1Corinthians 8:1Insights
Being sensitive to others feelings
Paul taught on what our attitude should be when we are offered things we know are dedicated to idols, especially food: To take or not to take?
To answer this, Paul premised his answers on two things: knowledge and love
1. Knowledge: of the power of GOD that is at work in us. Knowing that all things belong to GOD + the so called idol (vs4-6) and therefore nothing can by any means harm us (Mk16:18)
2. Love: Let our actions be motivated by love to encourage all who are watching.
He concluded that that we should always allow love, not knowledge to prevail in our actions because we are surroundrd by witnesses all the time.
This whole chapter is a caution to believers who have strong enough faith to “chew bone”, to practice their faith with care where weaker believers (who are still feeding on milk)are around because giving them bone to chew when they are still drinking milk may choke them and this is not good for their growth. We do not grow in faith at the same pace.
In Nigeria, we are very familiar with this scenario. Not just food, we can include situations where even some artefacts made into idols like “Ogun or Sango” are being used as items of decoration in our living rooms, wearing chains, bangles, beads, clothes designed in characteristics of local and international idols, removing sacrifices to idols made at road junctions, eating Ileya food and meat and such likes. In Nigeria, we know, we believe and have seen that such actions, particularly what Paul was referring to here, food dedicated to idols, when eaten can initiate someone into a cult or weaken someone spiritually and make him open to attacks. Period. However, a strong believer has reached a level in his spiritual journey to walk and live in mk16:18-nothing they take can hurt them”. Though he knows this, he also knows that some believers faith have not yet reached this stage. That is where Paul advises that under this circumstances, let love prevail by choosing to refuse to do that thing ( be it food or whatsoever), if it will put other believers in trouble (vs10-11). Other believers because they see you do it, want to try it but end up being initiated & compromised, because they haven’t realized that it takes a certain level of faith to overcome some things and they have not grown in faith to reach to that level.
So it is better for the matured Christians to thread in the part of caution in their activities as they practice their faith because they cannot tell who is watching and what negative impact it could have on them, though it was not intended to be.
*In conclusion*
It is of note to highlight the fact that Paul identifies being insensitive to others feeling even in the exercise of one’s faith as…… sin. Mmmhmm🤔!