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Particulars of Christianity:
305 Liberty in Christ


Liberty and 1 Corinthians 8

Liberty in Christ: Extended Introduction
Liberty in Christ: Introduction
Definitions and New Testament Survey
Synonyms for Liberty in Christ
Liberty and Death
Liberty, the Law, and the 10 Commandments
Origin of the Law of Liberty
Liberty and Yet Prohibition
Incorporating Pagan Practices in the Old Testament
"Christianizing" Pagan Practices
What is Observing Times?
Liberty, Bondage, and Righteousness
Liberty and Meat Sacrificed to Idols
Liberty and 1 Corinthians 8
Liberty, 1 Corinthians 10, and Idolatry
Liberty, 1 Corinthians 10, and Your Neighbor
Summary and Practical Applications
Addendum: Romans 14, the Conscience, and Morality



Now we will examine 1 Corinthians 8. Paul begins with these words.

1 Corinthians 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

From verse 2 it is clear that Paul is about to correct what the Corinthians "thought they knew" about this subject of things offered unto idols. That tells us right away that what the Corinthians thought they "knew" about this topic was incorrect.

Paul continues.

1 Corinthians 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

Here Paul lays out a very fundamental premise to his discussion. What is interesting is that Paul picks back up on this very same issue in 1 Corinthians 10, where he concludes.

1 Corinthians 10:19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

So, although Paul begins in 1 Corinthians 8 by stating up front that an idol is not really a god since there is only one God, we know from 1 Corinthians 10 that Paul understood these idols were demons, even if they were not gods.

As we continue with 1 Corinthians 8, Paul says the following with regard to this knowledge that idols were not really gods.

1 Corinthians 8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

Now, Paul began by saying that he was about to correct what Corinthians "thought they knew" with regard to the issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols. Here in verse 7, Paul identifies "what knowledge" he was about to correct. Here in verse 7 Paul states that some of the Corinthians did not "know" that an idol was not a god. And so, those who thought they had "knowledge" are the ones who Paul is writing to correct. From this verse, we know that those who thought they had knowledge were the ones eating the meat sacrificed to idols using the premise that idols were not really gods to justify that activity.

1 Corinthians 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

This statement by Paul here in verse 8 is nothing more and nothing less than a reference back to Jesus' declaration in Matthew 15:11,17-20 and Mark 7:15-20. Paul is here talking merely about the nature of food itself. Meat, of itself, does not affect us spiritually, just as Jesus said.

So far Paul has referred to two known truths that the Corinthians were using to justify eating meat sacrificed to idols. First, they thought that they could eat such meat because an idol was not really a god. Second, they thought that they could eat such meat because meat, in and of itself, doesn't affect the spirit of a man. And these two notions were, in fact, true. Idols were not really gods and food, in itself, doesn't affect a man's spirit.

Now we arrive at the all-important verse 9. What makes verse 9 so significant, ironically is that it's not really as significant as some Christians mistakenly think.

1 Corinthians 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of your's become a stumbling block to them that are weak.

Immediately after upholding that idols are not really gods and that meat of itself doesn't affect our spirits, Paul refers to eating meat sacrificed to idols as a "liberty." But does Paul mean that eating meat sacrificed to idols is something Christians have the "liberty" TO DO in Christ?

The answer is "no" for three reasons. First, although the word "liberty" does appear here in the English translation, we should not let that confuse us into thinking that Paul is talking about Christian liberty as he does elsewhere when we see this English word "liberty." Why? Because as we stated very early in this study, the Greek word translated into the English word "liberty" here in verse 9 is exousia.

Apart from its occurrence here in 1 Corinthians 8, exousia occurs 102 other times in the New Testament. In fact, 99 of these 102 occurrences are clearly NOT references to liberty at all, but references to someone having authority and dominion. The other 3 occurrences can be found in John 1, Hebrews 13, and Revelation 22. In John 1:12, exousia refers to the "power" to become sons of God. In Hebrews 13:10, exousia refers to fact that unsaved Jewish priests have no "right" to eat at the table of Christ. In Revelation 22:14, exousia refers to the "right" to eat the fruit of the tree of life. So, of these 102 times exousia occurs, it is NEVER, NOT ONCE translated "liberty" nor is it used to refer to Christian liberty.

The only time exousia is translated "liberty" is here in 1 Corinthians 8:9. Therefore, if the occurrence of exousia in 1 Corinthians 8:9 is meant to refer to Christian liberty, then it is the only time exousia is ever used in that way out of a total of 103 times exousia is used in the New Testament.

