Verse 8 says, “But food will not commend us to God; neither if we do not eat are we lacking, nor if we eat do we excel.” Those who eat idol sacrifices without having the proper knowledge will defile their conscience. After making this matter clear, Paul goes on to say that food does not commend us to God. Once again Paul reveals his spirit. Deep within his spirit Paul realizes that the things we do should commend us to God. Anything that does not commend us to God is not necessary. Yes, we may be free to do certain things, but those things do not commend us to God. Here the issue does not concern the matter of right or wrong, but whether or not a certain thing commends us to God. For example, it may not be wrong for a brother to wear his hair long. But according to the principle in verse 8, long hair does not commend him to God. Concerning hair styles, we do not have any regulations. But we all should style our hair in a manner which commends us to God. Paul’s thought here is that eating does not commend us to God. We may have the freedom to eat sacrifices to idols, knowing that idols are nothing. This eating, however, does not commend us to God. We should learn to do what commends us to God. According to Paul, “Neither if we do not eat are we lacking, nor if we eat do we excel.”
Since this is the case, what need is there for us to eat idol sacrifices?
In verses 9 through 13 Paul speaks about causing weak brothers to stumble. In verse 9 he says, “But beware lest somehow this right of yours becomes a stumbling block to the weak ones.” The weak ones are those whose conscience is weakened by the lack of knowledge. In verse 10 Paul continues, “For if anyone sees you who have knowledge reclining at table in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, he being weak, be emboldened to eat the things sacrificed to idols?” The Greek word rendered emboldened literally means built up. The conscience of the weak believers will be built up with boldness to do what it dared not formerly do. This is a sudden building up without a logical and solid foundation. Hence, it is an improper building up that actually ruins. Although the weak believers’ conscience is emboldened to eat sacrifices to the idols, this will eventually ruin them, because they do not have the adequate knowledge to support their emboldened yet still weak conscience.
Verse 11 says, “For the one who is weak is being destroyed by your knowledge, the brother because of whom Christ died.” The words “being destroyed” signify perishing not for eternity, but in the Christian life. The weak believer may be destroyed by the carelessness of the stronger one’s knowledge. A brother for whom Christ died may be destroyed in the Christian life by our improper eating.
In verse 12 Paul declares, “And thus, sinning against the brothers and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” The Greek word translated wounding literally means smiting unto damage. Because Christ died for the brothers, we sin against Christ if we wound them and cause them to stumble.
In verse 13 Paul concludes, “Wherefore if food stumbles my brother, I will by no means eat meat forever, that I may not stumble my brother.” The Greek word for stumble is skandalizo, meaning to snare, to entrap. Hence, to stumble the brother is to snare him, to put a trap in his way. In order not to stumble a brother, Paul says that he will “by no means eat meat forever.” The word meat refers to animal flesh, denoting the meat sacrificed to idols. Since meat is more tempting than other kinds of food, the apostle specifically mentions it.
It is important to touch Paul’s spirit as revealed in this chapter. Here the burden in Paul’s spirit is absolutely for Christ and His Body. Because Paul was for Christ and all the members of the Body, when he gave instructions concerning eating idol sacrifices, he did not say whether this practice is right or wrong, good or bad. Paul had a completely different view of the situation. His view was focused on Christ and the Body. Concerning the matter of eating idol sacrifices, Paul considered how this would affect the members of Christ, whether it would build them up or cause them to stumble. By this we see that Paul’s heart and spirit were concerned for Christ and His members. He did not care about idols or idol sacrifices. He fully realized that idols are nothing and that sacrifices to idols are also nothing. Nevertheless, the way Paul dealt with the question of eating idol sacrifices indicates that his view of the matter is related to Christ and the Body. He wanted the saints to realize that they should consider whether the members of Christ would be caused to stumble or be built up by their eating. Paul wanted them to have regard for Christ and the members of Christ. Therefore, Paul answered the questions and gave instructions from the standpoint of Christ and the Body.
We all need to learn from Paul to have Christ and the Body in view when we consider various matters. However, we often talk with others about something with no consideration of this view. Instead, we focus on our own interest, profit, or loss. If this is our view, we are far off from the central vision of God’s economy. In chapter eight we see once again that Paul did not deviate from the central lane of God’s economy. Even in giving instructions concerning the eating of idol sacrifices he endeavored to bring the believers back to the central lane, that is, back to Christ and the Body.