1 Corinthians 8

The chapter addresses eating food offered to idols, emphasizing that while idols are nothing and there is one God, knowledge alone can be prideful. Believers are cautioned that their liberty to eat such food should not become a stumblingblock for those with weaker consciences. To avoid causing a brother to offend, one should forgo actions that might lead them to sin against their conscience and ultimately against Christ.

Paul begins by acknowledging that believers possess knowledge concerning food offered to idols, understanding that an idol is nothing and there is only one God. However, he warns that knowledge without charity can lead to pride, whereas love truly edifies the community. While eating or abstaining from meat does not inherently commend one to God, the exercise of this liberty must be carefully considered. Not all believers share the same understanding; some with weaker consciences still associate such food with idols, and their participation can defile them. Therefore, those with knowledge are exhorted to ensure their actions do not cause a weaker brother to stumble. If a knowledgeable believer's actions, such as eating in an idol's temple, lead a weak brother to violate his conscience, it is a sin against that brother and against Christ. Paul concludes by stating his willingness to abstain from meat indefinitely if it causes a brother to offend.

First Corinthians chapter eight addresses the contentious issue of eating food that has been offered to idols, beginning with the assertion that all believers possess knowledge regarding this matter. The apostle Paul immediately qualifies this by stating that "knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth," implying that intellectual understanding alone is insufficient without love. He further clarifies that true knowledge is intertwined with loving God, for if one loves God, they are known of Him. The chapter then establishes the theological premise that "an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one," acknowledging the existence of many so-called gods but affirming the singular nature of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things exist. Despite this foundational knowledge, Paul notes that not every believer possesses this same understanding. Some individuals, due to their past associations or weaker consciences, still perceive food offered to idols as genuinely connected to the idol, and eating it defiles their conscience. The apostle stresses that food itself does not alter one's standing with God, as neither eating nor abstaining makes one better or worse. However, the crucial admonition follows: believers must take heed lest their liberty become a stumblingblock to those who are weak. The danger is illustrated by a scenario where a knowledgeable believer is seen eating in an idol's temple, which might embolden a weak brother to partake against his own conscience. Such an action, driven by the example of the knowledgeable, could lead the weak brother to "perish," for whom Christ died. Paul unequivocally states that sinning against the brethren by wounding their weak conscience is tantamount to sinning against Christ Himself. The chapter culminates in Paul's personal resolution, declaring that if meat causes his brother to offend, he will abstain from eating flesh for as long as he lives, prioritizing the spiritual well-being of others over his own liberty.