What’s wrong with it?

Read 1 Corinthians 8.

The Apostle Paul continued to answer the questions the Corinthians had asked.  This chapter deals with a cultural issue by utilizing several universal principles of God's word.

Corinth was an important port city of Greece.  As a metropolitan center in the Roman Empire, the spiritual beliefs were multitudinous.  On one hand, the Greeks worshipped the pantheon of gods and the Romans added their own group of deities.  At issue was the meat that had been offered to these false gods and whether it was acceptable for a follower of Christ to eat it.  The congregation chose up sides to debate the subject, but Paul presented three important points to bring unity.

1. True Humility. (vv.1-3)
Whenever there is a debate, one side always thinks they know better than the other side.  Most often, at the root of such thinking is pride.  Selfish pride causes a person to demand their rights, creates arguments, and results in divisions.  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7).  Admitting one does not know everything, and that God does, was the starting point of Paul's instruction.

2. True Theology. (vv.4-6)
The Apostle sets the record straight.  All the so-called gods of the Greeks and Romans were man-made figments of imagination.  Carved images and philosophies of multiple deities possess absolutely no spiritual power at all, period!  There is one God.  In a quick lesson in theology, Paul presented the true God of Heaven in this way:
-"From whom are all things."  He is the Creator.  Concerning Jesus, Paul wrote, "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible..." (Colossians 1:16a)  This answers the ultimate question of where we came from.
-"For whom we exist."  As Creator, this one true God has the claim of ownership.  Everything and everyone belongs to Him.  Therefore, it is the responsibility of each human to live to please the Owner of all things.
-"And one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist."  "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  Jesus is not only the Creator, but the Sustainer of the universe, including us.
There is no other God than this One.

3. True Reality. (vv.7-12)
Every person who comes to faith in Christ brings with them a baggage of experiences and influences.  In this case, many who were saved out of paganism abhorred the thought of eating the meat that they once used in celebration to a false god.  It took them back to their sinful days.  Others in the church did not maintain such qualms.  It was merely meat and contained no spiritual attributes.  Both views seemed very real each person.

Notice the resolve.  The one who is not bothered by the problem is admonished in the strongest of terms to limit their freedom for the sake of the weaker brother.  Openly using personal freedoms to the offence of another person is called sin; not only against the brother but against Christ!  This principle may be applied to many activities and practices in various cultures.

"Therefore..."  The point is that a mature believer understands their accountability to others and protects their testimony for Christ.  Never does a mature believer want to do anything to cause another person spiritual harm.