In contrast, the 3 words used to refer to Christian liberty are the related words eleutheria, eleutheros, and eleutheroo. 11 out of 11 times eleutheria is used it refers to our "liberty in Christ." 11 out of 23 times eleutheros is used it refers to our "liberty in Christ." And 7 out of 7 times eleutheroo is used it refers to our liberty in Christ. That's a total of 29 out of 41 times that these words are used to refer to our liberty in Christ as opposed to a total of zero out of 102 times for exousia.

So, in conclusion, even though the word "liberty" appears here in the English, since Paul is using a Greek word that is never used in the New Testament to refer to "liberty in Christ," we must NOT take 1 Corinthians 8:9 as a statement that we have "liberty in Christ" to eat meat sacrificed to idols.

Second, as we established earlier in our study, whenever the New Testament authors used the phrase "liberty in Christ" or a synonym of it, they were ALWAYS and ONLY referring to our freedom FROM the Law of Moses (except for the 10 Commandments), our freedom FROM the legally prescribed penalty of death, our freedom FROM the sinful nature, and our freedom TO live righteously. They NEVER used "liberty" to refer to our freedom to do things that were formally sinful.

So, if Paul is here using a new Greek word to state that we have the "liberty in Christ" to eat meat sacrificed to idols, he is also using the notion of liberty in an entirely new way. So, since the notion of our "liberty in Christ" is never used elsewhere in the New Testament to refer to a specific liberty to a specific thing that was formerly sinful, we must conclude that Paul is not advocating that Christians have "liberty in Christ" to eat sacrifice meat here in 1 Corinthians 8:9.

Third and lastly, when Paul says this "liberty" or "right" with regard to eating sacrificed meat, he also uses the phrase "of your's."

1 Corinthians 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of your's become a stumbling block to them that are weak.

By using the phrase "this liberty of your's" Paul is associating the so-called "right to eat sacrificed meat" uniquely with these Corinthians who claimed to have knowledge while at the same time placing himself and other Christians outside the circle of those who had this so-called "right to eat sacrificed meat." Furthermore, by using an entirely different Greek word than what is used elsewhere in the New Testament when referring to Christian liberty, by speaking of the right to do a specific formerly sinful activity, and by attaching the phrase "of your's," it is clear that Paul is not describing the eating of sacrificed meat as a "liberty in Christ."

Instead, Paul is describing the eating of meat sacrificed to idols as something these "knowledgeable" Corinthians thought they themselves had a personal right to do. And as we stated at the beginning of this section, right from the start of this passage, Paul states that he is writing to correct those who claimed to have knowledge.

Remember that the Law of Christ, as Paul calls it, or the Law of Liberty, as James calls it has two commands. As we can see from Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31, and Luke 10:26-27, the Law of Christ required that we love God first and with all of our being and second that we love our neighbor as ourselves.

For the rest of this chapter of 1 Corinthians 8, Paul refutes the practice of eating meat sacrificed to idols on the grounds that doing so violated the second of these two commands from the Law of Christ.

1 Corinthians 8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

It is quite clear from verses 10-13, that far from telling the Corinthians they have "liberty in Christ" to eat sacrificed meat, Paul is actually telling the Corinthians the exact opposite, that by eating meat sacrificed to idols they were breaking the second command of the Law of Liberty. That is all that Paul is doing. Thus, for the sake of their Christian brothers, Paul is telling these "knowledgeable" Corinthians not to eat the meat sacrificed to idols. Or, in other words, Paul is telling these "knowledgeable" Corinthians not to eat the sacrificed meat because to do so actually violated the Law of Liberty.

In fact, as we have already stated the phrases "Law of Christ" and "liberty in Christ" are synonymous with the phrase "Law of the Spirit."

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free [eleutheroo - 1659] from the law of sin and death.

Here in Romans 8:1 we see that we are not "free" or "at liberty" unless we are "walking after the Spirit." Or in other words, we don't have any "liberty in Christ" unless we are walking in the "Law of Christ," "The Law of the Spirit," "The Law of Liberty." And, if eating meat sacrificed to idols meant violating either of the two commands of the Law of Christ, then eating meat sacrificed to idols meant we were disobeying the Law of the Spirit and so we were not walking in liberty. Since here in 1 Corinthians 8, Paul describes how eating meat sacrificed to idols violated the second command of the Law of Christ (to love our neighbor), we know that eating sacrificed meat meant that one was not walking in liberty.

Nothing in 1 Corinthians 8 therefore can be interpreted as an indication that we have "liberty in Christ" to eat meat sacrificed to idols so long as we do it thankfully unto God. And this is crucial because it means that nothing in 1 Corinthians 8 indicates that Christians can participate in idolatry as long as we do it "unto God" instead of unto idols. Thus, 1 Corinthians 8 does not contradict the theory that the apostles upheld Deuteronomy 12's prohibition against incorporating pagan elements into our life of service to God.