Arrogance is one of the issues Paul addresses time and again in this letter. It seems to be a particular Corinthian problem. In this case the issue is food sacrificed to idols. ‘Priests’ of pagan temples offered animal parts as a sacrifice to their gods and some of this meat often found its way into the markets. You could end up eating meat that had been offered to idols in this way quite innocently and this is not Paul’s target. His concern were the business and private dinner parties held in community banqueting halls attached to pagan temples. In this case the meat served would be directly connected to idol worship and everyone knew it.

Paul is clear that eating such meat is not in itself a problem for believers:  it has no power of its own over us. However, some believers may not be so able to distinguish in their minds between the meat and the link to the idol or ‘god’ that it represents. As a result, they may be drawn away from their allegiance to Christ back to the idols from which they have just been set free.

So, with this in mind, don’t attend a dinner party in the temple. Not for their own sake but because of their love for others – although Paul is also clearer later in the letter on pointing out the slippery slope it sets up for them personally (10:7 – referring back to the golden calf of Exodus 32 and sex parties of Numbers 25).

In the West we do not have a comparable issue. So, what’s the application for us then? Primarily that the way we live our lives – our personal behaviour - is not led by our knowledge but by our love for others. Later (1 Cor 13) Paul will say if I do not have love, then I am simply a noisy gong! But there are secondary points that occur to me that can form our reflection time.

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Questions:

Are you living on a slippery slope?  Flirting with danger? Is there a habit in your life that is setting you up to fail? Is your ‘knowledge’ justifying your behaviour? Talk to your Father in heaven about it. Here’s a question to ask: Father, is there something you want to rebuke in my life?

Prayer:

Ask God for wisdom on how to ‘be’ around your friends and family. For instance: are there particular things that you should avoid doing or saying when around particular people?