1 Now G1161 as touching G4012 things offered unto idols, G1494 we know G1492 that G3754 we all G3956 have G2192 knowledge. G1108 Knowledge G1108 puffeth up, G5448 but G1161 charity G26 edifieth. G3618
Howbeit G235 there is not G3756 in G1722 every man G3956 that knowledge: G1108 for G1161 some G5100 with conscience G4893 of the idol G1497 unto G2193 this hour G737 eat G2068 it as G5613 a thing offered unto an idol; G1494 and G2532 their G846 conscience G4893 being G5607 weak G772 is defiled. G3435
As concerning G4012 therefore G3767 the eating G1035 of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, G1494 we know G1492 that G3754 an idol G1497 is nothing G3762 in G1722 the world, G2889 and G2532 that G3754 there is none G3762 other G2087 God G2316 but G1508 one. G1520
Notwithstanding G235 I have G2192 a few things G3641 against G2596 thee, G4675 because G3754 thou sufferest G1439 that woman G1135 Jezebel, G2403 which G3588 calleth G3004 herself G1438 a prophetess, G4398 to teach G1321 and G2532 to seduce G4105 my G1699 servants G1401 to commit fornication, G4203 and G2532 to eat G5315 things sacrificed unto idols. G1494
But G235 I have G2192 a few things G3641 against G2596 thee, G4675 because G3754 thou hast G2192 there G1563 them that hold G2902 the doctrine G1322 of Balaam, G903 who G3739 taught G1722 G1321 Balac G904 to cast G906 a stumblingblock G4625 before G1799 the children G5207 of Israel, G2474 to eat G5315 things sacrificed unto idols, G1494 and G2532 to commit fornication. G4203
That ye abstain G567 from meats offered to idols, G1494 and G2532 from blood, G129 and G2532 from things strangled, G4156 and G2532 from fornication: G4202 from G1537 which G3739 if ye keep G1301 yourselves, G1438 ye shall do G4238 well. G2095 Fare ye well. G4517
Woe H1945 unto them that are wise H2450 in their own eyes, H5869 and prudent H995 in their own sight! H6440
From G1537 whom G3739 the whole G3956 body G4983 fitly joined together G4883 and G2532 compacted G4822 by G1223 that which every G3956 joint G860 supplieth, G2024 according G2596 to the effectual working G1753 in G1722 the measure G3358 of every G1538 part, G1520 G3313 maketh G4160 increase G838 of the body G4983 unto G1519 the edifying G3619 of itself G1438 in G1722 love. G26
Awake G1594 to righteousness, G1346 and G2532 sin G264 not; G3361 for G1063 some G5100 have G2192 not the knowledge G56 of God: G2316 I speak G3004 this to G4314 your G5213 shame. G1791
For G1063 if G1437 any man G5100 see G1492 thee G4571 which G3588 hast G2192 knowledge G1108 sit at meat G2621 in G1722 the idol's temple, G1493 shall G3618 not G3780 the conscience G4893 of him G846 which is G5607 weak G772 be emboldened G3618 G1519 to eat G2068 those things which are offered to idols; G1494 And G2532 through G1909 thy G4674 knowledge G1108 shall G622 the weak G770 brother G80 perish, G622 for G1223 whom G3739 Christ G5547 died? G599
Let G2603 no man G3367 beguile G2603 you G5209 of your reward G2603 in G1722 a voluntary G2309 humility G5012 and G2532 worshipping G2356 of angels, G32 intruding into G1687 those things which G3739 he hath G3708 not G3361 seen, G3708 vainly G1500 puffed up G5448 by G5259 his G846 fleshly G4561 mind, G3563
Brethren, G80 be G1096 not G3361 children G3813 in understanding: G5424 howbeit G235 in malice G2549 be ye children, G3515 but G1161 in understanding G5424 be G1096 men. G5046
Though G1437 I speak G2980 with the tongues G1100 of men G444 and G2532 of angels, G32 and G1161 have G2192 not G3361 charity, G26 I am become G1096 as sounding G2278 brass, G5475 or G2228 a tinkling G214 cymbal. G2950 And G2532 though G1437 I have G2192 the gift of prophecy, G4394 and G2532 understand G1492 all G3956 mysteries, G3466 and G2532 all G3956 knowledge; G1108 and G2532 though G1437 I have G2192 all G3956 faith, G4102 so G5620 that I could remove G3179 mountains, G3735 and G1161 have G2192 not G3361 charity, G26 I am G1510 nothing. G3762 And G2532 though G1437 I bestow G5595 all G3956 my G3450 goods G5224 to feed G5595 the poor, and G2532 though G1437 I give G3860 my G3450 body G4983 to G2443 be burned, G2545 and G1161 have G2192 not G3361 charity, G26 it profiteth me G5623 nothing. G3762 Charity G26 suffereth long, G3114 and is kind; G5541 charity G26 envieth G2206 not; G3756 charity G26 vaunteth G4068 not G3756 itself, G4068 is G5448 not G3756 puffed up, G5448 Doth G807 not G3756 behave itself unseemly, G807 seeketh G2212 not G3756 her own, G1438 is G3947 not G3756 easily provoked, G3947 