INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS 8 In this chapter the apostle proceeds to consider the case of eating things offered to idols, which, though an indifferent thing, was abused by many in the Corinthian church, to the scandal and hurt of weak Christians; wherefore the apostle dissuades from the use of i... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW AS TOUCHING THINGS OFFERED UNTO IDOLS,.... This was another of the things the Corinthians wrote to the apostle about, desiring to have his judgment in; it was a controversy that had been before moved, whether it was lawful to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols. This was considered in t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF ANY MAN THINK THAT HE KNOWS ANYTHING,.... Whoever has an opinion of himself, or is conceited with his own knowledge, and fancies that he knows more than he does; which is always the case of those that are elated with their knowledge, and treat others with contempt, and have no regard to their... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF ANY MAN LOVE GOD,.... As they do, and show it, who love their brethren, and are careful not to grieve them; and make use of their superior knowledge, not for their destruction, but edification: THE SAME IS KNOWN OF HIM; is taught by him, made to know more by him; such an one increases in spi... [ Continue Reading ]
AS CONCERNING THEREFORE THE EATING OF THOSE THINGS,.... The apostle having enlarged on the head of knowledge, which those who made an ill use of their Christian liberty urged in favour of their conduct; he returns to the subject in question, in relation to meats, THAT ARE OFFERED IN SACRIFICE UNTO... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOUGH THERE BE THAT ARE CALLED GODS,.... That are so by name, though not by nature; who are called so in Scripture, as angels and magistrates, or by men, who give them such names, and account them so: WHETHER IN HEAVEN; as the sun, moon, and stars: OR IN EARTH; as men who formerly lived on ea... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT TO US THERE IS BUT ONE GOD, THE FATHER,.... In this Christians and Jews agree with the best and wisest philosophers of the Gentiles, that there is but one God; which is clear from the perfections of God, as necessary existence, eternity, infinity, omnipotence, all-sufficiency, goodness, and perf... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT, THERE IS NOT IN EVERY MAN THAT KNOWLEDGE,.... The apostle is not speaking of Heathens, in whom there was no knowledge of the one true God, the author of all things, and of the one Lord Jesus, the only saviour and Redeemer; but of Christians, in whom there was the knowledge of these things,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT MEAT COMMENDETH US NOT TO GOD,.... These words are said by the apostle, either as expressing the argument of such as had knowledge in favour of themselves, that what they did was a thing indifferent, by which they were made neither better nor worse; nor did they look upon it as meritorious, or e... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT TAKE HEED LEST BY ANY MEANS,.... This is either a reply to the instance of such as argued in favour of eating things offered to idols; or a limitation and explanation of the apostle's own concession, that it made a man, with respect to the favour of God, neither better nor worse: yet care should... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF ANY MAN SEE THEE WHICH HAST KNOWLEDGE,.... That is, not any person whatever; not one that has equal knowledge, and can with a good conscience take the same liberty; but one that is weak in the faith, that has not such a clear sight of the doctrine of Christian liberty: if such an one should o... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN YE SIN SO AGAINST THE BRETHREN,.... Through sitting at meat in an idol's temple, and thereby violating the new commandment of love; by which saints are obliged to love one another as brethren, and take care to do nothing that may hurt and prejudice one another's peace and comfort, it being... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE IF MEAT MAKE MY BROTHER TO OFFEND,.... This is the conclusion of the whole, which the apostle makes with respect to himself, and proposes for the imitation of others; that since an imprudent use of Christian liberty, in this article of eating things offered to idols, might be attended with... [ Continue Reading ]