Bible Reading Challenge #17
Read 1 Corinthians 8
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God.
4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
Day 1 of Chapter 8
Paul begins by addressing dietary restrictions carried over from Jewish tradition or even regional practice. To bring it into our context, think about areas that the church has historically debated or even prohibited—things like alcohol, dancing, instruments, or gambling. Paul builds upon Jesus’ teaching that all things are clean (see Mark 7:19) to show that no food is inherently unclean. But notice—Paul doesn’t start by laying down that truth. Instead, he starts by addressing attitudes around food. You may have the right theology, but are you handling it in the right way?
“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” That’s the heart of this passage. The question is not only Do you know what’s right? but Are you using truth in a way that builds up or tears down? At the core of this is arrogance. Spiritual arrogance has no place in the church. This doesn’t mean we lower our standards or embrace untruth, but rather that we “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).
So here’s the challenge: How are you exercising your freedom in Christ? In embracing your rights, are you becoming a stumbling block for others? Maybe for you it’s not about food—but about your freedom to dance, gamble, drink alcohol, or enjoy certain forms of entertainment. Are you exercising that freedom in a way that encourages others toward holiness, or in a way that could cause them to stumble?
At the end of the day, Christian freedom is not about doing all that you can do. It’s about choosing what is best for others. Love sets limits on liberty. It is arrogant and heartless to live as though your choices affect no one else. In Christ, we are called to something better.
Who in your life could be influenced—positively or negatively—by the way you live out your freedom in Christ?
