July 25
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WOUNDING THE WEAK IS A SIN AGAINST CHRIST
7 However, not all people have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Now food will not bring us close to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9 But take care that this freedom of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will his conscience, if he is weak, not be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through your knowledge the one who is weak is ruined, the brother or sister for whose sake Christ died. 12 And so, by sinning against the brothers and sisters and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to sin. – 1 Corinthians 8:7-13
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Let me refer to the council at Jerusalem where things were clarified regarding the guidelines for the Gentiles who became believers. Acts 15:19 says that “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
In this letter of Paul to the Corinthians, he continues to enlighten the believers about their query on eating foods offered to idols. Even though this letter is written probably ahead of the Acts of the Apostles, they are tackling the same issues on following the Mosaic laws. Paul is addressing the deeper issues lying around this question regarding food. In verse 8, we hear Paul points out that food isn’t the issue here. It is being wary of the freedom that they have received in Christ that it doesn’t become a hindrance for the Gentile believers who are still weak in their faith to be confused or sin. In verse 10, he addresses those who are mature in their Christian walk to be watchful about being legalistic about these things concerning foods that were offered to idols. What good would it do if a baby Christian who is used to his or her custom become judged harshly by a mature believer? Paul says that they can ruin the new believer who is still very weak and may lose their faith. It is a sin against Christ if the weaker believer is ruined.
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REFLECTION
• Why was Paul very adamant to exercise wisdom in dealing with weak Christians?