1 Corinthians 8:1-13

During the reign of the Roman Empire, it was common to offer sacrifices of animals & food to idols. These sacrifices were then sold in markets. According to Jewish law, a Jew was forbidden to eat such food. However, as the Christian church spread, newly converted Jews were going into the homes of non-Jewish believers, and gentiles (non-Jewish people) in order to share the Good News. The churches were also filling up with non-Jewish believers. This lead to some problems because gentiles did not follow Jewish law.

Some people were offended by the eating of this food because of where it came from. Paul is offering two forms of advice here:

1. There is nothing wrong with this food. There is no such thing as an idol. They only exist in the minds of men. Therefore, the food is not tainted & you are not acknowledging an idol by buying this food in the market to feed your family.

2. However, not all Christians are knowledgeable or strong enough in there faith to understand this concept. To them, this food is forbidden & it would be a sin to eat it. SO - don't eat it in front of them or ask them to eat it with you. Don't shame them for their believe. It goes back to the golden rule: think of others first & treat them the way you want to be treated. You don't want to be shamed for your believes, so don't shame others for theirs.

This is what I call a grey area. It isn't a question of heaven or hell. Your believe one way or another won't destroy your salvation. It is a matter of opinion. You may have your opinion & I may have mine. There is no need to fight, persuade, or harass each other regarding grey areas. Let each person come to an understanding with God on these issues. Answer their questions and share your faith, but ultimately, it comes down to how the person relates with God. If doing something causes them to feel guilt, then they should not do it. The same goes for you. If you do feel guilty about something, go to God in prayer & ask for help in dealing with the issue.

Now, this doesn't mean you can just make up your mind to do things that will cause you to fall away from your faith. Just a chapter or two ago, Paul was told the church to confront one another on matters of sexual immorality. It is very important that you understand the difference between heaven & hell issues and the grey areas. Spend time in prayer & ask your church leaders to help you understand the difference. And read your Bible!! Everything you need to know is found in those Scriptures.