The City of Love

Series on I Corinthians

V Meat Sacrificed to Idols

F The Importance of the Example, Text: 10:23-11:1

Title: The City of Love

Introduction

For three whole chapters Paul has been dealing with a situation that is foreign to us, the dispute in the Corinthian church over the eating of meat that had been used in the worship of idols. However, he has drawn forth many important principles for the Christian life that are true in other areas. In this final reiteration of his advice to both the strong who believed they could eat, and the weak who believed they should not, Paul is not simply dragging out the discussion. At this point the Corinthians are probably thinking, “Paul, we got the point.” But, the Apostle is focusing on a climactic conclusion to his advice that has implications for our witness in the world. The church is not to be a ghetto filled with strife, but a city of love. In Matthew 5: 14, immediately after Jesus tells his disciples, “You are the light of the world,” he says, “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” The church is that city. As John Newton wrote in his hymn, “Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion city of our God.” In verse 4 he writes, “Savior, if of Zion’s city, I through grace a member am.” Obviously he had in mind the church, a city that is set on a hill must shine. At the end of the second century AD Tertullian wrote to defend Christianity against the skeptics. He said look at the lives of the Christians who do not indulge in the immorality of the society. R.C. Sproul comments that he could never say that of the church today, but he should be able to say it. Thus Paul deals with our conduct, our conscience and our concern.

I Conduct

What is the great commandment? What is the summary of the law? Love god with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. It is therefore insufficient to ask only what God thinks of our conduct. We must also ask, what will our neighbor think? How do my actions affect others? Our culture does not teach us this. The national focus is on rights, specifically, my rights. Every situation is cast in a legal framework. The proper observance of the sabbath is always a difficult question. Candidates for the ministry who are asked if they have any issue with the Westminster Standards most frequently refer to the teaching of the Larger Catechism about sabbath observance. Invariably the discussion revolves around the question of “What God will permit?” I have never heard one of them refer to the effect his conduct will have on his neighbor. Do you think Israel’s sabbath observance stood out as a witness among the pagan nations surrounding it? The question as Paul frames it in verses 23 and 24 is not whether our behavior is legal, but whether it is expedient, “Everything is permissible”-but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”-but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. This passage is a commentary on the parable of the good Samaritan. Verse 24 could be paraphrased, let nobody seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. In verse 27 he includes unbelievers, in verse 32 he includes both Jew and Gentile, and in verse 33 all men. Can anyone dare say, “Who is my neighbor?” The Corinthians had an inward focus and party disputes that made a lost and dying world disappear from their sight. Mark Twain wrote, “Our consciences take no notice of pain inflicted on others until it reaches a point where it gives pain to us.” This brings me to our second consideration, conscience.

II Conscience

In verses 25-29 Paul uses the word conscience 5 times, Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake- the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? What is a conscience? It is merely your mind. It can be good or bad depending on the information that it is fed. In this context Paul is using the term to describe consciences that are both strong and weak, that is, properly informed or ill-informed. But whatever kind of conscience you have you should not let it harm your brother or destroy your neighbor. Before he was a famous preacher Adam Clarke was a sales clerk in a store that sold fine silk to people of the upper classes in London. One day his employer showed young Adam how he could increase sales and profits by subtly stretching the silk as he measured it out. Young Adam Clarke looked his employer straight in the eye and said, “Sir, your silk may stretch but my conscience won’t.” You should not act against your conscience, but everyone ought to learn that you don’t have to make it an issue in every situation. Suppose i learn that Kentucky Fried Chicken is sponsoring a TV program that assaults Christian values. i determine not to patronize their restaurants. One day i go to my neighbor’s for dinner and he serves fried chicken. I remark how good it is and he says we didn’t make it, we bought it. I should not recoil with horror and exclaim i hope you bought it at Roy Rogers’. Lighten up! Pay less meticulous attention to your own conscience in such matters and more to your neighbor’s. If it doesn’t bother his conscience, then do not try to legislate his life. On the other hand if i know how a neighbor feels about KFC beforehand, then, I should respect his conscience and avoid it in his presence as Paul suggests in verses 28 and 29. This is an amazing Scripture because of the way Paul sets forth in the strongest terms that eating meat that had been previously offered to idols was totally harmless, yet in terms equally strong he insists that we must consider the effect of our behavior on neighbors and friends. You are not living in a vacuum. Life is not a legal fiction. You must conscientiously analyze the situation and act accordingly.

III Concern

The concern of the Apostle stands in stark contrast to the me-generation mentality around us in 10:30-11:1, If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? o whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. As A.W. Tozer said “Many a solo is sung to show off; many a sermon is preached as an exhibition of talent; many a church is founded as a slap to some other church. Even missionary activity may become competitive, and soul-winning may degenerate into a sort of brush-salesman project to satisfy the flesh.” if we follow Paul’s example here we will not, like the weaker brothers try to inflict our scruples on everyone else. Sometimes even pastors do that. In other words we can be like the stronger who were trying to inflict their freedom on everyone else. Such people think those who disagree with them are inferior and they do not love them. Paul is genuinely trying to please all men for the purpose of leading them to Christ. He does not do this in the bad sense of standing for everything and thereby standing for nothing. He seeks the good of all people who, blown about with every opinion, are seeking their own good in trying to satisfy everyone. In effect Paul satisfies nobody here. All must change. Like his Savior, Paul mixed with Jews and Gentiles, with Publicans and Pharisees, with eating everything and eating nothing. He did all this because the love of God was in his heart. He understood Philippians 2: 5-10 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Let this mind be in you.