- Jun 21, 2012
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I wanted to post this in the "God is a God of knowledge" thread, but it kept adding it to my last message and made this long message even longer. So I moved it to it's own thread.
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.
At the council of Nicaea, recorded in Acts 15 leaders who were believers in Christ came together to discuss what should be taught to the Gentiles, (new believers, babes in Christ.)
Acts 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Acts 15 and 1 Corinthians 8, both go into eating things sacrificed that are offered to idols.
The bible goes into both natural and spiritual things. There are many examples where the eating of natural foods is compared to eating of spiritual things.
When Jesus spoke to Nicodemous He said, John 3:12 “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”
In 1 Corinthians, Paul is talking about young believers who might be offended by what they would eat naturally, The end of the chapter goes into this more.
1 Corinthians 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Not eating things scarified to idols comes from Exodus 34:
Exodus 34:15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
Clearly Paul is talking about idolatry involved with false religions, (which is also recorded over, and over again throughout the bible.) And idolatry by the many things that people can and have worshiped in the world. (Also many examples in the scriptures of this.)
A few examples that come to mind would be that when the Hebrew children were brought into Israel, God told them not to learn of the gods of the people around them. Not to even speak their names, and not to learn their ways.
Deuteronomy 6:14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
Exodus 23:23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Exodus 23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
There are examples in the scriptures where created things, such as the brazen serpent that Moses held up for the healing of the people was being worshiped. In 2 Kings 18, King Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent that Moses had made because the people were burning incense to it.
2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
The brazen serpent was made in the wilderness and used for the people to look upon for healing when they were bitten by snakes. It was a “shadow of things to come.” As Jesus said this regarding it:
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Back to 1 Cor 8,
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.
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.
Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
1 Corinthians 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of your's become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
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;
1 Corinthians 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
1 Corinthians 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
1 Corinthians 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Studying the bible is not Idolatry.
Throughout the bible, when the scriptures were lost, the people fell into idolatry and when the scriptures were rejected people fell into idolatry. Here are just a few examples.
2 Kings 22:10 And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
2 Kings 22:11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
2 Kings 22:12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,
2 Kings 22:13 Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.
2 Kings 23:23 But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.
2 Kings 23:24 Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
2 Kings 23:25 And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
The bible goes into different things that we can put our trust in and things that can become idolatry, but our trust should be in Jesus.
Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Psalms 119:42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Psalms 62:10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
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.
At the council of Nicaea, recorded in Acts 15 leaders who were believers in Christ came together to discuss what should be taught to the Gentiles, (new believers, babes in Christ.)
Acts 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Acts 15 and 1 Corinthians 8, both go into eating things sacrificed that are offered to idols.
The bible goes into both natural and spiritual things. There are many examples where the eating of natural foods is compared to eating of spiritual things.
When Jesus spoke to Nicodemous He said, John 3:12 “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”
In 1 Corinthians, Paul is talking about young believers who might be offended by what they would eat naturally, The end of the chapter goes into this more.
1 Corinthians 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Not eating things scarified to idols comes from Exodus 34:
Exodus 34:15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
Clearly Paul is talking about idolatry involved with false religions, (which is also recorded over, and over again throughout the bible.) And idolatry by the many things that people can and have worshiped in the world. (Also many examples in the scriptures of this.)
A few examples that come to mind would be that when the Hebrew children were brought into Israel, God told them not to learn of the gods of the people around them. Not to even speak their names, and not to learn their ways.
Deuteronomy 6:14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
Exodus 23:23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Exodus 23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
There are examples in the scriptures where created things, such as the brazen serpent that Moses held up for the healing of the people was being worshiped. In 2 Kings 18, King Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent that Moses had made because the people were burning incense to it.
2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
The brazen serpent was made in the wilderness and used for the people to look upon for healing when they were bitten by snakes. It was a “shadow of things to come.” As Jesus said this regarding it:
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Back to 1 Cor 8,
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.
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.
Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
1 Corinthians 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of your's become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
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;
1 Corinthians 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
1 Corinthians 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
1 Corinthians 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Studying the bible is not Idolatry.
Throughout the bible, when the scriptures were lost, the people fell into idolatry and when the scriptures were rejected people fell into idolatry. Here are just a few examples.
2 Kings 22:10 And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
2 Kings 22:11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
2 Kings 22:12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,
2 Kings 22:13 Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.
2 Kings 23:23 But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.
2 Kings 23:24 Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
2 Kings 23:25 And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
The bible goes into different things that we can put our trust in and things that can become idolatry, but our trust should be in Jesus.
Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Psalms 119:42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Psalms 62:10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.