9 But G1161 take heed G991 lest G3381 by any means G4458 this G3778 liberty G1849 of yours G5216 become G1096 a stumblingblock G4348 to them that are weak. G770
For, G1063 brethren, G80 ye G5210 have been called G2564 unto G1909 liberty; G1657 only G3440 use not G3361 liberty G1657 for G1519 an occasion G874 to the flesh, G4561 but G235 by G1223 love G26 serve G1398 one another. G240
For G1752 meat G1033 destroy G2647 not G3361 the work G2041 of God. G2316 All things G3956 indeed G3303 are pure; G2513 but G235 it is evil G2556 for that man G444 who eateth G2068 with G1223 offence. G4348 It is good G2570 neither G3361 to eat G5315 flesh, G2907 nor G3366 to drink G4095 wine, G3631 nor G3366 any thing whereby G1722 G3739 thy G4675 brother G80 stumbleth, G4350 or G2228 is offended, G4624 or G2228 is made weak. G770
Let G2212 no man G3367 seek G2212 his own, G1438 but G235 every man G1538 another's G2087 wealth.
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
Let us G2919 not therefore G3767 judge G2919 one another G240 any more: G3371 but G235 judge G2919 this G5124 rather, G3123 that no man G3361 put G5087 a stumblingblock G4348 or G2228 an occasion to fall G4625 in his brother's way. G80 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 But G1161 if G1487 thy G4675 brother G80 be grieved G3076 with G1223 thy meat, G1033 now G3765 walkest thou G4043 not G3765 charitably. G26 G2596 Destroy G622 not G3361 him G1565 with thy G4675 meat, G1033 for G5228 whom G3739 Christ G5547 died. G599
Him that is weak G770 in the faith G4102 receive ye, G4355 but G1161 not G3361 to G1519 doubtful G1261 disputations. G1253 For G3303 one G3739 believeth G4100 that he may eat G5315 all things: G3956 another, G1161 who is weak, G770 eateth G2068 herbs. G3001
Conscience, G4893 G1161 I say, G3004 not G3780 thine own, G1438 but G235 of the other: G2087 for G1063 why G2444 is G2919 my G3450 liberty G1657 judged G2919 of G5259 another G243 man's conscience? G4893
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
While they promise G1861 them G846 liberty, G1657 they themselves G846 are G5225 the servants G1401 of corruption: G5356 for G1063 of whom G3739 a man G5100 is overcome, G2274 G2532 of the same G5129 is he brought in bondage. G1402
Thou shalt not curse H7043 the deaf, H2795 nor put H5414 a stumblingblock H4383 before H6440 the blind, H5787 but shalt fear H3372 thy God: H430 I am the LORD. H3068
We G2249 then G1161 that are strong G1415 ought G3784 to bear G941 the infirmities G771 of the weak, G102 and G2532 not G3361 to please G700 ourselves. G1438
Then G1161 said he G2036 unto G4314 the disciples, G3101 It is G2076 impossible G418 but G3361 that offences G4625 will come: G2064 but G1161 woe G3759 unto him, through G1223 whom G3739 they come! G2064 It were better G3081 for him G846 that G1487 a millstone G3458 G3684 were hanged G4029 about G4012 his G846 neck, G5137 and G2532 he cast G4496 into G1519 the sea, G2281 than G2228 that G2443 he should offend G4624 one G1520 of these G5130 little ones. G3398
Take heed G3708 that ye despise G2706 not G3361 one G1520 of these G5130 little ones; G3398 for G1063 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 That G3754 in G1722 heaven G3772 their G846 angels G32 do always G1223 G3956 behold G991 the face G4383 of my G3450 Father G3962 which G3588 is in G1722 heaven. G3772
But G1161 whoso G3739 G302 shall offend G4624 one G1520 of these G5130 little ones G3398 which G3588 believe G4100 in G1519 me, G1691 it were better G4851 for him G846 that G2443 a millstone G3458 G3684 were hanged G2910 about G1909 his G846 neck, G5137 and G2532 that he were drowned G2670 in G1722 the depth G3989 of the sea. G2281 Woe G3759 unto the world G2889 because of G575 offences! G4625 for G1063 it must needs G318 be G2076 that offences G4625 come; G2064 but G4133 woe G3759 to that man G444 by G1565 whom G1223 G3739 the offence G4625 cometh! G2064
Because they ministered H8334 unto them before H6440 their idols, H1544 and caused the house H1004 of Israel H3478 to fall H4383 into iniquity; H5771 therefore have I lifted up H5375 mine hand H3027 against them, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD, H3069 and they shall bear H5375 their iniquity. H5771
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,