thinketh G3049 no G3756 evil; G2556 Rejoiceth G5463 not G3756 in G1909 iniquity, G93 but G1161 rejoiceth G4796 in the truth; G225 Beareth G4722 all things, G3956 believeth G4100 all things, G3956 hopeth G1679 all things, G3956 endureth G5278 all things. G3956 Charity G26 never G3763 faileth: G1601 but G1161 whether G1535 there be prophecies, G4394 they shall fail; G2673 whether G1535 there be tongues, G1100 they shall cease; G3973 whether G1535 there be knowledge, G1108 it shall vanish away. G2673 For G1063 we know G1097 in G1537 part, G3313 and G2532 we prophesy G4395 in G1537 part. G3313 But G1161 when G3752 that which is perfect G5046 is come, G2064 then G5119 that which is in G1537 part G3313 shall be done away. G2673 When G3753 I was G2252 a child, G3516 I spake G2980 as G5613 a child, G3516 I understood G5426 as G5613 a child, G3516 I thought G3049 as G5613 a child: G3516 but G1161 when G3753 I became G1096 a man, G435 I put away G2673 childish things. G3516 For G1063 now G737 we see G991 through G1223 a glass, G2072 darkly; G1722 G135 but G1161 then G5119 face G4383 to G4314 face: G4383 now G737 I know G1097 in G1537 part; G3313 but G1161 then G5119 shall I know G1921 even as G2531 also G2532 I am known. G1921 And G1161 now G3570 abideth G3306 faith, G4102 hope, G1680 charity, G26 these G5023 three; G5140 but G1161 the greatest G3187 of these G5130 is charity. G26
But G1161 if G1437 any man G5100 say G2036 unto you, G5213 This G5124 is G2076 offered in sacrifice unto idols, G1494 eat G2068 not G3361 for G1223 his sake G1565 that shewed it, G3377 and G2532 for conscience sake: G4893 for G1063 the earth G1093 is the Lord's, G2962 and G2532 the fulness G4138 thereof: G846
What G5101 say I G5346 then? G3767 that G3754 the idol G1497 is G2076 any thing, G5100 or G2228 that G3754 which is offered in sacrifice to idols G1494 is G2076 any thing? G5100 But G235 I say, that G3754 the things which G3739 the Gentiles G1484 sacrifice, G2380 they sacrifice G2380 to devils, G1140 and G2532 not G3756 to God: G2316 and G1161 I would G2309 not G3756 that ye G5209 should have G1096 fellowship G2844 with devils. G1140 Ye cannot G3756 G1410 drink G4095 the cup G4221 of the Lord, G2962 and G2532 the cup G4221 of devils: G1140 ye cannot G3756 G1410 be partakers G3348 of the Lord's G2962 table, G5132 and G2532 of the table G5132 of devils. G1140 Do we provoke G3863 G2228 the Lord G2962 to jealousy? G3863 are we G2070 stronger than G3361 G2478 he? G846
Your G5216 glorying G2745 is not G3756 good. G2570 Know ye G1492 not G3756 that G3754 a little G3398 leaven G2219 leaveneth G2220 the whole G3650 lump? G5445
We G2249 are fools G3474 for G1223 Christ's G5547 sake, G1223 but G1161 ye G5210 are wise G5429 in G1722 Christ; G5547 we G2249 are weak, G772 but G1161 ye G5210 are strong; G2478 ye G5210 are honourable, G1741 but G1161 we G2249 are despised. G820
I know, G1492 and G2532 am persuaded G3982 by G1722 the Lord G2962 Jesus, G2424 that G3754 there is nothing G3762 unclean G2839 of G1223 itself: G1438 but G1508 to him that esteemeth G3049 any thing G5100 to be G1511 unclean, G2839 to him G1565 it is unclean. G2839
For G1063 I would G2309 not, G3756 brethren, G80 that ye G5209 should be ignorant G50 of this G5124 mystery, G3466 lest G3363 ye should be G5600 wise G5429 in G3844 your own conceits; G1438 that G3754 blindness G4457 in G575 part G3313 is happened G1096 to Israel, G2474 until G891 G3739 the fulness G4138 of the Gentiles G1484 be come in. G1525
As G1161 touching G4012 the Gentiles G1484 which believe, G4100 we G2249 have written G1989 and concluded G2919 that they G846 observe G5083 no G3367 such thing, G5108 save only G1508 that they keep G5442 themselves G846 from G5037 things offered to idols, G1494 and G2532 from blood, G129 and G2532 from strangled, G4156 and G2532 from fornication. G4202
Wherefore G1352 my G1473 sentence is, G2919 that we trouble G3926 not G3361 them, which G3588 from among G575 the Gentiles G1484 are turned G1994 to G1909 God: G2316 But G235 that we write G1989 unto them, G846 that they abstain G567 from G575 pollutions G234 of idols, G1497 and G2532 from fornication, G4202 and G2532 from things strangled, G4156 and G2532 from blood. G129
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Corinthians 8
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
The apostle, in this chapter, answers another case proposed to him by some of the Corinthians, about eating those things that had been sacrificed to idols.
