Building Up Through Love: Navigating Differences in Faith

In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul addresses a church wrestling with disagreements over eating food sacrificed to idols—a situation that, on the surface, seems distant from our modern lives, but at its heart, reveals timeless truths about how we relate to one another as followers of Christ. The city of Corinth was a melting pot of cultures, backgrounds, and religious practices, and the church reflected that diversity. Some believers, having left behind a life of idolatry, felt deeply convicted that eating such food was wrong, while others, confident in their knowledge that idols are nothing, saw no issue with enjoying a good meal. Paul’s words cut through the confusion: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”

The call is not to uniformity of opinion, but to humility and grace. There are foundational truths of the faith that we must hold fast to, but there are also many issues where sincere Christians will disagree. In these areas, we are to hold our convictions with humility, recognizing that our opinions are not the measure of another’s faithfulness. Instead, we are to value people above our freedoms, being willing to lay down our rights for the sake of a brother or sister whose conscience is weaker or whose faith is fragile.

Paul’s example is radical: he would rather never eat meat again than cause a fellow believer to stumble. This is not about legalism or a list of dos and don’ts, but about love—love that is willing to sacrifice, to build up, and to put the needs of others before our own preferences. The Christian life is not a solitary pursuit of personal holiness, but a shared journey where our choices impact those around us. We are called to be a community marked by sincere, sacrificial love, a love that reflects the heart of Christ and serves as a witness to the world.

Faith, at its core, is about relationship—relationship with God and with the people He loves. When we let love, not pride or personal liberty, guide our actions, we build up the body of Christ and point others to the transforming power of the gospel.

Key Takeaways

• 1. True Christian maturity is measured not by the depth of our knowledge, but by the depth of our love. Knowledge, when left unchecked, can lead to pride and division, but love seeks to build others up, even at personal cost. The call is to let love be the foundation of all our interactions, especially when we disagree. [23:20]
• 2. Humility is essential in the family of God. While there are non-negotiable truths we must stand on, many issues require us to hold our convictions with open hands, recognizing that others may see things differently. Grace allows us to live in unity without demanding uniformity, and to value relationship over being right. [42:15]
• 3. Each believer is called to follow their own conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit, especially in areas where Scripture is silent or unclear. Imposing our personal convictions on others, or judging them for their choices in these “doubtful matters,” undermines the freedom and diversity of the body of Christ. Instead, we are to respect the journey and convictions of our brothers and sisters. [48:19]
• 4. Our freedoms are not ultimate; people are. The willingness to lay down our rights for the sake of another’s spiritual well-being is a mark of Christlike love. If exercising our freedom could lead someone else into sin or spiritual harm, love compels us to choose restraint, even when it costs us something dear. [52:49]
• 5. The Christian life is not about legalism or a checklist of rules, but about a living relationship with God and with others. When love is our motivation, our actions become a witness to the world of the transforming power of the gospel. We are called to love sacrificially, just as Christ has loved us, and to let that love shape every aspect of our lives together. [62:44]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [23:20] - Knowledge Puffs Up, Love Builds Up
• [24:04] - One God, One Lord
• [24:40] - The Issue of Food Sacrificed to Idols
• [25:52] - Corinth’s Cultural Challenges
• [27:14] - What Does Love Really Look Like?
• [29:08] - Building Each Other Up in Relationship
• [30:26] - The Economic and Social Context
• [31:40] - The Moral Dilemma for Christians
• [33:40] - Different Perspectives in the Church
• [35:33] - Don’t Puff Up Your Opinions
• [43:38] - Following Your Conscience
• [48:19] - Respecting Differences and Avoiding Judgment
• [52:13] - Valuing People Over Freedom
• [54:13] - Sacrificing for the Sake of Others
• [58:46] - Avoiding Legalism, Embracing Love
• [62:44] - Faith Is About Relationship
• [65:18] - Invitation and Response

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 (ESV) —
> Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
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> Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
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> However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Observation Questions

1. What were the two main groups in the Corinthian church disagreeing about, and what were their reasons? ([33:40])
2. According to Paul, what is the danger of relying only on knowledge in our Christian life? ([23:20])
3. How does Paul describe the relationship between our personal freedoms and the spiritual well-being of others? ([52:49])
4. What is Paul’s personal response to the possibility of causing another believer to stumble? ([52:49])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul say that “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”? What does this mean for how we handle disagreements in the church? ([23:20])
2. The sermon mentions that there are foundational truths we must hold to, but also many “doubtful matters” where Christians may disagree. How can we tell the difference between the two? ([42:15])
3. What does it look like in practice to “value people over our freedoms”? Can you think of a modern example where this principle might apply? ([52:49])
4. The pastor said, “Faith, at its core, is about relationship—relationship with God and with the people He loves.” How does this perspective change the way we approach controversial or unclear issues? ([01:02:44])

Application Questions

1. Think of a time when you felt strongly about a “gray area” issue in the church (like music style, dress, or a social activity). Did you ever let your opinion become more important than your relationship with others? How could you have responded differently? ([39:34])
2. The sermon says, “We are to hold our convictions with humility, recognizing that our opinions are not the measure of another’s faithfulness.” Is there an area where you have judged someone else’s faith based on your own preferences? What would it look like to show more grace? ([42:15])
3. Paul was willing to give up eating meat if it would help a fellow believer. Is there a personal freedom or preference you would find hard to give up for the sake of someone else’s spiritual growth? What would motivate you to make that sacrifice? ([52:49])
4. The pastor shared about respecting the journey and convictions of others, especially in “doubtful matters.” How can you practically support someone in your church who sees things differently than you do? ([48:19])
5. The sermon warns against legalism and making faith about a checklist of rules. Are there any “rules” or traditions you’ve held onto that might be more about comfort than about love? How can you refocus on relationship? ([58:46])
6. When was the last time you let love, rather than pride or personal liberty, guide your actions in a disagreement? What was the result? ([01:02:44])
7. The pastor said, “What matters to God is people.” This week, what is one specific way you can put someone else’s needs above your own preferences, especially in a situation where you disagree? ([56:02])