Liberty & LiabilityLiberty & Liability

Liberty & Liability ~Food offered to Idols~

Big Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers

June 12, 2006

Liberty & Liability

1 Cor 8:1-13

1 Cor 10:16-33

~Food offered to Idols~

Principles of Inductive Bible Study

Liberty & Liability

1 Cor 8:1-13

1 Cor 10:16-33

~Food offered to Idols~

What does it say to the people at that time?

Corinth in Bible Time

Corinth in Bible Time • Capital city of Achaia, Southern

Greece • Important commercial & trade

city • Prosperous – merchants,

traders • “Religious” – many temples • Immoral – gambling, gaming,

prostitution, legalized temple prostitution

Basilica – Roman public building

Bema – raised platform Stoa – covered porticos

Agora – marketplace

The Corinthian Church • Established by Paul during 2nd missionary

journey

• Gifted church

• “Problematic” church

• Disunity & division

• Morality – Incest

• Law suits

Paul tried to answer some of the questions & issues raised by the Corinthian Christians

1. 1 Cor 7:1 -- Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.

2. 1 Cor 7:25 -- Now about virgins…

3. 1 Cor 8:1 -- Now about food sacrificed to idols…

4. 1 Cor 12:1 -- Now about spiritual gifts…

5. 1 Cor 16:1 -- Now about the collection for God's people…

6. 1 Cor 16:12 -- Now about our brother Apollos…

1 Cor 8:1 – “Now about…..”

1 Cor 8:1-13

2 groups of believers:

Eaters Non-Eaters

Knowledge Knowledge

Strong (Rom 14) Weak (Rom 14)

“Eaters’ Arguments”

Paul’s Rebuttal #1 V1 – Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

John C. Maxwell

Love & Knowledge

Paul’s Rebuttal #2

V9 – Your freedom should not be a stumbling block to others

A stumbling block – something that might cause someone to trip or fall into sin.

2 early Christians in Corinth

Demetrius Clement

2 Principles from 1 Cor 8

1 Cor 10: 14-22 (Idol Feasts)

V16 – comparing the Lord’s table with the table of demons

V18 – Israelites’ Tabernacle sacrifices

V20 – Pagans’ demon feasts

Conclusion: “No-no to idol feasts” (v21)

1 Cor 10: 23-33

2 scenarios:

1. Meat market

2. Invitation for meals, either at home or in restaurants near the temple

Cultural Context

Implication for Christians

Implication for Christians

Conclusions from 1 Cor 10

Liberty & Liability

1 Cor 8:1-13

1 Cor 10:16-33

~Food offered to Idols~

What does it say to us at this time & age??

Present Day Application:

~ Jerusalem Council ~ Scripture #1 – Acts 15:29

Decision: Non-Jew converts need not follow the Mosaic Laws except to abstain from:

• Eating food offered to idols

• Sexual immorality

• Meat of strangled animals

• Blood

Scripture#2 – Rev 2:14 & 20 Church in Pergamum (Rev 2:14) “I have a few things against you… sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.”

Church in Thyatira (Rev 2:20) “I have this against you: sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.”

Present Day Application:

Present Day Application:

Present Day Application:

What indwells the ancestral tablet is not our ancestors, but demonic spirits impersonating as our ancestors.

Action Plan

Concluding Remarks

Pizza & Beer

Galatians 5:13

The Ham Sandwich

“I am free to eat pork…. and I am also free NOT to eat it…. But …………………………….”

The Ham Sandwich