p. 13 | The Sunday School

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 29, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 29.

The Sunday School

International Series. LESSON VII.—SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 1897.

ABSTAINING FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS.

NOTE.—The lesson section includes the story of the founding of the church at Corinth (Acts 18:1-17) and the first ten chapters of 1 Corinthians. A discussion of the same things will be found in the fourteenth chapter of Romans. This was also an important factor in the great conference at Jerusalem. Acts 15. The church at this place was founded in A.D. 52-53, and was about five years old at the time this epistle was written. The epistle was written in the Greek language, the language of Corinth; and was penned at Ephesus, in Asia Minor. This epistle settles many practical questions which had been troubling the early Christians, and can also be applied to questions which might trouble at this time those who would follow Christ. It is a temperance lesson.

Lesson Scripture, 1 Cor. 8:1-13, R. V.

"Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. If any man thinketh that he knoweth anything, he knoweth not yet as he ought to know; but if any man loveth God, the same is known of him. 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. For tho there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many; 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. Howbeit in all men there is not that knowledge; but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat will not commend us to God; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to the weak. For if a man see thee which 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? For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat maketh my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh forevermore, that I make not my brother to stumble."

Golden Text.—"For none of us liveth to himself." Rom. 14:7.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) With what does Paul's discourse in this chapter begin? Verse 1. (2) What knowledge do we have concerning these things? Same verse. (3) But what is the effect of such knowledge alone? Same verse. Note 1. (4) What difference does he make between knowledge and love? Same verse. (5) What is the condition of those who think they have knowledge? Verse 2. (6) Who are known of God? Verse 3. Note 2. (7) What question was troubling the early Christians at this time? Verse 4. (8) What did the Christians know regarding idols, and the God whom they served? Same verse. (9) What was the belief of the idolators in regard to the things they worshiped? Verse 5. Note 3. (10) As opposed to this what is the teaching of the Gospel? Verse 6. (11) What is the relation of the creature and the Creator as pointed out in the same verse. (12) How does the apostle indicate that there is a lack of the knowledge of the Gospel? Verse 7, first clause. (13) How did some look upon meat of which they partook that had been offered to an idol? Same verse. Note 4. (14) What was the result? Same verse. (15) What effect does the eating or refraining from eating have upon our personal relation to God? Verse 8. (16) Wherein is the greatest wrongfulness of careless indulgence? Verse 9. Note 5. (17) How might one be caused to stumble by seeing a Christian eating meat that had been offered to idols? Verse 10. (18) What would be the result to such a one? Verse 11. (19) How was he influenced to his downfall? Same verse. Note 6. (20) What is the result of this called by Paul? Verse 12. (21) Against whom else is it a sin? Same verse. (22) In view of the solemn consequences of self-indulgence, what declaration does Paul make? Verse 13.

NOTES.

1. Knowledge puffeth up.—That is how we may know we have a certain kind of knowledge. He who really knows the most is most willing to admit that he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But this knowledge which leads us to be puffed up, is a knowledge which is really foolishness in the sight of God. He who feels puffed up over what he has learned, or thinks he has learned, may know that he has not that knowledge which edifies, or builds up into Christ.

2. If any man loveth God.—Him the Lord knoweth. This is in accordance with 2 Tim. 2:19, "The Lord knoweth them that are his," who have freely given themselves to him. It is the love of God that prompts such a gift. "To be fully known by God, after the manner in which one friend is thoroughly known by another, is the highest possibility of the earthly life for the Christian."—Professor Dwight. "God is love. Therefore by loving, we partake of God's nature, and know him, and he knows us. He recognizes that we are his children. To know a friend implies that he knows us."—Peloubet. Love then is preferable to knowledge; for while knowledge puffs up, love builds up; and love acquaints us with God.

3. There be that are called gods.—The image of brass or wood or stone was supposed by the worshipers to represent the deity to which it was dedicated; and the imagination of the heathen world had run wild in the invention of deities, or principles, or gods, which must have their share of the homage of man, or regard themselves as slighted and visit mankind with affliction for the slight. So careful had the heathen worshipers grown of the rights of their deities, and so fearful of slighting them, that at the time of Paul's visit to Athens, they had gone so far as to erect an altar to the "unknown god," thus supposedly rendering themselves proof against the attacks of offended or slighted deities. Thus had there come to be gods many; and the outcome of this idolatrous practise is seen in Rom. 1:18-32.

4. Eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol.—Can not rid themselves of the thought that they are partaking in idol worship. Those who knew God and the power of his salvation, knew that the idols were absolutely nothing but the material of which they were composed, and they knew that meat offered to them did not change its character or nature in the least by being offered. So to such there could be no hurt if they partook of it; but persons of weaker conscience, who saw in the meat defilement on account of the use to which it had been put, and who saw those partaking of it who had had experience in the things of God, might be led to yield to what they regarded as wrong, and thus their conscience be hardened and they be led to do other things that they regarded as wrong. "If we were alone in the world, and had no one to consider but ourselves, this knowledge about the non-existence of idols would settle the question."—Peloubet.

5. But take heed.—For what is right to you may be an occasion for wrong on the part of another, as pointed out in the note above. If we voluntarily make stumbling-blocks of ourselves over which others fall into sin, we are sinning "against the brethren," and therefore sinning "against Christ." "Shall we, for the sake of eating one kind of meat rather than another, endanger the salvation of those for whom the eternal Son of God laid down his life?"—Hodge.

6. Through thy knowledge.—It is certainly a good thing to know that the idol is nothing. The Lord has brought us that knowledge; but let us not use it in a way to cause another to lose eternal life.