MY BROTHERS KEEPERS
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Growing up
in the south, we lived by the rule that we were our brothers
Keepers. In the community I grew up in, every parent
looked after the children
Of the
neighbors. The parents were free to discipline
another parent’s child
And give
council. If I did something wrong,
neighbors would contact my
Parents. I was
disciplined based on what other parents said. It was the norm
Throughout
the community.
Discipline
was not questioned in the home or school. There was no
“time out”. You were disciplined immediately with a belt
or paddle.
Parents had
total control over their children.
Today,
looking or speaking to another person can cause enough anger
To get you
killed. We have to be careful how we treat our own children
With the
fear of a neighbor calling the police.
So how can
we be our brother’s keepers? As Christians, we must follow the
Word of God and
trust Him to handle the consequences of our concern
For our
neighbors.
This text
points to Christians being role models for others to follow.
The love of
our neighbors should cause us to act in their better interest.
ACTIONS
CONTROLLED BY KNOWLEDGE
V:1. Now
about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge.
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 The man who thinks he knows something
does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But the man who loves God is known by
God.
A. Paul points to the issue of eating
foods sacrificed to idols.
1. Corinth was a city dominated by idol
worship.
2. Eating foods offered to idols was the
norm.
3. The young church faced a dilemma.
B. According to the Voice printed by The
Dallas Theological Seminary,
What was the social context of this passage,
and what was Paul actually forbidding? This is a complicated matter because
there seem to have been four contexts in which idol food could be encountered
(although the first three could constitute a single setting): (a) pagan
temples (8:1–13), (b) table of pagan gods (10:14–22), (c) a meal at the
invitation of a pagan (10:27–11:1), and (d) the market (10:25).
1. The Christian
church has rules concerning idols
Leviticus 17:7
They must no longer offer any of their
sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be
a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.'
2. The real issue is sacrificing foods to be
offered to idol gods.
3. This was continuing the practice of idol
worship.
4. All foods were created by God for our benefit.
5. Eating food that had been offered to an idol
is not a sin as long as we are not participating In idol worship.
6. When you buy food in a market, you don’t know if
has been offered to
An idol by the person who prepared it.
C. Having this knowledge, I could say I can eat
what want
No matter
who prepared it since I am not an idol worshipper.
1. I am right in the statement as it pertains to
me.
2. However, there is another immature neighbor I am
Responsible too.
3. No matter what I do, there is someone looking
on that may
Be adversely affected.
4. I cannot get too puffed up about the knowledge
I know is right,
Because there may be someone looking on who doesn’t
Have that knowledge.
D. The love of my neighbor forces me to consider
how my actions
Might affect
another person.
1. As an example; having sex with my wife in the
privacy of my
Home is commanded by God.
2. Having sex with my wife in public is not
acceptable and not
Commanded by God.
KNOWLEDGE
IS BLESSED
V:4. So
then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at
all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are
so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many
"gods" and many "lords"), 6 yet for us, there is but one
God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is
but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we
live.
A. I can eat food sacrificed to idols in
good conscience.
1. An idol is nothing but something
created in the mind of man
And set before himself as
a god.
2. Consider this, a person takes
something created by the Almighty God
Shapes it into a dumb
idol and then considers it more power than the creator.
3. How can I take a tree created by God
and consider it more powerful
Then the living God?
B. In the world, there are many
religions that worship objects made with
Human hands.
1. None of these objects ever created
anything.
2. The power of these idols exists only in
the imagination of
Man under the evil
influence of Satan.
Elijah put the power of Baal,
the idol god of Ahab and Jezebel to test.
He assembled all the
priests of Baal.
1 Kings 18:27-29
At noon Elijah began to
taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god!
Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and
must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords
and spears, as was their custom until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and
they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening
sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
C. As Christians, we know the power of
the one and only living
God.
1. We have access to the living God through our
Faith in our Lord
And savior Jesus Christ.
John 1:3-5
Through him all things
were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life,
and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the
darkness has not understood it.
2. Those who believe in idol gods live in
darkness.
KNOW THE
WORD FOR YOURSELF
V:7. But not
everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when
they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and
since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near
to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
A. Know the word for yourself.
1. Not everybody who talks about God knows
the Word of God.
2. If you don’t study the word for yourself,
you can listen to the
opinions of others and be
misled.
3. It is easy to take the word out of it’s
context and miss apply it
To your circumstance.
4. The word was not to sacrifice to
idols, not the food itself.
B. The immature Christian may not be
able to distinguish between
Eating food sacrificed to idols and worshipping idols.
1. They may see eating food that was
sacrificed to an idol as a sin.
2. Everyone sees and understands
scripture at their level.
3. Just because you know that eating food
sacrificed to an idol
Is not a sin, does not
mean others see it that way.
4. Another common misinterpretation of
scripture is the drinking
Of wine.
a. The scripture is this
Ephesians 5:18
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit;
b. It did not say don’t drink wine, nor
drinking wine is a sin.
c. If that was so, then Jesus was violating
His law when
He served wine in the
first communion of the church.
d. The emphasis is on “not getting drunk
with wine”, not
The wine itself.
e. The immature Christian may see sin in
every grocery store.
BROTHERS
KEEPER
V:9. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your
freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a
weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple,
won't he be emboldened to
eat what has
been sacrificed to idols?
A. We are free to do everything that the
Word allows.
1. However, we must consider the needs
of our neighbors.
2. To know the level of knowledge of
other Christians is to
Know them.
3. It is in Bible Study groups that we
come to know how each of us
View scripture.
4. We cannot read each other's minds.
Therefore it's up to
Each of us to voice our
concerns.
5. As a teacher, I can’t know where you
are spiritual, unless
You to talk to me.
B. If I am acting in a way that you view
as improper, I give you
The freedom to call me out.
1. If I am doing something that confuses
your interpretation
Of scripture, we should
discuss it.
2. We should change what we are doing if
it offends another
Christian or cause
him/her to stray away from the truth.
3. Nothing is more important than the
spiritual growth of
Our brothers and sisters
in Christ.
APPLICATION
OF SCRIPTURE
V:11. So
this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12
When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience,
you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes, my brother, to fall
into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
A. We should not use the freedom we have
with scripture to destroy
A weaker Christian.
1. Brotherly love requires us to be
concerned about the spiritual
The welfare of our
brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. I know people who don’t eat pork or
certain kinds of seafood because
Of their view of
scripture.
3. It is up to me to not eat what I know
does not violate scripture
In their presence.
B. Woe to me, if I cause a brother or
sister's faith to be
weakened by my
Actions.
1. If I cause another brother or sister
to sin, then their sin is on me.
2. How will I know your offense if you
do not make it known;
In that case, the
sin is on you.
In summary, Christian freedom allows me to do many things.
I should not use the knowledge I have to weaken the faith of
Another brother or sister in Christ.
As a teacher, we say a lot of things that may be confusing to
our
Listeners. Feel free to question me.
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Rev. M. Mitchell
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