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Commentary
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 1 Corinthians Chapter 8 In this chapter Paul touches upon the same doctrine he wrote in the book of romans on the ministration of the Holy Spirit to repentance. (To the ends, eternal life of obedience.) It is a sin to stand in the way of the training of the ministry of the same, He being there for the edification and obedience of all believers. A fellow christian with weak conscience can be wounded to their detriment when they see another do that which the Spirit instructs them not to - it interrupts their conscience which is as under a teacher. Paul states all the believers know fully enough concerning the knowledge of idols, but charity towards the edification of each other is better than knowledge. (v1) If any feel that their knowledge is perfect and complete, he has not experienced full knowledge of the application of mindful charity towards his brethren. (v2) But if any man love (be obedient to) God then He is known to be in knowledge of God. (v3) All the believers know all idols are false gods, not as the Father and Christ. (v4) Whether an idol be an earthly spirit or of the host of heaven, (v5) they are all false. For in God the Father we live and move and have our being, and for and by Christ are we fashioned to please Him in all things. (v6) But not every man has that knowledge - some worship idols or have in their conscience the association of the same. So if they eat food offered to a false god, they would err inwardly. (v7) (Such are to be confident otherwise in that they live to the Lord - this is godliness since it is training to repentance through the Holy Spirit.) Food by itself does not endear us to God. (v8) We are not better or worse spiritually for the use of it or not. But in freedom of this sure knowledge, a brother that eats food offered to idols can injure the conscience of him that would not, and that would be a stumbling block to their repentance. (v9) For He could eat such offerings boldly, but not with confidence in his conscience, and his obedience to his conscience would suffer. (v10,v11) By the conscience Christ saves the gentiles who are not preached the law of Moses - that their thoughts excuse one act as sinful or justify another by their conscience. (c.f. Romans ch:2:v15) So the exercise of truthful liberty could sin against Christ's work. (v12). In this example to be charitably minded towards the state of each other's consciences Paul states he would rather starve than offend his brethren in the Lord leading to him sinning against Christ's own work. The action of the Holy Spirit towards our repentance is again, meat rather than milk for preaching - but by similitude we can add in the same doctrine from the metaphysics here. (In fact the "Open Doors" page in the metamath section.) |
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