Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.
So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.
However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.
But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble. 1 Corinthians 8
Context above. Let me Isogesis-- err. I mean, let me explain.
Paul is talking about two groups of Christians in the church. One has enlightened levels of theology -- degrees, divinely revealed knowledge, you name it. They Know things about scripture. One does not. But Paul is appealing to the Know group because they aren't treating the others in love.
A good analogy today is alcohol. The Bible actually does not forbid drinking of alcoholic beverages, although it forbids debauchery, and Paul says "Everything is permissible for me — but I will not be mastered by anything" 1 Cor 6:12.
In other words, you could have "superior theology" to your alcohol-abstaining friend which allows you to drink beer and wine.
But Paul asks, "where is the love?" Sure, drinking beer, watching movies, and eating at that Chinese place down the road with the shrine to Buddha in it are all okay for you to do -- theologically okay, even.
Not all of your Christian friends know this, however. Some are convinced that having a stiff drink, watching 300, and being anywhere near an idol are severe threats to their faith. Furthermore, they may see you doing it and decide that "being a Christian is for church only."
The Bottom Line, Paul says, is that
you don't get saved by merit badges. Correct theology is excellent. But whether or not you drink, watch, or eat actually doesn't affect whether or not you get to heaven. Nothing is gained by your habits, and nothing is lost.
But, says Paul, be very careful around other believers. If your chugging back a Molson Canadian beer causes a weak believer to think that a) you're a fake Christians, b) that debauchery is A-OK, or c) that it's a really good thing that he doesn't have to complete the struggle he's been winning against alcoholism, you've lost the point. Having excellent theological grounds to walk on is wasted if the result is destruction of others. Love is the key.
Moreover, not all people have the same struggles as you. TJ, if I came to your house, we'd be best not to watch 300 -- sex scenes are my weakness. Even with my excellent theology that tells me that the sex scenes will not send me to Hell, they'd still make me stumble. And so to encourage me would be to cause me to sin, and Paul says you don't want to do that!
So on to the verse in question. Paul is basically saying that, if forced between enjoying his
technically theologically allowable freedoms and
causing someone else to sin, Love demands that Paul always err on the side of upholding his brother, instead of doing the fun thing -- even if it means never having that fun again.
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