Chapter Eight

¹ Chapter Eight. Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. There were among the Corinthians certain perfect ones, who knew that the things which enter do not defile a man, and that the idols are wood and stones and cannot harm; and so without scruple they entered into the idol-temples, and gorged themselves on the things sacrificed to idols. Seeing these, others more imperfect went in also, after them, into the idol-temples, and ate things sacrificed to idols—not with the same mind, but as though the idols were honorable and received sacrifices. This moved Paul to zeal, inasmuch as it harmed both: the perfect, as enjoying demonic tables; and the imperfect, as being thrust toward idolatry. He hastens, then, to correct this; and he addresses his words to the perfect, leaving aside the more imperfect, as is his custom. And first he abates their conceit over knowledge, and says that Not you alone have this, but we all know that there is no idol in the world; only, knowledge not merely profits nothing, but rather even harms, puffing up and swelling the one who has it, and on this account cutting him off from his neighbor member, unless he have love also with him—which love, on the contrary, is able to build up. For whatever knowledge without love pulls down, these things love raises up and builds, doing all things for the neighbor.

² But if anyone thinks he knows something, he has not yet known anything as he ought to know. He says the greater thing here: that even if knowledge be joined with love, not even so is it perfect; for no one knows anything as he ought to know it, even were he Peter, even were he Paul. So why do you exalt yourselves, you who have knowledge without love, when, even had you had it with love, not even so would you know anything perfectly?

³ But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him. What he says is this: If anyone loves his neighbor, he assuredly loves God also. And loving God, he did not say that he knew God, but, “He is known by God”—that is, he is rendered known to him and his own. And having become known to God, he receives knowledge from him, and not even this does he have complete. So that even if you have knowledge, do not be exalted; for neither is it perfect, nor is it your own achievement, but it is a gift of God. See, then, through how many things he abates their conceit.

⁴ Concerning the eating, then, of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no idol in the world, and that there is no other God but one. Again he makes the knowledge common, abating them. For we all, he says, know that there is no idol in the world. Are there, then, no idols? are there no carved images? There are indeed, but it is nothing—that is, it has no power; nor are they gods, but stones and demons. For since among the Greeks there were both the unlearned and the wise—and the unlearned knew nothing more than the stones, while the philosophers supposed divine powers to dwell in them, which they also called gods—to the unlearned he said, “There is no idol in the world”; and to the philosophers, that “There is no other God but one.” So that not even divine powers dwell in the idols; for God is one, and not many.

⁵ For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods, and many lords), yet for us there is one God the Father, from whom are all things, and we to him. Since he had said, “There is no other God,” and many gods were spoken of among the Greeks—lest he should seem to contend with what is manifest—he says that “Even if there are so-called gods,” that is, not being gods in truth, but in word; “whether in heaven,” as the sun and moon and the rest of the stars, which the Greeks deified; “whether on earth,” as those deified by them from among men; “yet for us there is one God the Father, from whom are all things”—which declares him to be the Creator. And the phrase, “And we to him,” declares the principle of our faith and of our being made his own; as if he had said: And we have been turned toward him, and upon him we are made to depend.

⁶ And one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. Through the Son all things were brought into being, and we too were brought through him into being, and into well-being—that is, to become believers, and to pass over from error to the truth. And hearing, “One God the Father,” and, “One Lord Jesus Christ,” do not suppose that “God” is allotted to the Father alone, and “Lord” to the Son. For indistinguishably the Son too is God; as in, Of whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all; and again, the Father is Lord, as in, The Lord said to my Lord. But since his discourse was to Greeks, who professed a multitude of gods and a multitude of lords, on this account he neither called the Son God, lest they should suppose two gods, being accustomed to polytheism; nor the Father Lord, lest they should suppose that among us too there are many lords. And for this same cause he made no mention here of the Spirit, sparing the weakness of his hearers; just as the prophets too do not clearly make mention of the Son, on account of the Jews, lest they should suppose the begetting to be subject to passion; wherefore he continually sets down “One,” saying that “There is no God but one”; and, “One God”; and, “One Lord.” And so it was by way of contrast with the falsely-named gods, and not with the Son, that he called the Father one God; and by way of contrast with the falsely-named lords, but not with the Father, that he called the Son one Lord.

⁷ But not in all is there knowledge. Not all, he says, know that there is one God, and not many, or that the idols are nothing.

⁸ But some, with conscience of the idol until now, eat it as a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. “Some,” he said, indefinitely, not wishing to expose them publicly. For there were many who had come to the faith from idolatry, who until now—that is, even after believing—eat the things sacrificed to idols, as things sacrificed to idols. For “with conscience,” he says, “of the idol”—that is, having the same mind concerning the idols, and supposing them to be something, and dreading them as able to harm. Wherefore he did not say that they defile those things, but, “Their conscience is defiled,” as being weak and unable to perceive that they are nothing; since those things in themselves cannot defile anyone. Understand, then, that those people suffer something like this: as if someone, after the Jewish custom, supposing the touching of a corpse to be a defilement, then seeing others touch with a clean conscience, should touch it himself also, out of shame before these, but be defiled in conscience, as being in doubt.

⁹ But food does not commend us to God. Lest they should say, I eat with a clean conscience, and I care not if anyone through weakness is scandalized—he shows that even the eating itself, wholly out of contempt for the idols, is nothing. For even if the brother were not harmed, not even so would you be doing anything praiseworthy and pleasing to God. For food does not make us God’s own.

¹⁰ For neither if we eat do we abound, nor if we eat not are we in want. That is, Neither if we eat do we have anything more, and stand in good repute with God; nor if we eat not are we in want and diminished.

¹¹ But take heed lest this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to the weak among the brethren. Through this he strikes fear into them. And he did not say, Your knowledge, but, “Your liberty.” That is, lest your rashness and arrogance become a stumbling-block to the weak; which is a greater accusation of them, that they do not even spare the weak, to whom they ought rather to have stretched out a hand.

¹² For if anyone see you who have knowledge reclining at table in an idol-temple, will not his conscience, since he is weak, be built up to eat the things sacrificed to idols? That is, If a weak person see you—the one who, as you say, are perfect—tasting the things sacrificed to idols, will he not take all the greater occasion himself also to eat the things sacrificed to idols, and be the more confirmed (for this is the meaning of “be built up”) in supposing the idols to be something? For being ignorant of the reasoning with which you do this, he will assuredly reckon it an encouragement.

¹³ And the weak brother, for whom Christ died, will perish through your knowledge. And your perfection will become an occasion of destruction to another—and that, to one who is weak; and that, to one for whom Christ died. And Christ did not even decline to die for him; but you will not even abstain from foods, that he be not scandalized? And Chrysostom reads, “Through your knowledge.”

¹⁴ And thus sinning against the brethren, and striking their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. He did not say, Scandalizing, but, “Striking”; so as to display the cruelty, when they strike even the weak conscience. And he carried the sin up to the very summit of transgression, saying, “You sin against Christ.” But how is the sin referred to Christ? In many ways: both because he makes his servants’ affairs his own, and because those who are struck are his body and members, and because the things which he built up by his own slaying—that is, salvation—these they pull down.

¹⁵ Wherefore if food scandalizes my brother, I will eat no flesh forever, lest I scandalize my brother. As an excellent teacher, he establishes through himself the things he says. And he did not say, If it scandalize justly, but, In any way whatever. And he did not say, I will not eat a thing sacrificed to an idol, but, “Flesh” simply, even though it be permitted; and not for one or two days, but for all the time of my life; for this is what “forever” declares. And he did not say, Lest I destroy, but, “Lest” simply “I scandalize.”