food for idols, protecting the other's conscience

The reason I started this blog was to provide a forum to discuss these daily readings. When you read the reading on the blog you can leave comments after it and others can respond to them. I think this could be a cool opportunity to talk with each other about what the passage says to us. I also send these readings out to my congregation and others by email, which is less interactive but puts the readings in front of you each morning. If you'd like to be added to the distribution list, feel free to send me your email.

Today Paul wraps up his discussion of food sacrificed to idols with a summary. The basic principle he lays out here is that everything is God's; so we can eat whatever we want as long as we do it with praise and thanksgiving for God. But because eating something someone else tells us has been sacrificed to an idol sends them the wrong message we should not eat something when someone tells us it was sacrificed. The goal is to always look out for how our actions can affect others.

The big principle here is very useful in thinking about what we do. It seems like Paul is saying, "Do whatever you want." In reality he's encouraging freedom with a very helpful test: "Do everything to the glory of God." I think if we find ourselves with a tricky decision to make and we use the question: "How does this decision glorify God," it will shed a lot of light on the problem. The same goes for his advise to avoid giving offense to anyone.

Sometimes we think of avoiding offense as keeping our beliefs to ourselves so no one knows we disagree with them. That's not what Paul means at all. We've seen him be very outspoken about his beliefs in this letter, and when we read Acts we see that he's equally outspoken with non-believers. Paul means being careful in our behavior and speech so we don't seem immoral or weak in our character. That way our actions strengthen our witness to God's love in Christ and we live our lives with integrity. That sounds like a good goal to me.

Blessings on the weekend,
Sam

1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1

23“All things are lawful,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other. 25Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, 26for “the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.” 27If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

28But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29I mean the other’s conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be subject to the judgment of someone else’s conscience? 30If I partake with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved. 1Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.