Is this Love

A friend of ours refused to go to Chris Tomlin concerts, listen to Chris Tomlin music, or any contemporary music for that matter. Apparently she had gone to a Chris Tomlin concert that had dancers and that was enough to swear off Chris Tomlin. She strongly believed that music was a form of worship and that nothing should draw attention away from God in that worship. In fact, at the church she attended, the choir faced away from the congregation to protect from any notion that it was a show.

Have you ever participated in a “questionable” activity and later felt regret at having done so?

Why did you regret it?

MacArthur, John F.. 1 Corinthians (p. 53). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

A friend of ours refused to go to Chris Tomlin concerts, listen to Chris Tomlin music, or any contemporary music for that matter. Apparently she had gone to a Chris Tomlin concert that had dancers and that was enough to swear off Chris Tomlin. She strongly believed that music was a form of worship and that nothing should draw attention away from God in that worship. In fact, at the church she attended, the choir faced away from the congregation to protect from any notion that it was a show.

We may find this weird, but for the past 2 generations some of the strongest debates between Evangelicals and Fundamentalists have revolved around questionable practices.

By questionable practices I mean those practices that are not specifically forbidden by Scripture.

Let’s call them “Gray Area Issues.”

Illustration for a principle. Lahoma is a drinker and would not drink in settings that included alcoholic. She would serve even though she didn’t know if it would matter or not.

TRANSITION -

Ask them to name some gray area issues.

Most of us would agree that these are issues of today.

Most of us would agree that these are issues that Paul never faced.

But even in Paul’s day there were certainly gray area issues.

One of them is the second question the Corinthians letter to him:

Can Christians eat meat sacrificed to idols?

How many of you have struggled with that?

Right! This means nothing to us today.

But the broader issue of Christian liberty does.

TRANSITION – And in chapter 8 Paul uses the meat issue to guide believers about Christian liberty.

IV. Ask them if they had ever effected others by their exercising their christian liberties in the gray areas?

READ THE TEXT

VI. The Corinthians issue

VII. Illustrate a modern day issue

In answering this question, Paul calls their attention to 3 important factors.

VIII. Exegete Text

Brief historical explanation

a. 2 sources of meat.

2 sources of meat.

Expensive at the market.

i. Expensive at the market.

The more expensive regular market.

Inexpensive at the temple.

ii. Inexpensive at the temple.

The cheaper local temples.

Strong Christians knew that idols could not contaminate the meat

1. Because Strong Christians knew that idols could not contaminate the meat

Strong purchase at the temple.

Strong ate at feasts at homes

Strong ate at feasts at temple.

Weak were offended.

Not a problem limited to Corinth, Paul talks about this issue in .

This was yet another issue that had the potential to divide the church so the question “Can christians eat meat sacrificed to idols?” ended up in the letter FROM the Corinthians TO Paul.

In Paul’s answer to this question, he draws their attention to 3 important factors to consider when discerning this “gray area question” which we can use in our own discernment of the gray areas we face today.

a. They saved money by purchasing temple meat.

They saved money by purchasing temple meat.

b. They attended feasts held by non-believers whether at their home or the temple.

They attended feasts held by non-believers whether at their home or the temple.

They attended other social events held in the temple dining facilities. (i.e. weddings, parties, clubs etc.)

c. They attended other social events held in the temple dining facilities. (i.e. weddings, parties, clubs etc.)

b. Weaker believers offended.

Weaker believers offended.

i. Because saved out of pagan idolatry, didn’t understand why believers would want anything to with meat sacrificed to pagan idols.

Because saved out of pagan idolatry, didn’t understand why believers would want anything to with meat sacrificed to pagan idols.

TRANSITION – So Paul draws our attention to 3 important factors concerning Christian liberty.

KNOWLEDGE

1 Corinthians 8:1–2 NASB95

1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Be Wise about … Christian Liberty (1 Corinthians 8)

Why, then, are the weak Christians upset with them when their position is so logical?

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Be Wise about … Christian Liberty (1 Corinthians 8)

Because you don’t always solve every problem with logic.

Corinthians very proud of their spiritual knowledge.

Knowledge has a tendency to make a person competitive and prideful.

We all have knowledge is probably another slogan.

Can’t you just see some of them smiling and high fiving each other. Maybe they’re even looking at the weaker christians and saying, “See…told ya!”

To those who have all this knowledge, it is quite logical that meat sacrificed to idols doesn’t mean ANYTHING.

Can’t you just see some of them smiling and high fiving each other. Maybe they’re even looking at the weaker christians and saying, “See…told ya!”

But it’s short lived. Because Paul bursts their bubble by telling them their knowledge has made them arrogant.

It focuses on the individual, NOT family, body or church.

Their logic has not solved the problem nor answered the question.

Their knowledge wasn’t helping anyone but themselves.

