Rooting Path · How to Read the Bible · Lesson 7 of 7 · From Then to Today · about 20 min
The church at Corinth asked Paul: may Christians eat food that has been offered to idols? Paul answered:
1Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 4Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 7However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of an idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat are we the worse, nor if we eat are we the better. 9But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak. 13Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more, that I don’t cause my brother to stumble.
1 Cor 8:1, 4, 7–9, 13 · WEB
James says:
22But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; 24for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
Jas 1:22–25 · WEB
Over six lessons we have learned to see first, to read the context, and to recognize the kind of writing. The last lesson walks the last stretch of the road: from what the text meant then, to me today.
The last step in reading the Bible is application, and it is the easiest step to get wrong: either we jump too fast—reading a verse and immediately saying ‘this verse is telling me to…’—or we stop too soon, understanding it but never living it out. James puts it bluntly: “be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.” (Jas 1:22) Hearing without doing is like “a man looking at his natural face in a mirror,” (Jas 1:23) who forgets as soon as he turns away.
This course gives you three steps: What did it say then? What does not change? How do I live it today? Let’s walk through 1 Corinthians 8.
Step one: what did it say then? The question at the time was: may Christians eat food that has been offered to idols? Paul first grants a fact: “no idol is anything in the world,” (1 Cor 8:4) and “food will not commend us to God.” (1 Cor 8:8) As far as knowledge goes, eating is fine. But he goes on: “that knowledge isn’t in all men” (1 Cor 8:7)—some who used to worship idols would have a troubled conscience when they saw it.
Step two: what does not change? Paul’s principle has not gone out of date: “be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak.” (1 Cor 8:9) He sums up the whole chapter in one sentence: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Cor 8:1) What does not change is this: I have freedom, but I care more about my brother.
Step three: how do I live it today? This step has to be concrete, and it is a question for myself, not a way of policing others. Perhaps: in front of a friend who has just come to faith, not doing something you think is fine but which would make them stumble; perhaps: before arguing online about something ‘I know I am right about’, first thinking of the people who will read it. Paul’s conclusion for himself is weighty: “if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more.” (1 Cor 8:13)
Chinese families often meet a similar question: may we eat food that has been offered to ancestors or gods? Churches understand this differently; please ask your own church. What this lesson teaches is the road Paul took with this kind of question: first get the facts straight, then consider other people’s consciences, and finally decide in love.
These three steps can be used later when you read about Bible figures and take the Old and New Testament surveys. “Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16)—profitable because it is meant to be lived. This course is ending, but your Bible reading is only beginning. The verse from Lesson 1 can now go with you: “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path” (Ps 119:105).
Read Luke 10:25–37 in your Bible (the parable of the Good Samaritan) and walk through the three steps yourself.
For reference: Step one—the lawyer, “desiring to justify himself” (Luke 10:29), asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29); after telling the parable, Jesus turned the question around: which of these three was a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? Step two—what does not change: not first asking ‘who deserves to be my neighbor?’ but ‘can I be a neighbor to him?’; Jesus’ conclusion is: “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). Step three—write down your own one thing; the more concrete the better.
Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Tim 3:16–17 · WEB
This week choose a passage (you can keep reading Mark) and walk through the three steps each day; for step three, write only one thing you can do today.
Just this one thing. When you do it, tap that day below; if you don’t, that’s all right—try again next week.
Good. Tap each day you do it this week:
Putting down roots is not something you do alone. Find a brother or sister you trust (ideally of the same sex) and talk this question over this week:
Which method from this course do you most want to keep using?