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These four verses seems to deal with eating, but a closer look shows that what Paul is condemning is "worldly knowledge". Why would Paul condemn worldly knowledge? What does he say it will do to us? "It puffs us up." Matthew Henry says that person who imagines themselves to be a 'knowing person', has reason to suspect that they know nothing."
"Knowledge conceits a person." "A little is a very dangerous thing." These are all quotes from humble people. Notice who it is that needs to be on their guard. Paul says that all of us posses knowledge and strive of it and we would be better of if we possessed Love and strived for it. A loving person does not demand their rights at the cost of another. A knowledgeable person often demands their rights simply because he is knowledgeable that they are his and how they effect his brother is of no concern.
In these verses, food if the example used, food offered to idols. Now there was
nothing wrong or spoiled about this food and as Christians, we know that an idol
had no real existence, therefore, we are free to eat that food.
Immoral Associations
["Click here for I Corinthians 8:5-13"]
So, what was the problem. They ate this food at a Temple of an idol. But aren't we free to eat what we want, where we want? This was a temple to an imaginary god that didn't exist and we know that there is but one God and one Lord, Jesus Christ, so what was wrong? "Not everyone knew this." Within the body of believers were weak Christians. Believers who had, before they were converted, worshipped that idol. These believers saw their brothers go and eat with heathen people and it was causing them a problem, may even have caused them to stumble.
Now we have a problem here. Paul had written to them previously and instructed them to associate with heathen people. To these, he wanted them to witness. How could they witness if they did not associate. Well, Paul did not condemn the association but suggested that it take another form for the sake of their weaker brother, who seeing them come out of a pagan temple, would misunderstand as to why they were there. Paul was saying that we must subjugate our freedoms in Christ for the sake of our weaker brothers.
Not all the Christians in Corinth were engaged in witnessing and not all who were, used this method, but obviously some did this quite often as a way of associating which gave them an opportunity to witness. Often we are guilty, by association, being, for whatever reason, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Paul says that when you do anything , no matter how innocent, to cause your weaker brother to stumble, you sin against Christ, therefore, we are our bother's keeper.
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