1 Corinthians 8:11

And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? SHALL ... PERISH. So G g, Vulgate. But 'Aleph (') A B C Delta f read 'is being destroyed.' A single act, seemingly unimportant, may produce everlasting consequences (Romans 14:23). FOR WHOM, [ di' (G1223 ) hon (G3739 )] CHRIST DIED - implying how precious He counted even the weakest; for whose sake we too ought to be willing to die (1 John 3:16). Yet professing Christians tempted brethren to their damnation sooner than forego meats for their...

11._And thy brother perish _Mark how serious an evil it is, that mankind commonly think so little of — that of venturing upon anything with a doubtful or opposing conscience. For the object to which our whole life ought to be directed, is the will of the Lord. This, therefore, is the one thing that vitiates all our actions, when we disregard it. (474) This we do, not merely by an outward action, but even by a thought of the mind, when we allow ourselves in anything in opposition to conscience, even though the thing be not evil in itself. Let us bear in mind, therefore, that whenever we take a step in opposition to conscience, we are on the high road to ruin. I read, however, the sentence interrogatively, thus: _Shall he perish through thy knowledge _? as though he had said: “Is it reasonable that thy knowledge should give occasion of ruin to thy brother? Is it for this reason that thou k...

7-13 Eating one kind of food, and abstaining from another, have nothing in them to recommend a person to God. But the apostle cautions against putting a stumbling-block in the way of the weak; lest they be made bold to eat what was offered to the idol, not as common food, but as a sacrifice, and thereby be guilty of idolatry. He who has the Spirit of Christ in him, will love those whom Christ loved so as to die for them. Injuries done to Christians, are done to Christ; but most of all, the entangling them in guilt: wounding their consciences, is wounding him. We should be very tender of doing any thing that may occasion stumbling to others, though it may be innocent in itself. And if we must not endanger other men's souls, how much should we take care not to destroy our own! Let Christians beware of approaching the brink of evil, or the appearance of it, though many do this in public ma...

Verse 1 Corinthians 8:11. _SHALL THE WEAK BROTHER PERISH_] Being first taught by thy conduct that there was no harm in thus eating, he grieves the Spirit of God; becomes again darkened and hardened; and, sliding back into idolatry, dies in it, and so finally perishes. _FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED?_] So we learn that a man may _perish_ for whom Christ died: this admits of no quibble. If a man _for whom_ _Christ died_, apostatizing from _Christianity_, (for he is called a _brother_ though _weak_,) return again to and die in idolatry, cannot go to heaven; then a man for whom Christ died may perish everlastingly. And if it were possible for a believer, whether strong or weak, to retrace his steps back to idolatry and die in it, surely it is possible for a man, who had escaped the pollutions that are in the world, to return

AND THROUGH THY KNOWLEDGE - Because you knew that an idol was nothing, and that there could be really no danger of falling into idolatry from partaking of these entertainments. You will thus be the means of deceiving and destroying him. The argument of the apostle here is, that if This was to be the result, the duty of those who had this knowledge was plain. SHALL THE WEAK BROTHER - The uninformed and ignorant Christian. That it means real Christian there can be no doubt. Because: (1) It is the usual term by which Christians are designated - the endearing name of “brother;” and, (2) The scope of the passage requires it so to be understood; see the note at Romans 14:20. PERISH - Be destroyed; ruined; los

EXPOSITION 1 CORINTHIANS 8:1 _The relation of lore to knowledge with respect to the question of eating idol offerings._ 1 CORINTHIANS 8:1 AS TOUCHING THINGS OFFERED UNTO IDOLS. This was doubtless one of the questions on which the Corinthians had asked for advice. We judge from the tone of the questions to which St. Paul here replies that the majority of the Corinthians, being liberal in their views, held that it was a matter of perfect indifference to eat idol offerings; and that, in acting upon this conviction, they contemptuously overrode the convictions of those who could not help thinking that when they did so they committed a sin. The practical decision of the question was on

AND THROUGH THY KNOWLEDGE,.... These words contain an aggravation of the sin such persons are guilty of, who are the means, by their example, of ensnaring weak minds, and causing them to stumble and fall, even in some sense so as to perish: SHALL THE WEAK BROTHER PERISH, FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED? every word almost carries in it an exaggeration of this matter; it is not some slight injury that is done to the person, but even causing him to "perish"; and this is not said of any person, but a "brother", to whom the strongest affection, and strictest regard, should be shown; and a "weak" brother, of whom the greater care should be taken; and therefore it is an instance of cruelty to do damage to such an one, and that not ignorantly, which cannot be pretended, but "through thy knowledge"; not through the true use, but abuse of it: those that have knowledge should know better, and improve it to t...

5. CONCERNING MEATS OFFERED TO IDOLS: CHRISTIAN LIBERTY GOVERNED BY LOVE CHAPTER 8 _ 1. Concerning things sacrificed to idols and knowledge. (1 Corinthians 8:1)._ 2. True knowledge and liberty governed by love. (1 Corinthians 8:7). Another question is raised concerning things offered to idols. Should Christians eat what had been offered in sacrifice to idols? These idol-offered meats were generally sold in the meat market. Would a believer be defiled by using such meats? They all had knowledge concerning these matters. But mere knowledge without love only puffeth up. Love is better than knowledge, for it edifieth, and this love they had to manifest in the matter of eating things sacrificed to idols. As to knowledge, how little man knoweth. How true it is “if

1 CORINTHIANS 8. LET THOSE WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE CONTROL ITS EXERCISE BY LOVE, LEST THEY RUIN THEIR BROTHER FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED. Paul begins with a quotation from the church letter. They claim that all have knowledge. Yes, but knowledge makes men conceited, love develops and consolidates them. They who fancy that they know have no right knowledge: he who loves God is known by God, a better knowledge than any of his own. However, all are aware that no idol has any real existence and that there is only one God. For, allowing that there are so-called gods, as in truth there are many gods and lords (_i.e._ the demons), yet Christians recognise one God, the Father, source of all things and their own goal, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, the efficient agent in creation and in their own redemption. Yet those who are without such knowledge, when they eat the idol sacrifice, are dominated by the old po...

ADVICE TO THE WISE (1 Corinthians 8:1-13) 8 With reference to things offered to idols--we are well aware that we all possess knowledge; but knowledge inflates a man, whereas love builds him up. If anyone thinks he has reached a certain stage of knowledge, it is not the kind of knowledge it ought to be. If a man loves God, he is known by God. With regard to food which consists of things offered to idols, we well know that there is nothing in the universe for which an idol stands, and that there is no God but one; and even if the so-called gods do exist, just as there are gods many and lords many, as far as we are concerned, it remains true that there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and to whom we go; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came into being and through whom we were re-created. But it is not everyone who has knowl