Bible Commentary - 1_Corinthians_8:1-3

By Larry Bray, . Permalink

1 Corinthians 8:1-3

Though Paul acknowledges that the Corinthians had knowledge, he sees it as something that is puffing them up and inflating their egos. They had knowledge that the gods of the pagans were idols, that food was something that was not a morally important issue, and knowledge of many other things to be sure. The problem was that this knowledge of theirs was not joined with love. Knowledge without love is self-serving and reveals a deeper ignorance of spiritual matters.

Some thought that it was sin to eat food offered to idols; others had more knowledge and understood that they could eat such food. But the “stronger” Corinthians would defile the conscience of the “weaker” by eating the food in front of them, and perhaps even trying to get them to eat it with them. This reveals the shallow, fleshly knowledge that the “stronger” had...as their focus was on the food and not on the love that they should have for their weaker brother. They used their knowledge in a way that harmed their brethren, and that is terribly ignorant of the more important things.

How is our attitude towards our brethren in the Lord? Do we take such pride in our knowledge that we will use it even to the point of causing our brothers to stumble? I pray that God would humble us and drive us to cling to our love of God and each other as we grow not only in knowledge, but also in piety.