Problems of the Christian Conscience

GOLDEN TEXT: “If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” —I Corinthians 8:13

I CORINTHIANS 8:7-13; 6:18-20

WHETHER or not it is a sin to eat meat which previously has been offered in sacrifice to idols is a problem with which the Lord’s people today are not confronted. However, the principle involved in Paul’s decision not to eat such meat should it cause his weaker brethren to offend, is one which still applies, and is one which properly puts a certain amount of restraint upon Christian liberty.

In the days of the Early Church, it was an advantage to eat meat which had been offered to idols, for, having served its original purpose, it was sold at a very low price. To the educated Christian mind it was obvious that the meat was in no way defiled by having thus been used; but to those new in the truth, and still somewhat bound by superstition, it appeared differently. And since they thought it would be wrong to eat such meat, to do so would be to them a breaking down somewhat of their desire to do right, a circumventing of their conscience.

One who held such a view would not have his mind changed simply by seeing Paul or some other brother eat such meat, but he might conclude that if other brethren ate it, he would, regardless of how he felt about it. Thus he would be going contrary to his conscience, being induced to do so by the example of another.

Paul believed that it would be wrong for him to set an example that would cause another brother to defile his conscience. Paul himself realized that basically it was not a sin to eat meat which had been offered to idols. He held this view despite the fact that the conference of brethren at Jerusalem decided to instruct the Gentiles who were accepting Christ “to abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication.”—Acts 15:29

All of these practices were apparently religious rites of heathen cults of that day, and for Gentiles to continue them after accepting Christ and associating with the brethren—many of whom were Jews—would present a serious problem in the church. Fornication is, of course, a sin under any circumstance, but the other practices were counseled against because of the circumstances which existed in the Early Church, and as a means of helping to cement the Jewish and Gentile converts together in a closer bond of Christian fellowship.

Paul knew this, and was glad to conform to the ruling of the conference, and to maintain its spirit for the good of all concerned. This was a noble attitude, and one which every Christian should seek to adopt. As followers of Jesus, we are not privileged to do just as we like. There might be some things we could do without injury to our own conscience, but others, following our example, would become defiled. The principle is, “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”—Phil. 2:4

“Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?” wrote Paul. This means that we should so control our bodies that the Spirit of God will find free and proper expression through our daily conduct. We are to yield our bodies to the righteous influence of the Holy Spirit, and not insist on saying and doing that which we may decide to be proper regardless of the will of God in the matter, and irrespective of how our example might affect others.

Paul further explains that we are not our own, that we have been bought with a price. This puts us in the position of slaves—bond-slaves of Jesus Christ. The illustration is very apt. In Paul’s day it would have seemed very strange for a slave to insist on enjoying liberty to do whatever he might conclude to be right; and this is still an improper attitude for a Christian.

Having been bought with a price, even the precious blood of Jesus Christ, our whole desire should be to glorify the Lord with our bodies, which now belong to him. The Apostle Peter expresses a similar thought, saying, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar [Greek, ‘purchased’] people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”—I Pet. 2:9

There is not much in our fallen and dying bodies which can glorify God, but to the extent that we can empty our minds and hearts of self and self-will, and be filled with the truth of the Gospel and its spirit, we can show forth the Lord’s praises by proclaiming this glorious message concerning him and his love. But even so, the truth should flow out from bodies which have been quickened by the Holy Spirit, and brought under the control of our new minds.

QUESTIONS

Explain the principle involved in Paul’s decision not to eat meat which had been offered to idols.

Why did the conference of brethren at Jerusalem ask Gentile converts not to eat such meat?

What liberty do we have as slaves of Jesus Christ?

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