In verse 4 Paul goes on to say, “Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.” The Greek word for know here is oida. To realize that an idol is nothing and that there is no God but one requires an inward, subjective consciousness derived from our spirit through our mind. This is much deeper than the outward, objective knowledge that is merely in our mind.
In verses 5 and 6 Paul continues, “For if even there are so-called gods either in heaven or on earth, even as there are many gods and many lords, yet to us there is one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we unto Him.” In verse 6 the words “to us” refer to the believers in Christ, the Christians. The one God in verse 6 is in contrast to the many gods in verse 5. Our God is uniquely one. In this verse Father is a designation for our God, who is the source of all things. This designation makes our God utterly distinct from the many false gods. Here the Father refers not to God as the Father of the regenerated ones, but to Him as the source of all things. This is proved by the words “of whom are all things.” All things are out of God as the source. Hence, God is called the Father. Not only is He our Father in regeneration, but He is the Father of all created things, for all things have come out of Him.
Not only are all things of the Father, but we are “unto Him.” Among all of God’s creation, only we, the believers, are unto Him. This means that although all are out of God, only we shall go back to Him to be unto Him. To be unto God indicates union with Him. The preposition “of” indicates source, but the preposition “unto” indicates union. As Christians, we are both of God and unto Him.
In verse 6 Paul also says that to us there is “one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things, and we through Him.” The one Lord here is in contrast to the many lords in verse 5. Our Lord is uniquely one. Jesus Christ is the divine and human title of our Lord that distinguishes Him from the many lords. Our God, the Father, is the unique source of all things, and our Lord, Jesus Christ, is the unique means through whom all things came into being. Jesus Christ is not the source; He is the means. For this reason Paul uses the preposition “through” and says “through Whom are all things.” According to John 1:3, all things came into being through Him. Thus, the Lord is actually not the Creator; He is the means through whom all things were created.
It is significant that concerning the Father Paul uses the prepositions “of” and “unto,” but concerning the Lord he twice uses the preposition “through.” The Father is the source, and we are of Him and unto Him. All things are of the source, the Father, and through the means, the Lord. Furthermore, through regeneration we return to the Father and are unto Him. On the one hand, all things are of the Father and through the Lord; on the other hand, we, the regenerated ones, will return to the Father through the Lord. As the Lord says in John 14:6, He is the way, and no one can come to the Father except through Him. With the source there is the need for the prepositions “of” and “unto.” Thus, Paul says that we are of Him and unto Him. But concerning the Lord, all things are through Him in creation, and we are through Him in returning unto the Father. Therefore, all things are of the Father and through the Lord, but we are also unto the Father through the Lord. We came into being through the Lord, and we return to the Father also through the Lord. This is the reason that regarding the Father Paul says that all things are of Him and that we are unto Him, but concerning the Lord he says that all things are through Him and that we, in the sense of returning to the Father as the source, are through Him.
In verse 7 Paul goes on to say, “But there is not in all this knowledge; but some being accustomed to the idol until now, eat it as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience being weak is defiled.” A weak conscience is due to the lack of proper and adequate knowledge. This indicates that our knowledge has much to do with our conscience. The ex-idol worshippers who are now believers in Christ, being accustomed to the idol until now, lack the knowledge that an idol is nothing (v. 4). Thus, their conscience is weak concerning the matter of idols. The weak conscience is defiled when it is touched by any related matter of which it lacks adequate knowledge.