Well Why Not?

I Corinthians 10:25-31


Almost all the grocery stores in north western New Mexico sell alcohol. About the only ones that do not are located on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The closest is about 25 miles away. It doesn’t have a great variety, and is quite expensive compared to stores in Farmington.

I can choose to drive the extra distance, pay the extra price, and do without what they don’t have, or I can shop in stores that sell liquor. By law, the liquor is separated in a special section. When I go into Walmart, no one assumes I am there to buy liquor. If they see me in the liquor section, however, they might since nothing else is sold in that section, and there is no need to pass through it to reach another area. Maintaining my testimony is simply a matter of staying out of the alcohol section.

In Corinth, the market was much like modern flea markets, and Paul refers to it as the shambles. All the animals were slaughtered and brought to the market. Which ones had been offered as sacrifices was not specified. People went to buy there food. They were not concerned about that. It was just a piece of meat. It was in that setting that Paul makes the following comments.

“Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. “ (I Corinthians 10:25-27)

Just as no one assumes I am buying liquor when I go into Walmart, no one would assume that a person buying in the shambles was worshipping idols, unless they make a point of asking. Since the idol really isn’t a god, and God created the animal, there is no reason not to eat it. Don’t make an issue of the matter. The same is true when you go to someone’s house. Just go ahead and eat.

If some one else brings up the issue, however, you need to handle it a different way. Obviously, he is concerned about the matter or he would not bring it up. He has not matured to the point of understanding that what he eats has nothing to do with his Christianity. As Romans 14 tells us, he is spiritually weak..

“But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Corinthians 10:28-30)

You know that there is nothing wrong with eating the food. The weak brother doesn’t. He believes that to eat it in some way worships the idol, though id doesn’t. As the stronger Christian, you should not do anything that might cause him to sin. Because you are strong, it will not hurt your faith to yield in this matter, and you will protect his conscience. To go ahead and eat might destroy your testimony to him.

Romans 14 tells us not to judge him. It also says he ought not to judge either. He may judge, because he is weak, and that is wrong. By not eating, perhaps you can prevent his doing so. He will glorify God because you didn’t, and you can glorify God that you were able to prevent his sin.