1Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know. 3But anyone who loves God is known by him.
4Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5For though there are things that are called “gods”, whether in the heavens or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.
7However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of an idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat are we the worse, nor if we eat are we the better. 9But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol’s temple, won’t his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11And through your knowledge, he who is weak perishes, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12Thus, sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more, that I don’t cause my brother to stumble.
Be a Ladder Not a Stumbling Block
7 However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of an idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat are we the worse, nor if we eat are we the better. 9 But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak.
Paul speaks much about freedom in Christ to the Corinthians. Frankly, they were a mess. They were tangled up in all kinds of sins of pleasure on the one hand, and yet they were legalistic about many other things. Paul seeks to strike a balance in their walk with Christ. Paul repeatedly tells them that they are free in Christ, yet they are to obey God’s commands and live a holy lifestyle. At the time Paul wrote this, many animal sacrifices were being offered in Corinth as worship to false gods. I am not sure whether this meat was sold cheaper or more expensively, but it bothered some of the Christians when it was served and eaten. They couldn’t get over the fact that it had been used in a pagan temple sacrifice. Some of the Corinthian believers felt guilty when eating this sacrificed meat, and Paul is saying, “Hey, there is nothing wrong with this meat because we know that pagan gods don’t even exist.” This food was neutral. It was neither wrong nor right to eat it. But with this freedom of eating what they wanted to eat, he admonished those who did eat of it not to be a stumbling block to other Christians.
I often hear Christians say that drinking alcohol in front of other Christians might be a stumbling block. In other words, it might make someone who is battling an alcohol addiction succumb to the temptation to start drinking again. That argument always made me wonder if it was a stumbling block to eat delicious, crispy fried chicken in front of someone who is desperately trying to stay on a diet to overcome a weight problem. I suppose there is a principle of courtesy that Paul suggests is appropriate with both the alcohol and the fried chicken. As believers, we are free to drink alcohol and eat fried chicken if these things have not become an addiction in our lives. However, we are to exercise kindness and courtesy towards those around us who may have a past with such things. In love, we should desire never to be a stumbling block to others. Our freedom in Christ should always be exercised with great care and concern for how it might affect a weaker brother or sister. If a brother or a sister is weak in a particular area, don’t exercise your freedom in their presence. Be a ladder to help them climb out of their problem and not a stumbling block that causes them to fall deeper into it.