| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. |
Offered unto idols – Nearly all meat used in those times was first offered to idols. R3145:1
All have knowledge – That since an idol is nothing, meat offered to an idol cannot in any sense of the word be injured. R3144:3, 5412:2
Knowledge puffeth up – Knowledge alone. R2219:6
A comparatively little knowledge might puff one up greatly without any solidity of character. R3145:1
Knowledge alone without self-submission to God would incline to puff us up, to make us heady, arrogant, self-sufficient. R2198:3, 2219:6
The Lord's object in providing us with the knowledge is that thereby we might grow in grace. We must have knowledge as the basis for love. R4042:3, 5479:3, 2198:3
We could not have any love if we did not have some knowledge; because how could you love that of which you knew nothing? CR149:6
But charity – Greek: agape, disinterested love. R2807:5
We must have love as the outgrowth of the knowledge, if we would be acceptable as members of the elect Church. R4042:5, 2198:3
Love would forbid the use of knowledge and liberty if it perceived that their exercise might work injury to another. R3145:2,6, 2198:5, 1587:4
Edifieth – Builds up. R1587:4, 2219:6
The getting of love is sure to build us up substantially (avoiding the inflation or pride) in all the various graces of the spirit. R3145:2, 2219:6
If knowledge be accompanied by a love to God, which leads to self-consecration in his service, it will work good for us by introducing the spirit of love as the controlling factor in our lives. R2198:3
Love is constructive and builds up our own characters after the divine pattern, making us co-workers together with God, in our sympathies for and interest in others. R2198:3
Measure oneself by growth in love, rather than by growth merely in knowledge. R3145:1
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| 2 If any man thinketh that he knoweth anything, he knoweth not yet as he ought to know; |
Think – Confidently think. E256
Knoweth anything – Of his own wisdom. E256
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| 3 but if any man loveth God, the same is known by him. |
Love God – Knowledge without love would be an injury. To consider it otherwise would imply that real knowledge has not yet been secured. R4920:2
Is known of him – Acquainted with him, recognized by him. R3145:2
God's special love and provision for his saints as distinguished from the world. R1254:5
We might have a great deal of knowledge and yet not know God and not be known or recognized by him. R4920:2
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| 4 concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no God but one. |
Eating of those – It was the custom to eat consecrated food--meat that had been offered before an idol. R2198:3, 2158:6, 2119:1, 1586:3
An idol is nothing – It is only an imaginary god. R1587:1, 1052:3*
The meat could be neither benefited nor injured by the offering. R3020:4, 4478:3, 3145:1, 2198:5, 2158:6, 2119:1
The personal liberty question alone would be in dispute for there was no law given on this matter except the law of love. R4006:3
Is none other God – No other eternal and almighty author and source of all things. E54
But one – Not two, nor three, nor more. E54
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| 5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many; |
Though there be – Many. R1410:6
Those. R1052:2*
Are called gods – Greek: theos, a mighty one, not Jehovah. B274; R803:1
There be gods many – To the heathen. SM483:2
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| 6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. |
To us – Christians. R3474:6
There is but one God – One supreme God. E82; NS255:6
Not three! R4165:2, 2199:4, 1411:1; SM602:T
The word god signifies mighty one; but there is only one God whose name is the Almighty. R5352:1, 3474:6, 1410:6
The Father – One God over all. R1410:6; HG410:6
Jehovah is the fountain of our blessings. R1410:4, 5392:4, 2465:1
A father is a life-giver; a son is one who receives life from a father. This distinction implies that the father existed first. R5747:3; E143
Of whom – Out of whom. E82
Who created. R369:3
Of or from whom, as the first cause or Creator, all things came, including ourselves. R3145:3, 1778:3; E82, E398
The entire plan of salvation is of the Father and through the Son. R5847:4, 5809:3, 3172:3, 1778:3; E54, F401
Are all things – Blessings. E45; R1410:4, 5392:4, 1777:6
Including all life on every plane. E398
The various features of our salvation. R1778:3, 1269:5
It is by our willing and our running that we obtain the prize; but it is of God's mercy. R2001:1
And we in him – And we for him. E82
Unto him. R1052:2*
Lord – Master, Rabbi. OV114:3
Jesus Christ – The channel of blessings. R5392:4, 1410:4
The only direct creation of Jehovah. R1060:4, 5992:6, 5748:1, 4051:6, 2431:3, 1278:3, 446:5*
The Head of the Church. R1278:3
The Lord Jesus is not the second person of a triune God. The word "triune" is unscriptural; so is the thought. R5748:3, 1411:1, 802:5; SM494:3; NS257:6
By whom – By, or through whom all things, including ourselves, have been brought into existence. R3145:3, 5748:1, 4051:6, 1060:4, 1052:2*; E82
The power was of the Father, but it was exercised through the Son. R4107:3
Jesus was the Father's honored agent. R5748:2, 4107:3, 2464:6, 2199:5, 1061:4, 446:5*; HG297:2
Every divine favor is granted in and through Christ. R965:2
"All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made." (John 1:3) R1904:6, 5748:1, 2431:3, 2199:5, 1278:3, 369:5; OV114:3
The Father bestowed the holy Spirit upon the Son, and authorized him to bestow it upon his Body. R5549:5, 5537:1
Are all things – Including the creation of the angels. R5748:5, 4051:6
Including the judgment of the Church. F401
And we by him – And we through him. E82; R1052:2*, 715:4*
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| 7 Howbeit there is not in all men that knowledge: but some, being until now used to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. |
Not in every man – By reason of differing conditions of mental strength, perception, reasoning faculties, etc., all could not have exactly the same standpoint of knowledge and appreciation of principles. R3145:2
