1Cor 8 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Cor 8:1: 8:1–11:1 Paul now addresses the Corinthians’ question about food that has been offered to idols: Throughout the Greco-Roman world, there were temples and shrines dedicated to pagan gods. It was common for worshipers of those gods to offer animal sacrifices, and the excess meat was then sold in the market by pagan priests. The question inevitably arose as to whether Christians were free to eat such meat. Is meat taken from an animal that has been sacrificed to a pagan god inherently defiled? Paul makes no mention here of the prohibition made by the Jewish Christian leaders in Acts 15:20 , 29 but emphasizes that one’s actions must be governed, above all, by loving consideration of others. After introducing the topic (1 Cor 8:1-13 ), he provides several illustrations of the principle of giving up one’s rights for the sake of others (9:1-27 ) and then gives his advice on three specific situations in which believers faced this issue. 8:1 “We all have knowledge” was apparently a common saying of the Corinthian Christians. The knowledge in question is religious knowledge, paraded by certain Christians who might have felt their superior understanding made them unaccountable to the opinions of others.

Summary for 1Cor 8:1: 8:1–11:1 ^a Paul now addresses the Corinthians’ question about food that has been offered to idols: Throughout the Greco-Roman world, there were temples and shrines dedicated to pagan gods. It was common for worshipers of those gods to offer animal sacrifices, and the excess meat was then sold in the market by pagan priests. The question inevitably arose as to whether Christians were free to eat such meat. Is meat taken from an animal that has been sacrificed to a pagan god inherently defiled? Paul makes no mention here of the prohibition made by the Jewish Christian leaders in Acts 15:20 ^b, 29 ^c but emphasizes that one’s actions must be governed, above all, by loving consideration of others. After introducing the topic (1 Cor 8:1-13 ^d), he provides several illustrations of the principle of giving up one’s rights for the sake of others (9:1-27 ^e) and then gives his advice on three specific situations in which believers faced this issue. 8:1 ^f “We all have knowledge” was apparently a common saying of the Corinthian Christians. The knowledge in question is religious knowledge, paraded by certain Christians who might have felt their superior understanding made them unaccountable to the opinions of others.
Summary for 1Cor 8:2-3: 8:2-3 ^g It is those who truly love God—not just those who know all the answers—who are acknowledged by God as his own (see 13:12 ^h; Gal 4:9 ⁱ).
Summary for 1Cor 8:4-6: 8:4-6 ^j In reality, the idols to which such meat is sacrificed are not gods, for there is only one God (Deut 6:4 ^k; cp. Deut 4:35 ^l, 39 ^m; 10:19-20 ⁿ). He is the Creator of everything, including the meat in question. The only ultimate reality is God, the Father, and the one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created (cp. John 1:3 ^o; Col 1:16 ^p; Heb 1:2 ^q).
8:7 ^r Many of the Corinthian believers, having grown up in the pagan world, viewed eating such meat as an expression of devotion to the god to whom the meat had been sacrificed. For such Christians, to eat meat presented to an idol would violate their weak consciences (see 8:10-12 ^s; 10:28-29 ^t; Rom 14:13-23 ^u).
8:8 ^v The Corinthians’ relationship with the living God was not affected by eating or not eating, whatever the source of the food (cp. Rom 14:17 ^w).
Summary for 1Cor 8:9-10: 8:9-10 ^x Believers must be careful that what they do (such as eating sacrificial meat) does not cause others ... to stumble (cp. Rom 14:13 ^y, 20-21 ^z; Gal 5:13 ^aa).
8:11 ^ab For believers to insist on eating food offered to idols—because their superior knowledge assured them that they are free to eat such food—could destroy less mature Christians (who understood eating this meat as an expression of worship of pagan gods).

• for whom Christ died: Cp. Rom 14:15 ^ac.
8:12 ^ad To make immature believers sin by violating their conscience is the same as sinning against Christ, who has claimed them for himself (cp. Matt 25:40 ^ae, 45 ^af).
8:13 ^ag Personal rights must be subordinated to the larger commitment not to cause another believer to stumble.