True spiritual maturity is not measured by how much we know, but by how much we love and edify others, especially those who are weaker in faith. Knowledge alone can lead to pride and division, but when paired with humility and love, it becomes a tool for building up the body of Christ. Paul reminds us that our freedom and understanding should never come at the expense of another believer’s conscience or spiritual growth. Instead, we are called to use our knowledge to serve and care for one another, ensuring that our actions reflect Christ’s love above all else. [11:50]
1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (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."
Reflection: In what area of your life are you tempted to let your knowledge or freedom take priority over loving and building up someone who may be weaker in faith? How can you choose love over pride today?
It is a profound truth that when you love God, you are not just seeking to know Him more, but you are already fully known by Him. The Creator of the universe is mindful of you, sees you, and has set His love upon you, regardless of how small or insignificant you may feel. This knowledge brings comfort and assurance, especially in moments when the world feels overwhelming or when you doubt your worth. Rest in the reality that God knows you intimately and has chosen you as His own. [14:03]
1 Corinthians 8:3 (ESV)
"But if anyone loves God, he is known by God."
Reflection: When you feel small or unseen, how does it change your perspective to remember that God knows you personally and has chosen you? What would it look like to live today in the confidence of being known by Him?
In a world filled with competing voices and false gods, it is essential to remember and declare that there is only one true God—the Father—and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things exist and through whom we live. This foundational truth anchors our faith and sets us apart from the surrounding culture, just as it did for the early church in Corinth. No matter what idols or distractions vie for our attention, our allegiance and worship belong to the one true God alone. [18:30]
1 Corinthians 8:6 (ESV)
"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."
Reflection: What “idols” or distractions in your life compete for your attention and loyalty? How can you intentionally center your heart and actions on the one true God and Lord today?
Our actions, even those that are permissible, can have a profound impact on the faith and conscience of others. Paul urges believers to be mindful of how their liberty and choices might cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble or be wounded in their walk with Christ. The value of each person for whom Christ died is so great that we are called to lay down our rights and freedoms for their sake, choosing sacrificial love over personal preference. This is the heart of Christ, who cares deeply for even the weakest among us. [29:44]
1 Corinthians 8:11-13 (ESV)
"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."
Reflection: Is there something you are consuming or a freedom you are exercising that could be a stumbling block to someone else? What practical step can you take today to protect and honor the faith of those around you?
True freedom in Christ is not a license to do whatever we please, but a call to live inspired by love and gratitude for our Savior. When we are freed from works-based religion and the burden of trying to earn God’s favor, we are empowered to live righteously out of thankfulness and joy. This freedom transforms our motives and enables us to serve others selflessly, knowing that our value and acceptance are secure in Christ’s finished work. [33:30]
Galatians 5:13 (ESV)
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
Reflection: How can you use your freedom in Christ today to serve someone else in love, rather than focusing on your own preferences or desires? What is one act of gratitude you can offer to God for the freedom He has given you?
Today’s passage from 1 Corinthians 8 invites us to step into the world of the early Corinthian church—a young, vibrant, but deeply challenged community surrounded by a culture of excess, idolatry, and confusion. In the midst of this, Paul addresses a very practical and divisive issue: whether Christians should eat meat that may have been offered to idols. For us, this may seem foreign, but for the Corinthians, it was a daily dilemma that touched on questions of conscience, community, and Christian freedom.
Paul’s response is not a simple rule, but a call to maturity. He acknowledges that knowledge is important—yes, idols are nothing, and there is only one true God. But knowledge alone is not enough. Knowledge, if left unchecked, can puff us up and make us arrogant. What truly builds up the church is love. Paul insists that our freedom in Christ must always be exercised with a deep concern for the spiritual well-being of others, especially those who are weaker or newer in the faith.
He reminds us that even the most liberated, knowledgeable Christian must be willing to limit their own freedoms for the sake of their brothers and sisters. If our actions, even if technically permissible, cause another believer to stumble or wound their conscience, we are not just sinning against them—we are sinning against Christ Himself. The value of each believer, no matter how weak or new, is underscored by the phrase “for whom Christ died.” This is a call to humility, to self-sacrifice, and to a love that mirrors the love of Jesus.
