1 Corinthians 8

1 Corinthians 8 stands in the middle section of 1 Corinthians. In this part of the letter, Paul responds one by one to questions the church at Corinth had raised in writing. Following the discussion of marriage in 1 Corinthians 7, this chapter begins to address whether believers may eat food that has been offered to idols. The topic continues through chapter 10.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. The one who loves God is known by God.
• Verses 4–6 An idol is nothing in the world. Though there are many so-called gods, for us there is one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ.
• Verses 7–8 Not everyone, however, possesses this knowledge. Because the habits of idol worship linger, some who eat such food find their conscience weakened and defiled. Food does not commend a person to God.
• Verses 9–12 A weak brother who sees a person with knowledge eating in an idol's temple may follow his example and stumble. To wound a brother's conscience in this way is to sin against Christ.
• Verse 13 Paul declares that if food causes his brother to stumble, he will eat no meat while the world stands.

Key Verses

• 1 Corinthians 8:1, "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth": This verse makes love rather than knowledge the standard of judgment for the entire chapter.
• 1 Corinthians 8:6, "But to us there is but one God, the Father … and one Lord Jesus Christ": This verse is regarded as preserving an early Christian confession of faith and is frequently cited in discussions of Christology.
• 1 Corinthians 8:13, "I will eat no flesh while the world standeth": This verse illustrates a willingness to lay aside one's own freedom for the sake of a brother.

People and Places

• Jesus Christ: Confessed as the "one Lord," by whom are all things.
• The weak: Believers whose conscience is easily wounded because of their former habits of idol worship.
• The idol's temple: A pagan temple. Meals of sacrificial meat eaten in temples are known to have been common in Corinth at the time.

Points for Reflection

• Many interpreters understand "we all have knowledge" (verse 1) and "an idol is nothing" (verse 4) as slogans of the Corinthian believers that Paul is quoting.
• Some scholars read verse 6 as distributing the monotheistic confession of Deuteronomy 6:4 between the Father and the Lord Jesus.
• In this chapter Paul does not command abstention from eating but sets forth the principle of love. In the following chapter, 1 Corinthians 10, he distinguishes between taking part in idolatrous sacrifices and eating meat bought in the marketplace.
• This chapter is often read alongside the Jerusalem decree in Acts 15:28–29 and the exhortation in Romans 14 to show consideration for those who are weak in faith.

In the Korean Church

• This passage is frequently used in teaching on Christian freedom and edification. It is cited most prominently in discussions of ancestral rites and memorial services, where the question is whether believers may eat food offered in ancestral rites.
• Verse 13 is also often cited in discussions of alcohol and tobacco as grounds for voluntary self-restraint for the sake of others.