The Corinthian Church was one of the most infamous churches in history. It was located in Corinth, which seemed to be the centre for all wickedness in the world. Corinth was located on a little land bridge that connects the Peloponnese peninsula and the Greek mainland. It controlled all the land trade north and south. It was also the main connection between the Adriatic Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean. Since this town controlled so much trade, it seemed to collect all the riff-raff from the rest of the world. It was also the administrative centre for the Roman province of Achaia. As a result it became the fashionable place for the elites to live. The culture within Corinth contained a wide range of religious cults. Part of the practices of these cults was to serve the meat which had been sacrificed to the idols in dining rooms directly below the inner sanctuary of the temple. This was the Corinthian equivalent to our going to a restaurant. It was common for the people to join together and celebrate a feast after a major sacrifice, and it was considered an honour to be invited to one of them. Many of the Corinthian converts were used to participating in these feasts. Some of this meat was also sold in the marketplace as common meat.
Do everything to the good of your neighbour.
These feasts did not happen everyday, yet sacrifices were performed everyday. This meat was sold in the marketplace as common meat. It was hard to distinguish between what was sacrificed to idols, and what was not. In the first bit of ch 10, Paul addresses the issue of the idol feasts. He tells the people that they are not to participate in them because then they are participating in idolatry. This left the question of the meat sold in the marketplace. Could they eat it or not?
Not only were these people eating meat sacrificed to idols in their own homes, but they attended gatherings at others homes, and ate the meat there. All the important people of the city went to these gatherings. Corinth was a rather young city. The old city was destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. The new city was founded as a Roman colony in 44 BC.
Since there was no aristocracy, money was power.
It was these rich and powerful people who many times hosted these events. The Corinthians felt like big shots when they were invited to these gatherings. More often than not, the people who hosted the event were not Christian. They did not care if the meat they served was dedicated to idols. They were simply content to show off their wealth and finery to the guests. They would be sitting at a long table at one end of the room decked out in their finest apparel. Sometimes some of the Christians who did not think it was right to eat that meat where at the party. They would approach the other Christians and say, “Did you know this meat was dedicated to an idol? You guys are sinning by eating that meat. You should stop.” Those who thought they were free said, “I do not care what you think. I am free to do it, and if you were stronger in the faith, you would do it to.”
“I don’t care what you think, I am going to do it anyway.”
Some people I knew in college were like that. They used to go out to a party and have a little something to drink. They would usually not get drunk, but just enjoy some beers with friends. This was not bad, in and of itself, but there were some at the college who did not think that it was right to drink any kind of alcohol. There was this end of the year bash put on by a person who did not know the tensions between the groups. Well, the people who thought it was OK to drink took a keg along to the party. Those who thought it was wrong had arrived early and were hanging out, enjoying each other’s company. They all turned to look at the door as it swung open and a couple guys walked in with the keg. They stood there shocked. They went up to the Christians who thought it was all right to drink and said, “You should not drink, its not right. Please take the keg away.” But the others did not care, one of them took a long swig from his beer and went, “Ahh, now that’s tasty.” Those who thought drinking was wrong were deeply offended, and they ended up leaving the party.
Both groups were Christians, but they did not act in a Christian manner. Those who thought it was alright to drink had the wrong attitude. This is not the attitude which God tells us to have. God, through Paul, says, “Do everything to the good of your neighbour.”
There is nothing wrong with having a beer every now and then, but if there is someone who says to you, “It is wrong to do that.” or if it is something you cannot control, then you need to abstain from it. You are supposed to stop yourself from doing it for their sake, and for the sake of their conscience. If you do it, and you urge the other person to do it, then you are causing them to sin. If they think it is wrong, and they do it, then they sin.
If you cause them to do something they think is wrong, then you are causing them to sin.
When you do this, you place a stumbling block in front of them. It would be like taking one of those concrete dividers from the highway and placing it directly across their path. You make it that much more difficult for them to continue in their walk of faith. You hurt them, and cause them to stumble and perhaps even fall.
