"…Through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." I Cor. 8:11-13
The church, in scripture, is represented by a number of different figures. It is likened to a garden and to a building, for example (I Cor 3:9), but the most familiar and telling figure is that of a body, an organism the various "members" of which are permeated alike by the life of Christ, and over which He is the head (Cf. Eph. 1:22, 23; 4:15-16; Col. 1:18 et al).
If I am truly born again, that makes me part of the church which is His body. This concept transcends all the things which distinguish us as individuals and unites us with all believers everywhere (and in all ages) in a single entity, the body of Christ. This principle should condition how we think about ourselves, and how we perceive and relate to other believers. As a believer I am not an isolated individual, responsible only for myself, but I am a part of a functioning organism and responsible to and for the other members of this remarkable body.
In this day of radical individualism, we need to take a fresh look at this concept. The issue at hand, with respect to our text, was the eating of meat that had been ceremonially offered to idols in pagan worship and was then offered for sale at a discounted price. Was it morally wrong for a believer to purchase and eat such meat and, more particularly, would it be wrong to eat it if it was served in the idol temple itself (see v.10)?
The apostle's overarching view is that the matter in and of itself has no bearing on a believer's spiritual condition. Related to Christ by faith alone, his eternal destiny was forever settled, and religious issues such as this had become of no consequence. Rituals and regulations disappear when one comes to a saving knowledge of Christ, as numerous passages in the New Testament clearly indicate. "Religion" is banished by virtue of relationship with Christ.
What is not banished, however, is responsibility . Our freedom in Christ is not a license for anarchy. It is not, as I heard a preacher say many years ago, the freedom to do as we please, but the freedom to do as God pleases. And God is not pleased when we as believers behave without a proper regard for other members of the body of Christ. It is the responsibility of the members of the body to be concerned for, and considerate of all the other members of the body. The Holy Spirit, through the apostle, notes distinctions within the body, defining some as "weak," and others as "strong" (cf. Rom. 15:1). The strong are those who know they are free in Christ, having no "hang-ups." The weak are those who, less discerning, are more conscientious and inclined to fear lest they contaminate themselves by (in this case) an inadvertent, but corrupting contact with idols. The strong know the idol is "nothing" (v. 9). The weak see demons behind it, and are afraid. The weak are counseled not to sin against their conscience. The strong are counseled not to sin against their fellow believers by flaunting their freedom to the hurt of the weaker brother.
The freedom of the strong is not only the power to do what he wishes, or knows to be permissible, but it is also the freedom not to indulge such liberty. The decision is not made unilaterally, but with consideration for the whole body and its testimony before the watching world. The seriousness of this concern is evident in the charged statement in v. 12, "But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ." The body is His, and when we conduct ourselves without proper regard for other believers, down to the weakest, we exhibit a disdain for Christ.
When you create or confront an issue in the church, are you sensitive to the bearing of your action on the "weaker brother?" Do bear in mind, of course, that the issues under consideration are not doctrinal, but ethical. We are not by this line of teaching being encouraged to compromise Bible doctrine, but matters of ethical or religious freedom. Those who truly take the high ground are those who are fully persuaded of their freedom from religious scruples, yet restrain themselves out of concern lest their spiritual freedom undermine the conscience of more scrupulous brethren, thus weakening the moral integrity of the church, His body, as a whole.
The proper position cannot be better stated than by the apostle himself: "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth…(v. 13)." He would rein in his liberty rather than ride roughshod over another, a timid saint, who might suffer a wounded conscience as a result. God is not glorified in the exercise of our freedom, but in the exhibition of our love.
"Others"
With HIS glory in view,
"Pastor" Frasier
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