What Do You Know?

Series on I Corinthians

V Meat Sacrificed to Idols

A The Idols, Text:8:1-6

Title: What Do You Know?

Introduction

The Corinthian correspondence with Paul raised several issues. Paul answered their questions about marriage in chapter 7, and now in chapters 8-11 he answers questions about idolatry and Christian liberty. He begins with the heart of the dispute. Can Christians eat meat that has previously been used in pagan worship? Why was this a problem? In that society a significant portion of the meat sold in the market place was meat that had once been used in the worship of idols. The portion which accrued to the priests in pagan temples was more than they needed, so they sold it. The Christians at Corinth were divided over this issue. Some said we know better than to think that the food is tainted. Others said we don’t want anything to do with it. The important thing is that the church wanted Paul to pick sides, which he does not do. The church also wanted a simple black and white rule which Paul doesn’t give them. Instead he discusses the relationship between love and knowledge and in verses 1-6 his focus is on the inadequacy of knowledge by itself, Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. We can see two obvious conclusions from this passage. First knowledge is important, and secondly knowledge is inadequate.

I Knowledge Is Important

This is not Paul’s main point, but he does grant that knowledge is the basis of our actions. Love cannot operate in a vacuum. Even if Paul’s statement in verse 1, We know that we all possess knowledge is meant to disparage the Corinthian emphasis on knowledge, still Paul does summarize here the truth that ought to be believed in verses 4-6 where he tells us that an idol is nothing and there is only one God from whom all things come. The essence of this truth is that the food that has been misused and abused by others is not inherently bad for us. We receive it as created by God for our good and as redeemed people of whom Paul elsewhere says, To the pure all things are pure. The thing in itself is not bad. Psalm 115 mocks idols as empty and devoid of power. If we don’t recognize this principle we get into all kinds of trouble. Such knowledge ought to be the basis of our actions. If knowledge were not important we wouldn’t be listening to and reading the Bible and we wouldn’t have Bible studies, or Sunday School. In fact God says in Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed through lack of knowledge. As John Stott says, “Your mind matters,” echoing Paul’s words to these very Corinthians in 14:20 when he says, In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. Commenting on 2 Timothy 4:13, where Paul asks Timothy to bring him a cloak, books, and the parchments, Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote the following words: “He is inspired, yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, yet he wants books! He has seen the Lord, yet he wants books. He has had a wider experience than most men, yet he wants books! He has been caught up into the third heaven, and has heard things which it is unlawful to utter, yet he wants books! He has written the major part of the New Testament, yet he wants books!” It’s a mistake to follow people who don’t give the proper weight to knowledge and understanding. John Wesley once received a note that said, “The Lord has told me to tell you that He doesn’t need your book-learning, your Greek and your Hebrew.” Wesley answered, “Thank you, sir. Your letter was superfluous, however, as I already knew the Lord has no need for my ‘book-learning, as you put it. However, although the Lord has not directed me to say so, on my own responsibility I would like to say to you that the Lord does not need your ignorance either.” But Paul’s main point here is that knowledge is not enough. How many times have you told your children to pick up their toys? Do they do it? Could you honestly say that they don’t know they’re supposed to do it? Knowledge us not enough for them or for us.

II Knowledge Is Inadequate

Paul gives us three things to think about here.

A Inflationary

Knowledge alone is inflationary according to verse 1. It puffs up. No matter how much we know, the knowledge we acquire is filtered through our sinful nature, so we abuse it. We use it to judge, to condemn, to gossip, and to complain. Unless a church is totally dead it always has conflict and that conflict comes from thinking that we know better. It is a very high sounding lofty idea that knowledge puffs up but love edifies. However when it is translated into our experience it means being critical of the church, its leaders, its members as if we knew better, but not coming along side and saying, how can i help. Who are criticized? The weak, the immature, the backslidden, the foolish and the uncommitted. Such persons are always in the church by definition. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. Love comes alongside and helps as Jesus did. He found us weak, sinful, immature, and backslidden, and He didn’t throw stones, He loved. In I Corinthians 13 Paul says, Love doesn’t boast, isn’t proud, always protects, always trusts, always hopes. None of this is true of knowledge without love. Knowledge by itself always produces conflict, but love silences the critical tongue and activates the will to help. The world will not care what we know until they know we care.

B Imperfect

Knowledge alone is imperfect according to verse 2. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Thomas Huxley said, “Where is the man who has so much that it’s not dangerous?” Good point. Paul says this too in I Corinthians 13, Now i know in part, then i shall know fully even as i am known. we know so little that we ought to be very humble about what we know. “All we know is still infinitely less than all that still remains unknown,” said William Harvey. In Isaiah 6 the prophet has a vision of the throne of God. It is surrounded by seraphic angels each with six wings, and with two of those wings they cover their faces. I’m thinking that many Christians need to cover their faces in the same way rather than think they know it all. This is the whole point of the Epistle of James. he begins by telling us to ask for wisdom, which is more than knowledge. Wisdom combines love and knowledge. So listen to the warnings James gives in 3:13-17, Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. He also says in 4:10 and 11, Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. William Cowper the great hymn writer once said, “Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; wisdom is humble that he knows no more.” Let’s get this: anything negative said about any brother behind his back is judging him. Knowledge without wisdom does this. There is a church sign on the way here that says “There is never a right time to do the wrong thing.” True! But musing on that I said to myself, is there ever a wrong time to do the right thing? The answer is yes. As the Larger Catechism defines the Ninth Commandment it says that one way to bear false witness is to speak the truth unseasonably. Knowing when to share the truth is dictated by wisdom and guided by love. This kind of unseasonable speaking causes pain to others and to God Himself. Murmuring, complaining, condemning and gossiping are forbidden in the Ninth Commandment. In this we not only badmouth our brothers or leaders, we badmouth God, and all because we think we know so much. The true knowledge of God will result, not in our being puffed up with conceit at how knowledgeable we are, but in our falling on our faces before God in sheer wonder and crying, O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Whenever our knowledge becomes dry or leaves us cold, something has gone wrong.

C Impotent

Knowledge alone is impotent according to verse 3. knowledge by itself is useless in having a relationship with God. We are not saved by our imperfect knowledge but because God knows us, that is, He has befriended us and set His love upon us. Without love knowledge condemns us because knowing what we ought to do is not enough. We need to be motivated to do it by love, and neither the knowledge nor the love is something we can generate. Hear what Paul says in I Timothy 1:14,15, The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst. Notice as he confesses his total dependence upon Jesus in verse 15, he reminds us that our knowledge and our love come through Jesus. Without Him we have nothing: no salvation, no love, and no knowledge.

Conclusion

So then we all possess knowledge and we’re all apt to use it to the hurt of ourselves and others unless love moves us to will to help. All criticism not done in love, face to face with the person concerned is ungodly, and love is not a feeling but a coming alongside to help. The true humility which comes from the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ enables us to be built up instead of being puffed up.