Introduction
A number of years ago I had an experience while working on my undergraduate degree in biblical studies that so shocked me that it has stayed with me. For the final exam in a systematic theology course, I understood the assignment to be to write a series of brief essays on several Christian doctrines. Well, I worked feverishly on the project. I really wanted to get a high grade on the project since this class was a part of my major. When I submitted the project I was convinced that I had done a great job on the project and I was sure to get an “A.” When I received back the graded paper a week or so later I was shocked! I had received a big bold “F” on the project. My heart sunk. I thought for sure there had been some kind of mistake. So I flipped to the back of the paper and there in big red letters were just four words, “Great job – Wrong test.”
I had misread the instructions for the project and instead of writing a series of short essays I had chosen just one of the subjects from the list of ten and developed a full blown thesis! I had poured my heart into the project… but I had come up short… because though I had done a great job… I had taken the wrong test. The professor was kind enough to let me redo the project and in the end I did get an “A.” So the story does have a good ending. But I wonder… how many of us… when we pass from this life to the next will stand before our Lord and hear Him say, “Nice boat, great car, wonderful reputation, your knowledge far surpassed what was expected of you.”
Followed by the simple words… “Great job. Wrong test.” The real test is love.
Transition
In Genesis 3:5 the Bible records the words of the serpent to Eve. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (NIV84) Of course, humanity ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and we have been judging ever since.
Knowledge is not inherently evil, vile, or wicked. That is of course not at all what the Apostle Paul is saying in I Corinthians 8:1-3 and it was not the central problem in the Garden.
The problem is that knowledge – when coupled with human frailty, imperfection, and sin – begets pride and judgment and it quickly becomes an idol unto itself.
There is a tension between knowledge and love in this text. The Apostle contrasts knowledge and love. The tension between these two ideas may not seem immediately obvious at first. However, perhaps you, as I know this struggle.
I have long been a student of theology and the Bible and know the lure of knowledge leading to pride. The best application of knowledge is to cut the legs off of our pride as we acknowledge in our much learning how truly little we know.
The highest aim of education is not to fill our minds with data but to open our eyes to the beauty of what God has created. When we answer one question usually its answer leads to 10 more questions to be asked and answered.
The goal of instruction in knowledge is the attainment of wisdom, which is to know God. It is not enough to know about God. Is it not a higher aim to be known by God than to know some things, even many things, about Him?
CIT: The use of Christian liberty involves the obligation of love.
CIS: Religious knowledge only puffs up pride. Love builds up the Church.
Exposition
The first part of Romans 8 is specifically dealing with the question of whether or not to eat the meat that had been sacrificed to idols. There is apparently a division in the Church at Corinth with regard to what is the right way to deal with this pressing issue. In the Roman world, it was common for meat that had been used in or had been a part of an animal used in pagan ritual sacrifice to be used later in celebrations and what was left over to be sold in the market.
The question of whether a Christian should eat this meat raised broader questions. Should a Christian attend a feast where that meat was being eaten in part of a feast or a dinner? Should a Christian buy the meat in the market? If a Christian did eat the meat did it somehow corrupt them spiritually?
We don’t have to wrestle with such questions in our day but this conversation does raise an immediately pressing concern for us today.
When there are disagreements in the Church, how do we interact with one another? Within the Church, what is the ultimate deciding factor in the case of disagreements? Is it enough to be right? How do we treat one another?
Ultimately Paul goes on to clarify that indeed food, whether sacrificed to pagan gods or not, neither defiles nor blesses anyone inherently. Food does not bring us near or repel us from God. This passage alone points to the folly of the view of some with regard to the Eucharist.
Receiving communion is not inherently spiritual. Any spiritual edification is the result of faith bring brought to bear at the time of its commemoration, as we remember the sacrifice of Christ. But back to bigger umbrella question inherent to the discussion that the apostle is having.
What do we need to resolve problems in the church and how do we relate to the world with all of its pagan customs?
How do we deal with a brother or sister in Christ who believes differently than us – in this case about the meat sacrificed to idols – and when invited to eat the meat of the world sacrificed to idols, what do we do? What wins? What if both parties are right? What road do we take?
Love wins. In verse 1 Paul says that “We know that we all possess Gnosis, that is, knowledge.” He is likely alluding to the high education of many of the Corinthian; there having been schooled in the knowledge of the great philosophers. He says “We all know that we have great knowledge. We are a wise people.”
But, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1 NIV84) He is here speaking to the Corinthians who, through their use of superior knowledge, realized that since the pagan gods really did not even exist, except in the form of stone or wood, that the meat sacrificed to them was fine to eat.
An imaginary god cannot defile food for a Christian who follows the only true God of creation. Speaking to these wise men Paul is saying that while their knowledge is accurate, their gnosis, they have neglected a higher knowledge. Remember, he is contrasting knowledge and love.
Those who knew that the pagan gods were imaginary would eat the meat and have no reservation in doing so. But there were others in the church at Corinth.
These were simpler souls, who had previously, prior to conversion to Christ, likely worshipped these false deities. For them, to eat the meat sacrificed to these false gods and idols troubled their conscience.
While those who ate the meat did so free of any burden to their conscience, they placed an unnecessary burden on their brothers and sisters who did not. When they argued with their brothers and sisters who refused to eat the meat, they allowed the matter to become a source of division and contention.
According to Barclay, ultimately Paul argues that “even if something is harmless to you, when it hurts someone else, it must be given up, for a Christian must never do anything which causes his brother to stumble.”
It is not enough to stop short at having the right argument. The knowledge crowd was right while the scorned conscience crowd was allowing their past pagan roots to instruct their present Christian walk.
While Paul does say that there were demonic influences behind these false pagan deities, trying to distract people from the worship of God, it was unnecessary to abstain from this meat.
However, as Barclay goes on to write, “Nothing ought to be judged solely from the point of view of knowledge; everything ought to be judged from point of view of love.” It’s not enough to win an argument. It is possible to win and still lose.
The situation in the Church at Corinth was very similar to that of today. There is an abundance of knowledge, a super explosion of access to that knowledge, and little know how as how to apply that knowledge.
We have access to all of the world’s libraries of information through the click of a mouse, the pressing of a button on the screen of an iphone, but we remain as unable to love, perhaps even more so, as we have ever been.
Knowledge without love is useless. D. L. Moody, the well known evangelist of the last century, wrote that “The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.”
Increasing knowledge of spiritual things does not equate to spiritual growth. Increasing love is the proper produce of spiritual knowledge.
In Galatians 5:22 the Bible says that “… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” (NIV84) I love to learn of the things of God and to study the Bible, theology, philosophy, and much more.
However, it is all vanity if it does not produce in us a change, leading to more love.
Knowledge of God and the things of God are important. In Proverbs 10:14 the Bible says that “Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.” (NIV84) “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7 NIV84)
The point that Paul is making is as to how we apply knowledge. If we are right but we treat our brother or sister in Christ unloving then we are wrong. It is possible, perhaps likely, to win an argument and yet lose.
A marriage counselor will sometimes ask a couple, “Do you want to be right or happy?” Even the truth must be given and coated in love if we are to attain and maintain unity in the body of Christ.
Humility is love’s first cousin. Knowledge apart from humility forgets how limited all human knowledge really is. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV84) Pride makes even the wisest man a fool.
Conclusion
The body is a delicate instrument which needs to be looked after with great care. Yet many of us don't value it as we should or take sufficient care of it. God has made each of us a living musical instrument, so to speak, capable of showing forth His praise.
Each of us is like a harp of a thousand strings on which the most varied and beautiful music may be played. Every part of our body is skillfully constructed and admirably adapted to do its proper work. God has tempered or blended every organ to produce a harmonious whole. But this instrument is exceedingly liable to go wrong. The least thing spoils it and makes it unfit for its work. Unless it's properly treated we can't use it to the best advantage to glorify or show forth the perfect nature of God, its Architect and Creator. This is also true of the body of Christ, His Church.
We are His members, diverse in our make-up and performance but duty-bound to blend our differences to produce harmonious music and praise that will attract the world instead of repelling it.
Just as we wouldn't listen very long to an orchestra whose instruments were out of tune, neither will the world listen to Christians who sound forth the gospel against a background of divisions and quarrels.
What is it that Jesus said? By our knowledge and much learning the world will know that we are His disciples? Not so.
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 NIV84)
Knowledge, unchecked, begets pride and it puffs up. Love, on the other hand, builds us up. Amen.