Illustrate - The little child who is afraid of the dark will not be assured by arguments.

You know I love to use this quote

Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

POINT: Knowledge is a weapon or a tool depending how you use it. If it “puffs up” then it cannot “build up” (edify).

In fact,

Paul David Tripp illustration from the Dangerous calling book.

You may have knowledge, but you lack spiritual knowledge.

A “know-it-all” is not evidence of powerful knowledge but evidence of ignorance.

A person that really knows truth is conscious of how much he does not know.

Can grow in Bible knowledge and yet not grow in a personal relationship with God.

Paul David Trip talks about this in his book “Dangerous Calling”

Bad things happen when maturity is mored defined by knowing than it is by being. Danger is afloat when you come to love doctrine and theological ideas more than the God whom they represent and the people they are meant to free.

Paul David Tripp illustration from the Dangerous calling book. Knowing doctrine does not equate to knowing God. It’s possible to grow in knowledge and not in grace

So Paul is warning us that knowledge without love does not edify others or build the church.

So important to Paul, Romans, 1 & 2 Corin., 1 Thess, Ephes.

You know I love to use this quote

Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

This brings me to the second factor.

2. LOVE

1 Corinthians 8:3–6 NASB95

3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. 4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

Can’t overlook the importance here.

But it must be used in love.

The point is, that God loved us first, and because of His loved us first, we can love others first.

Love builds up

When spiritual knowledge is used in love, the stronger Christian can take the hand of the weaker Christian and help him to stand and walk so as to enjoy his freedom in Christ.

Knowledge must be mixed with love;

Paul is not suggesting here that love alone is necessary. As knowledge needs to be tempered by love, so love needs to be balanced with knowledge.

Paul prays that the saints’ love would grow in knowledge so that they would be able to make pure decisions for their life.

Knowledge and love are two important factors, for knowledge must be balanced by love if we are to use our Christian freedom in the right way. But there is a third factor.

They’re like Peas and Carrots.

What this means is that knowledge must be balanced by love.

The only ones who are known by Him are those who have a love relationship with Him.

John MacArthur says:

Knowledge is important, immensely important. But, as everything else, without love it is nothing. Loving and being loved by Godis everything.

This is why I encouraged you to read chapter 13 before reading this passage.

We all know we have Christian liberty

Perhaps you were already extremely familiar with chapter 13. I guess who isn’t. It’s the love chapter.

It’s only printed on a million greeting cards, coffee mugs and the basis of countless wedding invitations.

Because we need to look at our Christian liberty through the lens of Paul’s definition of Love..agape love.

We all know we have Christian liberty

It is interesting Paul is addressing the stronger believers.

They probably asked this question

Knowledge and love are two important factors, But there is a third factor.

Chapter 13 is describing agape love. This love shows respect, esteem, and value of others and seeks to affirm them.

So Love and Knowledge go together.

They’re like PB&J.

They’re like Peas and Carrots.

They’re like cookies and milk.

They’re like Danny and Jacqueline.

Knowledge must be balanced by love when using Christian freedom.

3. Conscience

1 Corinthians 8:7–13 NLT

7 However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do. 9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

v8 Neutral issue - no spiritual advantage or disadvantage.

v11 Flaunting your freedom can be an obstacle for sanctification.

This is not ultimate destruction, but a temporary, yet serious, setback in spiritual growth.

Robert James Utley, Paul’s Letters to a Troubled Church: I and II Corinthians, vol. Volume 6, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International, 2002), 101.

v12b To avoid sinning against Christ.

Today, stronger christians may believe that watching a rated R movie is not sinful, but a weaker brother’s conscience may prevent them to do so. If you invite them to a rated R movie, you’re actually making them commit what they believe to be a sin. Which convicts you in a sin.

Conscience simply means “to know with”

Internal court where actions are approved or condemned.

Three types of weak consciences:

Saved only a short time. Not time to grow yet.

Will not grow. Ignore their Bibles and Christian fellowship.

Afraid of freedom. Old enough to go to school but afraid to leave home.

Easily defiled

Easily wounded.

Easily offended.

In love stronger must defer to the weaker so he is not harmed.

Only to help him mature.

Only to edify.

Only to help grow.

Agape love shows respect, esteem, and value of others and seeks to affirm them

They’re like cookies and milk.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Be Wise about … Christian Liberty (1 Corinthians 8)

The word conscience simply means “to know with,” and it is used thirty-two times in the New Testament. Conscience is that internal court where our actions are judged and are either approved or condemned (Rom. 2:14–15). Conscience is not the law; it bears witness to God’s moral law. But the important thing is this: conscience depends on knowledge. The more spiritual knowledge we know and act on, the stronger the conscience will become.

