Knowledge Leads to Love

As I continue to study the word “knowledge” this morning I was led to 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and eating the food offered to idols. At first I ask, how does this contribute to knowledge, until I read the passage and draw on what I already have learned.

“¹⁰For 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? – 1 Corinthians 8:10 (ESV)

In this verse we see that having knowledge of something that is controversial means that we have a responsibility to not influence one way or the other.

“⁸Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.” – 1 Corinthians 8:8 (ESV)

As a Christian, eating food does not make us any better or worse, just like having more expensive possessions, or having attended a popular university, or working for a specific company. We are here to honor and glorify God and that is our purpose. We have a responsibility to guide others to their relationship with God, and as such we should not be doing anything to cause others to stumble. The eating of food offered to idols could cause someone take action that they do not fully understand, like that described in verse 8.

“¹¹And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. ¹²Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” – 1 Corinthians 8:11-13 (ESV)

I am not to do anything that causes someone to stumble. I have to understand that I am responsible for sharing the glory of God and with that I have a responsibility to love others and ensure that they are give every opportunity to develop and cultivate a relationship with Him that is pure and built on love.

“¹Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’ This ‘knowledge’ puffs us, but love builds up.” – 1 Corinthians 8:1 (ESV)

We are to have knowledge, but be careful with that knowledge that it does not define us. We should be defined by love and with the knowledge of what our purpose is and how to act, we are driven to share our love with others and that can be as simple as abstaining from something that could cause another to stumble in their relationship with Christ. Our knowledge leads to love of Christ and our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as those in the world that are seeking Him.

Are there things in your life that could cause others to question or stumble in their relationship with Christ? Are you possibly contributing to someone’s stumbling, even inadvertently? What if you used your knowledge to love and build up others by abstaining from things that could cause them to stumble?