1 Corinthians 8:10 KJV
For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit
at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be
emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
The two men eat the same meat, from the same table at the same time but
they do have the same heart.
The one eats the
meat knowing that there is but one true and living God. He knows that idols are
- Empty
- Powerless before God and
- Nothing
He eats the meat to
nourish his body and thanks the living God for providing it.
The other eats the
meat believing it to be a sacrifice to other gods. The context tells me that he
is either a believer or else he is interested in the truth but not yet come to
the truth. He sees the more mature Christian at the table and makes assumptions
that, though false, hinder him in knowing the truth. He believes the more
mature Christian also eats in honor of the idol.
The lesson of the
passage for the Christian is that, as unfair as it may seem, our place is to go
the extra mile to prevent these false assumptions to be made of us. If it means
setting aside our liberty, not doing for a time what we know we may do, we set
liberty down for the good of someone else.
This may be the ultimate
expression of liberty; to take upon ourselves a yoke that is not necessary for
ourselves but is helpful to another.
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