Some Christians have weak consciences because they have been saved only a short time and have not had opportunity to grow. Like little babes in the home, they must be guarded carefully. Other saints have weak consciences because they will not grow. They ignore their Bibles and Christian fellowship and remain in a state of infancy (1 Cor. 3:1–4; Heb. 5:11–14). But some believers remain weak because they are afraid of freedom. They are like a child old enough to go to school, who is afraid to leave home and must be taken to school each day.

The conscience of a weak Christian is easily defiled (1 Cor. 8:7), wounded (1 Cor. 8:12), and offended (1 Cor. 8:13). For this reason, the stronger saints must defer to the weaker saints and do nothing that would harm them. It might not harm the mature saint to share a feast in an idolatrous temple, but it might harm his weaker brother. First Corinthians 8:10 warns that the immature believer might decide to imitate his stronger brother and thus be led into sin.

It is important to note that the stronger believer defers to the weaker believer in love only that he might help him to mature. He does not “pamper” him; he seeks to edify him, to help him grow. Otherwise, both will become weak.

We are free in Christ, but we must take care that our spiritual knowledge is tempered by love, and that we do not tempt the weaker Christian to run ahead of his conscience. Where knowledge is balanced by love, the strong Christian will have a ministry to the weak Christian, and the weak Christian will grow and become strong.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Be Wise about … Christian Liberty (1 Corinthians 8)

The word conscience simply means “to know with,” and it is used thirty-two times in the New Testament. Conscience is that internal court where our actions are judged and are either approved or condemned (Rom. 2:14–15). Conscience is not the law; it bears witness to God’s moral law. But the important thing is this: conscience depends on knowledge. The more spiritual knowledge we know and act on, the stronger the conscience will become.

Some Christians have weak consciences because they have been saved only a short time and have not had opportunity to grow. Like little babes in the home, they must be guarded carefully. Other saints have weak consciences because they will not grow. They ignore their Bibles and Christian fellowship and remain in a state of infancy (1 Cor. 3:1–4; Heb. 5:11–14). But some believers remain weak because they are afraid of freedom. They are like a child old enough to go to school, who is afraid to leave home and must be taken to school each day.

The conscience of a weak Christian is easily defiled (1 Cor. 8:7), wounded (1 Cor. 8:12), and offended (1 Cor. 8:13). For this reason, the stronger saints must defer to the weaker saints and do nothing that would harm them. It might not harm the mature saint to share a feast in an idolatrous temple, but it might harm his weaker brother. First Corinthians 8:10 warns that the immature believer might decide to imitate his stronger brother and thus be led into sin.

It is important to note that the stronger believer defers to the weaker believer in love only that he might help him to mature. He does not “pamper” him; he seeks to edify him, to help him grow. Otherwise, both will become weak.

We are free in Christ, but we must take care that our spiritual knowledge is tempered by love, and that we do not tempt the weaker Christian to run ahead of his conscience. Where knowledge is balanced by love, the strong Christian will have a ministry to the weak Christian, and the weak Christian will grow and become strong.

Jacqueline and I have another friend who has no conviction about drinking alcohol. She believes Christians have the freedom to drink alcohol (baring they don’t get drunk). But when she’s in a gathering with people she doesn’t know well, she refrains from drinking alcohol. She does this not because she cares what people think about whether she drinks alcohol or not. She denies her christian liberty to drink in order so that somebody that might be struggling with alcohol will not feel the stand out or feel isolated in their conviction.

Paul emphasizes this in by saying we must speak the truth in love.

This is an example of what Paul is talking about. We have the freedom in Christ to exercise our Christian liberties, but the point of all this is his command in verse 9 “be careful that your freedom does not cause your brother/sister to stumble.”

We are to put our brothers and sisters in Christ first before our Christian liberties. This is knowledge and love in balance.

AND

Ephesians 4:15 NASB95

15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

But conversely love needs to be controlled by knowledge.

In where Paul prays for their love to continue to grow in knowledge so they can make good and pure choices while on this earth.

Now you remember that friend I told you about that wouldn’t go see Chris Tomlin? Fast forward several years, she’s grown in her faith, attends a different church and oh by the way…she has gone to several Chris Tomlin concerts. And has even told us that several contemporary christian songs have ministered to her during the grieving process of the death of her husband.

So Love and Knowledge go together.

They’re like PB&J.

They’re like Peas and Carrots.

They’re like cookies and milk.

Danny and Jacqueline.

The strong believers were not using their knowledge in love.

They were caring more about exercising their freedoms, than loving the weaker saints.

That goes against Paul’s great concern. To build up the church.

IX. Concluding with the main principle The heart behind Christian Liberty is not for you, its for loving others and building up the church.

X. End with Lourie going to Chris Tomlin concert and how it ministered to her while grieving her husband.

So let’s come back around to the gray area things in the beginning. The strong corinthians knew that the idols were nothing and that eating things sacrificed to them was nothing, but the weaker christians did not.

*****PRAY*****

Amen