All men were not enlightened by the gospel and so relieved from superstition. R1587:1
Of the idol – The appreciation of idols as gods had become so ingrained that it would be impossible for many fully to divest themselves of some respect for the idols--to eat meat that had been offered to idols. R3145:2
Conscience – The voice of conscience must be obeyed. Every violation is so much of character destruction, no matter how erroneous may be its standards. R3020:4, 3144:6
Being weak – We should deny self rather than injure the conscience of another. R5412:2
Is defiled – The eating of such meats in the presence of a weak ones might seem to them to be an endorsement of the idol worship; and thus they might be misled into a partial endorsement of idolatry. R1587:1
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| 8 But food will not commend us to God: neither, if we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better. |
Commendeth us not – It is not the food that we eat that makes us acceptable to God. Our relationship to God is that of the new creation, a heart relationship. R3145:4; HG368:2
Are we the worse – There would be nothing wrong--no sacrifice of any principle. R1587:1
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| 9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak. |
Liberty of yours – Control your liberty by the law of love. R4478:6, 3145:2
The liberty of Christ gives liberty to eat without restraint, in a manner that the Jews were not at liberty to eat, it gives liberty also to abstain; sacrificing on behalf of the brethren. R3145:5, 2198:5, 1473:1
Stumblingblock – It is a serious crime against the law of love to cause one of our brethren to stumble. R3145:6, 5412:3
Abstain altogether from eating meat rather than risk stumbling a brother who could not take the broader, truer view. To stumble such a one, might be to throw him out of the right way entirely. R5412:2
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| 10 For if a man see thee who hast knowledge sitting at meat in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols? |
Idol's temple – Some Corinthian brethren might be fully at ease in their own consciences if as guests they attended a municipal feast or banquet in an idol temple, but there might be onlookers with less knowledge. R2198:6, 3145:1
We do not feel such a restraint that we would fear to enter a nominal church building to hear a service there; but would not seem to give our assent to their errors by regular attendance and participation. R3146:4
Weak – Of weaker mind, feebler reasoning powers or inferior knowledge; likely to be weaker in every respect. R3145:5, 4920:4
Be emboldened – Follow the example of his stronger brother. R3145:5, 2198:6
Susceptible to the leadings of others, into paths which his conscience could not approve. R3145:5, 4920:4
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| 11 For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died. |
Thy knowledge – Intelligence, poise of mind. R5412:3
Weak – Greek: astheneo, without strength. R4099:6*
Brother – A term of general salutation in the early Church. F230; R1523:5
We certainly should have special patience with the brethren. R3136:3
Perish – To stumble such a one might be to throw him out of the right way entirely. R5412:2, 4920:5, 3145:5
If one should be influenced by another to violate conscience, one might thus be started on the downward course which would lead him from righteousness. R4831:1, 2198:6
Every violation of conscience, whether the thing itself be right or wrong, is a step in the direction of wilful sin, leading into grosser transgressions of conscience, and possibly to the second death. R3145:5, 4920:5, 3020:4
For whom Christ died – It would be a sin against the spirit of love to do anything which could reasonably prove a cause of stumbling to our brother, or fellow-creature--for Christ died for the sins of the whole world. R3145:6, 4920:5
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| 12 And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, ye sin against Christ. |
When ye sin so – Some perceived that there could be no sin in the eating of such meat where their consciences were not violated; perhaps to show not only their Christian liberty, but that they entirely disregarded an idol. R3144:6
Wound their weak conscience – If a Christian could take the position that his own conscience would approve of a certain course, then would he allow his poise of mind, to work injury to a brother, to lead him to violate his conscience? R5412:3
Sin against Christ – Against the very spirit of his law of love one for the other. R2199:1
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| 13 Wherefore, if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I cause not my brother to stumble. |
I will eat no flesh – In order that he might be a help to the brethren, and not a stumbling block to any, the Apostle would take pleasure in denying himself, not only the meat offered to idols, but all meat of every kind. R2199:1, 1587:4
Similar arguments might be urged respecting the use of liquor, tobacco, cards and the various implements which the Adversary uses in luring mankind into sin. R3146:5, 2199:1, 1695:6, 1101:5
Any liberty of ours that would work our brother's injury, that liberty we will not exercise. (Rom. 14:21) R4920:5, 5412:2, 4833:5*, 3145:6, 2198:5, 1101:5
Let our light so shine before men as to assist them to glorify their Father in heaven. R4191:5
While the world standeth – Forevermore. (Revised Version) R4920:6
As long as Paul lived. R2199:1
To offend – To stumble. (Revised Version) R4920:6
Lose all influence for good over a brother. R5412:3
Any liberty of ours, however reasonable in itself, that would work our brother's injury, we will not exercise; we will sacrifice it; we will to that extent lay down our life for him. R3145:6, 4920:5
This is not meaning that the Lord's people are to favor the mental crochets of each other in such a manner as would be to the general injury of the Church. R3146:2
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