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?
Bible Reading Challenge #16
I’ll be honest—this passage was a real challenge for me. After Paul addresses those who are engaged, he makes a confusing statement in verses 29–31:
“This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.”
At first glance, it sounds like Paul is calling us to completely disengage from life—ignoring our marriages, our emotions, our celebrations, even our work. It almost reads as if Paul is telling believers to stop doing everyday responsibilities because “time is short.”
But after digging deeper, I’ve come to understand that Paul isn’t telling us to abandon our duties (otherwise, much of chapter 7 would contradict itself). Instead, he’s calling us to a perspective shift. The victory of Christ changes how we see the world. We are not to cling too tightly to what is temporary, but to live with an eternal mindset. Yes, keep working, keep loving, keep doing the tasks God has called you to—but don’t carry them as if your future depends on them. Don’t let the anxieties of this world weigh you down. God is over all, and He is in all.
That truth feels especially relevant for us today.
Finally, Paul closes this section with a more straightforward teaching. He explains why he considers singleness a gift. An unmarried person can be fully devoted to the Lord, while a married person—by God’s good design—will naturally divide their attention between God, their spouse, and their family. Paul isn’t diminishing marriage; he’s elevating the unique freedom of those who are single or widowed to give themselves wholly to God’s service.
Bible Reading Challenge #15
Live as You Were Called
Paul reminds the Corinthians that following Jesus is not about changing your status—whether circumcised or uncircumcised, married or unmarried, slave or free—but about changing how you live. His call is simple: be faithful right where God has placed you. Be a light for Christ at your job, in your family, in your neighborhood, and even in your hobbies. This is not a call to completely overhaul your schedule, but to live with gospel purpose in the circles of influence you already have.
For too long, Christians have been tempted to pull away from the world out of fear of contamination. But Paul points us in the opposite direction. We are called to step into the world with the hope of spreading the Good News of Jesus. Don’t retreat from the unbelievers in your life—step toward them. Yes, it is often easier to be pulled down into sin than to pull someone up into godliness, but God has wisely placed you in your relationships and environments so that you can be His ambassador.
You may think your influence is small, but hear this clearly: you likely have more influence than I do with your co-workers, neighbors, family, and friends. As a pastor, I may carry a title, but you carry the trust and depth of relationship that opens doors to the gospel. So live as you were called, where you are called, and among those to whom you are called.
Bible Reading Challenge #14
Paul’s Thoughts on Marriage, Divorce, and Sexuality
Paul is clear: sex outside of marriage is against God’s design (7:1).
Marriage is the God-given place to enjoy the gift of intimacy. Husbands and wives should not deprive one another, because withholding can open the door to temptation (7:2–5).
Paul acknowledges that singleness is a gift and even says he wishes more people could embrace it as he has—but he also knows that’s not everyone’s calling (7:6–7). For those who struggle with passion, marriage is a good and God-honoring path (7:9).
For those already married, Paul calls couples to stay together—even when one spouse is not a believer (7:10–11). A Christian husband or wife in such a marriage can be a powerful witness of God’s love and grace (7:12–16). But if the unbelieving spouse chooses to leave, the believer is not bound (7:15).
Reflection:
What situation has God placed you in right now—married, single, widowed, or walking through a difficult relationship?
What does it look like to honor Him in that season?
How might you encourage someone else who is navigating a tough circumstance—whether singleness, an unbelieving spouse, divorce, or loss?
Bible Reading Challenge #13
1 Corinthians 6:9–20
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Reflection
In this passage, Paul speaks clearly: sin has no place among God’s people. That’s easy to “amen” in a church service, but it’s harder when we look honestly at our own lives. We are all prone to greed, idolatry, and sexual sin. We are all tempted to push the limits of desire.
In verse 12 Paul makes a striking point: “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Freedom in Christ was never meant to be an excuse for reckless living. Yet many in the church today, in reaction against the strictness of past generations, swing to the opposite extreme—brashly indulging in language, substances, or lifestyle choices under the banner of “freedom.” But this isn’t true freedom—it’s abuse of freedom.
The goal of our life is not to test the boundaries of grace, but to live in grateful response to the washing, sanctification, and justification we’ve received in Christ. We were not saved so we could enlarge our sin debt. Salvation leads us to desire a different kind of life. Our bodies are not toys for indulgence—they are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought with the blood of Christ.
Paul ends this chapter with a charge that remains just as powerful today: “So glorify God in your body!”
A Question to Carry
What would it look like for you—this week, in your words, habits, and desires—to glorify God in your body?