans of God the Father. What an amazing knowledge! Now read 1 Corinthians 8:1-6 again. Reflection: What is the difference between knowledge and love? How can you combine knowledge with love in the right way?

‏ 1 Corinthians 8:4-6

Love Edifies

1Cor 8:1-2. A new topic: things sacrificed to idols. Obviously, the Corinthians have asked Paul questions about that, for he starts with: “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols.” You might not be literally involved with offerings to idols, but yet you can learn a lot from this section, for it is about the relation to your fellow brothers and sisters whom you are involved with.

One thing a Christian may know, is that an idol – that is an idol image – doesn’t mean anything on itself. To “know” is just about knowledge: it is something you know with your intellect. The danger of knowledge though, including the knowledge of Biblical truths, is that you may exalt yourself by it. He who has knowledge of something, can easily ignore others who do not know about a certain matter. In this way knowledge is used in a wrong way.

By ignoring others, overlooking them, you come short in love for them. In this way knowledge stands against love, for love does indeed consider the other person. Therefore you ought to let knowledge serve love. If you let knowledge serve love, you will not make your knowledge a lofty thing. For what do you know after all? In chapter 13 it is said that all our knowledge is in part, which means that it consists of bits and parts only.

1Cor 8:3. If you love God, your heart will be focused on Him. And when your heart is focused on Him, you consciously live in His presence, and being in His presence means that you are known by Him. He sees right through you. In Psalms 139 it is written: “O LORD, You have searched me and known me” (Psa 139:1). That is not a terrifying thought, but rather a feeling of security and protection. If you are close to Him, you no longer think highly of your own knowledge, but you will be more impressed by the knowledge He has about you. With that attitude you may now continue listening to what Paul further has to say about the idols and the sacrifices to idols.

1Cor 8:4. You know now that an idol doesn’t mean anything. After all, it is no more than a piece of wood or stone. You also know that there is no God but one. That doesn’t only mean that there is only one God and no one else. In Deuteronomy 4 God has made Himself known to Israel as the only true God (Deu 4:35). There it is written that “the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him”. In the Old Testament it wasn’t yet made known that God is a triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That was only made known in the New Testament through the coming of the Lord Jesus. God is One because the Father is God, the Son is God and also the Holy Spirit is God. It is not three Gods. “That there is no God but one” means, that although there are three Persons in the Godhead, They are together one God. This cannot be understood with your intellect, but you can simply accept that in faith.

1Cor 8:5. There are many gods in the world and many lords, created by man. Therefore there are nations that idolize the sun or the moon. Other nations idolize trees or animals. All of those gods have been created for several reasons. The one idol is a piece of stone that ought to be used for health reasons, the other, a piece of wood, is used for the weather, a third one may be a celestial that can be used for conquering enemies.

Of course it is absurd that such things in itself could mean something for man, whether in a good or in an evil way. Later, in chapter 10, Paul elaborates even further on this issue of idols and makes clear that behind these idols there are demons.

1Cor 8:6. For a Christian there is only one God, and that is the Father. You came to know God as Someone to Whom you are related personally. He is your Father. You know Him as a child knows its father. You know yourself safe with Him.

You also know the Father as Someone from Whom are all things. You know that everything you see around you and everything that will happen in future, are from Him. He is the source of the whole creation and of everything that happens. He is, as it were, the Architect of them.

I’m not talking about man and what he has done with the creation because of sin. Attention will soon be paid to that. The thing is that creation and what is going to happen with it are not linked together through coincidences. The Father has made wonderful plans. Creation is a part of God’s plans and is meant to serve as an area where other and higher plans of God are accomplished.

What goes for this whole goes also for you as an individual. You are not a product of time and coincidence. You were born according to a special plan of the Father. You were chosen to be in that plan and therefore a special place was given to you. You are actually there for God, the Father! That you’ve received this place before Him, is a pleasure to the heart of God. And because God is the eternal God, this place for you is not temporary, but for eternity. You shall be in the house of the Father throughout all eternity. Isn’t that great?

Not only were plans needed however, and not only an architect was needed, but the plans also had to be executed. There had to be, said with reverence, a Contractor and an Executor. The latter is what you see in the Lord Jesus. He is the one Lord, “by whom are all things, and we through Him”.

In John 1 it is written: “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (Jn 1:3; cf. Col 1:16-17). The whole creation is the work of the Son. But after the Lord Jesus had created all things, something happened that seemed to cause that all the Father’s plans couldn’t go on. You know what happened to creation and what happened to man. Sin entered the world. Then the Lord Jesus started again to work. That was a completely different work than when He created the world.

The creation was established through His Word: “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psa 33:9a). But sin could not be removed from creation through a word of power. Therefore the Lord Jesus said: “Behold, I have come to do Your will” (Heb 10:9a). John the baptist testified of Him: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29).

On the cross the Lord Jesus abolished sin because God made Him sin and He suffered God’s judgment on sin. After He accomplished this work, He returned to heaven and “God has made Him both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). To Him God has given all authority. Only in that way God could carry on His plan. You have been allowed to know that Lord and the work He has accomplished. You are allowed to know that you are there through Him and through Him you have become a partaker of the plans of God the Father. What an amazing knowledge!

Now read 1 Corinthians 8:1-6 again.

Reflection: What is the difference between knowledge and love? How can you combine knowledge with love in the right way?