This passage deals with more than meat sacrificed to idols, or having a beer every now and then. It addresses more serious issues of separation in the church. It addresses people who do not take the concerns of others into proper consideration. If you have hurt your brother or sister in the faith, for whatever reason. If you have made it difficult for them to come here and worship with you. If you have caused them to stumble.
You are in the wrong.
There may not be a justified reason for them to be hurt, or to have difficultly worshipping with you, but if they do, then it is on your head. If you cause them to hate you because you refuse to address whatever issue is at hand, then you are the one responsible.
Jesus puts it this way.
” “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:21-24, ESV)
We all have a duty to the other person’s conscience. We do not necessarily have to alter our conception of what is right and wrong. My friends did not have to begin to think that drinking was wrong, but they did have to change their behaviour. They should not have drunk in front of those who thought it was wrong. We are supposed to make sure that we do not do things which are against the conscience of those around us. We are to do everything for the good of our neighbour.
In this passage Paul seems to anticipate an objection when he says, “For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?” Paul tells them, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” The Corinthians were not glorifying God by causing divisions in the church. They were not glorifying God by causing their brother to sin. They were not glorifying God, because they are being a bad example to those outside the church.
By eating the meat sacrificed to idols in front of their brother or sister, they are not exhibiting a Christian attitude and they are being a stumbling block to their brother or sister, but they are also being a stumbling block to others who might wish to come to Christ. The Corinthians were not to be a stumbling block to either Jew or Greek, those outside the church, nor to the church. They were to follow Paul in this.
Now, when people began to add things to the gospel message, Paul stood up and took his stance. He would not circumcise Titus, because some people were saying he had to be circumcised to be saved (Gal 2:3). But at another time, Paul had Timothy circumcised before his second missionary journey, just to avoid dissension with the Jews he would be visiting (Ac 16:1-3). Paul stressed over and over and over again that the Gentiles should not be required to follow Jewish customs. But he never once said that it was wrong for Jews to practice their old customs, so long as they did not begin to trust in them and their customs did not cause division and dissension in the church.
Paul told the Corinthians that they were allowed to eat of the meat in the marketplace, without asking any questions because “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” They were allowed to eat food which was dedicated to idols, because the idols were nothing and Satan could not hurt them through the food. As long as they ate the food with thanksgiving in their hearts to the gift God had given them, then they had nothing to worry about. If they were doing it to the glory of God, then it was allowed. The problem was, causing your brother or sister to stumble was not to the glory of God.
Giving your brother or sister a boost in faith, is to the glory of God. Saving someone for Christ is to the glory of God. Paul wants the church to be a good witness of God’s love and of Christ’s sacrifice. He wants us to be a stepping stone, not a stumbling block. Instead of placing a big concrete barrier in the path of a fellow believer or someone seeking Christ, he wants us to place a stone over the creek of difficulty that person may be facing. If they have come to a rough spot in their walk of faith. If they had come to a wide and deep stream which they were scared to cross, Paul is telling us to help them across the stream, not make them fall in.
If my friends from college had not brought a keg along to the party, or if they had brought some non-alcoholic beverage along, then they would have been imitating this type of service. They would have respected the other person’s conscience and their actions would have been to the glory of God. They could have shown God’s love and encouraged their brothers and sisters in Christ and any non-Christians at the party.
They could have been a blessing to the others there.
God gives us the ability to be shining lights to others, be they Christian or not. As Paul says, “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” (2 Cor 4:15). When we lead people to Christ, we add to the glory of God. When we live in harmony with each other, we add to the glory of God. When we love each other, and bear one another’s burdens, we add to the glory of God. When we serve one another, we add to the glory of God.
When we live our lives, making sure that we are not causing others to stumble and fall, then we live lives which bring honour and glory to God’s name.
