This 4th of July, the day we celebrate our country’s independence I decided to explore the meaning of freedom in the Christian sense. For our purpose we will look at 1 Corinthians 8 as the text for our definition of Christian freedom.
Paul in this text addresses the second issue raised by the Corinthians in their letter to him, the issue of eating sacrificial food at the cultic meals in the pagan temples. Eating cultic meals was a regular part of worship in those days. The gods were thought to be present at the meal since the meals were held in their honor and sacrifices were made to them. These meals also had a social dimension in the sense that this was the basic “restaurant” in the antiquity, and every kind of occasion was celebrated in this manner. For the most part the gentiles who had become believers in Corinth had attended such meals all their lives. The problem then was that after their conversion to Christianity and most likely after the departure of Paul, some of them returned to the practice of attending the cultic meals. The common Corinthian slogan was “we all possess knowledge.” Therefore, they argued on the basis of the knowledge that they possessed that since idols are nothing and that there is only one God that it is o.k. to eat sacrificial food at the cultic meals. Therefore, attending pagan temples and eating food sacrificed to idols had no consequence what so ever, since they were eating with friends and not worshipping what did not exist.
Apostle Paul agrees with the Corinthian Christians who claimed to have knowledge that idols are nothing, but he disagrees with them on the basis on which their Christian actions were formed. They as Christians were not to act on the basis of superior knowledge, but on the basis of “Love.” Therefore he says, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (1).” The Corinthians used to believe that by following conduct based on knowledge believers would be built up. Apostle Paul turns all this on them. He says that not only does that knowledge not build up, but it “puffs up” or makes an individual proud, and often forms the basis of communal disharmony. Not only that, Paul also says, “One who claims to know does not yet have the necessary knowledge (2).” Earthly knowledge is at best partial. True knowledge does not puff you up or make you proud. It, in fact, humbles you by making you realize how little you know. Only love that seeks interests of others can build up a community. Therefore, according to Paul, love and not knowledge ought to be the basis for Christian action.
Paul here calls Corinthians to love their weaker brother/ sister who does not share their knowledge but needs understanding and building up in Christ. In verse 5 Paul acknowledges that there may be demonic powers behind the idols that are referred to as the “so-called gods” worshipped by pagans. These weaker brothers and sisters, whose conscience is weak, for whom these so-called gods once were a reality when they were pagans, would end up entering into that dark world again because of the examples of those Christians who claim to possess knowledge. In essence their knowledge-based action would lead to the falling of the weaker Christian brothers and sisters. Therefore Paul says, “Therefore if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat again… (13).” Allow me to give a contemporary example of this ancient Christian problem. In our time many Christians think it is o.k. to drink a beer or two once in a while. But, according to Paul, if this freedom to drink leads their weaker brother or sister who witnesses them drinking and who once had an alcohol problem to fall off the wagon it is best not to drink at all.
This is the essence of Christian freedom, a freedom guided by love and concern for others as opposed to knowledge of one’s rights and privileges. Reformer Martin Luther said freedom in Christ makes ‘a Christian man the most free lord of all, subject to none but at the same time the most dutiful servant of all, subject to all.’ Christian freedom is not a freedom to do what we please but is a freedom to do what builds others up in the sight of God. We call our nation “a nation under God” and we say that we are a Christian nation, but the question is, “Is our sense of freedom based on love or just on individual right?” Let us ponder!
May God bless America