1Cr 8:1-3
The apostle comes here to the case of things that had been offered to idols, concerning which some of them sought satisfaction: a case that frequently occurred in that age of Christianity, when the church of Christ was among the heathen, and the Israel of God must live among the Canaanites. For the better understanding of it, it must be observed that it was a custom among the heathens to make feasts on their sacrifices, and not only to eat themselves, but invite their friends to partake with them. These were usually kept in the temple, where the sacrifice was offered (v. 10), and, if any thing was left when the feast ended, it was usual to carry away a portion to their friends; what remained, after all, belonged to the priests, who sometimes sold it in the markets. See ch. 10:25. Nay, feasts, as Athenaeus informs us, were always accounted, among the heathen, sacred and religious things, so that they were wont to sacrifice before all their feasts; and it was accounted a very profane thing among them, athyta esthiein, to eat at their private tables any meat whereof they had not first sacrificed on such occasions. In this circumstance of things, while Christians lived among idolaters, had many relations and friends that were such, with whom they must keep up acquaintance and maintain good neighbourhood, and therefore have occasion to eat at their tables, what should they do if any thing that had been sacrificed should be set before them? What, if they should be invited to feast with them in their temples? It seems as if some of the Corinthians had imbibed an opinion that even this might be done, because they knew an idol was nothing in the world, v. 4. The apostle seems to answer more directly to the case (ch. 10), and here to argue, upon supposition of their being right in this thought, against their abuse of their liberty to the prejudice of others; but he plainly condemns such liberty in ch. 10. The apostle introduces his discourse with some remarks about knowledge that seem to carry in them a censure of such pretences to knowledge as I have mentioned: We know, says the apostle, that we all have knowledge (v. 1); as if he had said, "You who take such liberty are not the only knowing persons; we who abstain know as much as you of the vanity of idols, and that they are nothing; but we know too that the liberty you take is very culpable, and that even lawful liberty must be used with charity and not to the prejudice of weaker brethren.' Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth, v. 1. Note,
1Cr 8:4-6
In this passage he shows the vanity of idols: As to the eating of things that have been sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world; or, there is no idol in the world; or, an idol can do nothing in the world: for the form of expression in the original is elliptical. The meaning in the general is, that heathen idols have no divinity in them; and therefore the Old Testament they are commonly called lies and vanities, or lying vanities. They are merely imaginary gods, and many of them no better than imaginary beings; they have no power to pollute the creatures of God, and thereby render them unfit to be eaten by a child or servant of God. Every creature of God is good, if it be received with thanksgiving, 1 Tim. 4:4. It is not in the power of the vanities of the heathens to change its nature.-And there is no other God but one. Heathen idols are not gods, nor to be owned and respected as gods, for there is no other God but one. Note, the unity of the Godhead is a fundamental principle in Christianity, and in all right religion. The gods of the heathens must be nothing in the world, must have no divinity in them, nothing of real godhead belonging to them; for there is no other God but one. Others may be called gods: There are that are called gods, in heaven and earth, gods many, and lords many; but they are falsely thus called. The heathens had many such, some in heaven and some on earth, celestial deities, that were of highest rank and repute among them, and terrestrial ones, men made into gods, that were to mediate for men with the former, and were deputed by them to preside over earthly affairs. These are in scripture commonly called Baalim. They had gods of higher and lower degree; nay, many in each order: gods many, and lords many; but all titular deities and mediators: so called, but not such in truth. All their divinity and mediation were imagery. For,
1Cr 8:7-13
The apostle, having granted, and indeed confirmed, the opinion of some among the Corinthians, that idols were nothing, proceeds now to show them that their inference from this assumption was not just, namely, that therefore they might go into the idol-temple, and eat of the sacrifices, and feast there with their heathen neighbours. He does not indeed here so much insist upon the unlawfulness of the thing in itself as the mischief such freedom might do to weaker Christians, persons that had not the same measure of knowledge with these pretenders. And here,