'There is only one true God, and eating idol meat did not make any real difference'
JOE MILLER JR.

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

What in the world is idol meat and what does it have to do with us? This is an important scripture because it reminds of how different the culture was when Paul was an active apostle.

So often we try to lift scripture out of context and apply it to our time and culture without much thought of the differences 2000 years can make, but we cannot possibly ignore the differences this time. We have to invest a little time in trying to understand his culture and what was going on.

You know that the Jewish people offered animal sacrifices to God in the temple in Jerusalem. The pagan (Greco-Roman) culture surrounding the new church in Corinth celebrated sacrifices in a somewhat similar fashion. Sacrifices were made to the so-called gods of the day, and the meat was eaten by people in an adjoining "restaurant" or sold in the marketplace.

If one ate meat (only the wealthy could regularly afford it) it was likely from an animal that was sacrificed on a pagan altar in one of the temples in Corinth. These "restaurants" hosted birthday parties and weddings for the wealthy, and they were utilized as part of the worship experiences for the populace. When people were eating in the temple restaurant, they were eating with the gods/idol of a given temple.

Some members of the Corinthian church were continuing their old habits of eating in the temple restaurants, and they argued in a letter that they wrote to Paul that this was okay, because they knew that these gods and/or idols were not real. There is only one true God, and eating idol meat did not make any real difference.

Paul agreed with their "knowledge", but he noted that others of the congregation did not have this knowledge, and they were being destroyed by their examples. Christian behavior is not defined by knowledge but by love.

We know that; so what can we learn from this scripture? When we talk about love, we have been conditioned by our culture to think of something that we feel or something that happens to us. When we say that we love someone, whether it is brotherly love or romantic love, we generally are talking about how we feel about a person.

That is not what Paul is talking about. He is talking about a love that defines our actions and their impact on others. Even though there is nothing really wrong with idol meat, he says that "if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall."

Today, what defines Christians from non- Christians? One thing is going to church. Christ instituted the church, and the Holy Spirit constitutes the church. When we Christians miss church on Sunday, we may not hurt ourselves, but there are others watching us.

When we miss how does that impact our brothers and sisters who are in church? How about our friends who are not Christians? Church must not be very important if they see that you do not go. Remember, we are all within the body of Christ. Your presence is important… not just for you, but for me! Email me at newtonumc@valornet.com with your thoughts.

Joe Miller Jr. is pastor of First United Methodist Church in Newton.