Paul’s own example is striking: though he is more free and knowledgeable than any of them, he is willing to give up his rights entirely if it means protecting the faith of another. This is the heart of Christian liberty—not the assertion of our rights, but the willingness to lay them down for the sake of love.
Finally, there is a word of encouragement for those who feel small, weak, or overwhelmed. God knows you. He sees you. Your value is not in your strength or your knowledge, but in the fact that you are loved and known by Him. Freedom in Christ is not a burden, but a gift that inspires us to live righteously out of gratitude, not obligation.
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.
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.
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.
For all of their problems, though. And this is what I want to drive home for all of their problems. Never do we see Paul threatening them with the removal of their salvation. Surprising? Not if you know the true gospel. They had more problems than any other church, yet never does the Holy Spirit threaten them. The letter to the Corinthians displays the great grace of Jesus Christ. Amen. [00:05:25] (39 seconds) #GraceOverThreats
Knowledge puffs up, Knowledge puffs up. But love edifies those whose knowledge enable them to eat idle meat. They ought to do it with an abundance of love towards the weak. In other words, otherwise the weak, Paul fears they may suffer shipwreck through the example being set by men of knowledge in the Church that they don't understand. Knowledge leads to arrogance. Remember this, knowledge leaves leads to arrogance, but love is never arrogant. [00:11:45] (47 seconds) #LoveEdifiesNotKnowledge
The way to true, not the true, to the true knowledge of God, he says right here is love. You want true knowledge of God, the way to it is love. Paul doesn't say here, if you love God, then you'll know him. No, he says if you love God, he will know you. Whoa, that's a big difference. That is a big difference. He will know you. [00:13:33] (32 seconds) #LoveLeadsToKnowingGod
But beware, beware. So here's Paul again, shutting down the legalists. Are you seriously talking about the menu? Right, we're freed by salvation, Christ's sacrifice, we're saved by grace. The debt is paid on the cross, the tomb is empty. We're talking about food. But beware verse nine, lest some of this liberty of yours. Again, he's speaking to the Gnosticizing party, the puffed up, proud in all of their knowledge, these men of knowledge. You're talking down to everybody, right? Beware, lest somehow this liberty of yours or this insistence on demonstrating your liberty become a stumbling block to those who are weak. [00:21:29] (62 seconds) #LibertyWithLove
Basically by acting on your gnosis, your enlightenment, your puffed up arrogance, rather than acting in love, you've caused the ruin of your brother whom Christ died for. The phrase whom Christ died for highlights the value that he puts on even the weakest among us. And again, this is a highlight I want to point out to you who are new in the faith. We're having a baptism today, even right? Maybe you're still struggling with these things. You may are still struggling with legalism issues, you're still struggling with mindsets of your past. And you haven't stepped into the full renewing of your mind yet because it's a process, it's sanctification. I want to point this out. The phrase whom Christ died for highlights the value that he puts on even the weakest among us. [00:28:42] (61 seconds) #ValueOfTheWeak
``No matter how little you feel, no matter how little you feel. Because the world can seem pretty big sometimes, can it? Feels like we've got a mountain of responsibility on us sometimes. As little as you feel, just know that he loves you. Know that he loves you, that he sees you, that he hears you, that because you love him, he knows you. It's not just about you knowing him. I got to get my Bible more. So I know him more. Yeah, you do. But you know what? In the meantime, he knows you. He knows you. He sees you. He's not surprised by this day in your life. And he knows how small you feel. He knows he knows you better than anybody. [00:31:52] (69 seconds) #BeyondLegalism
He knows that you're not too weak to accomplish the work that he has for you. He knows that you're not too small and little to carry the burdens that he's given for you. He's paid your debt in full. There's now nothing that you need to do or not to do to be his. And you need to know that. [00:33:01] (28 seconds) #MindfulConsumption
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