1 Corinthians 8:7 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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1 Corinthians 8:7

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In verse 1 of this chapter, Paul had indicated in outline what his solution to this question would be: knowledge is important, but knowledge without love is not sufficient. Now he has elaborated on the question in verse 4 to 6, and again in verse 7 considers again how charity should behave in this situation. This teaching is so important and so clear. What charity must take into consideration is the conscience of the other believer.‘Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour.’ What about this over-scrupulous young Christian, who is still over-worried about eating meat which may just possibly have been offered to an idle? What is the first thing we should do? Try and persuade him to change his mind, and to realise that this doesn’t matter? Well, that may be a good thing to do. But the key thing is: don’t hurt his conscience. Ah, but his conscience is overreacting; his conscience is working too hard. But don’t hurt it.So important is the conscience that it must never simply be overruled. Just as knowledge varies from one Christian to another, so the conscience may be better or worse informed. The knowledge that we have feeds into the conscience and its judgments on our conduct. As we grow in the faith, we may learn that things we thought were wrong, are in fact not wrong. (Of course, the reverse can also happen.) Were we right to judge ourselves in the past when our knowledge was less advanced? Yes we were, for the conscience must judge according to what it knows. God gives time for his children to make progress, but it is vital that we live according to the current level of knowledge we have and are true to it. The conscience is like a compass in the ship. It may be not pointing in quite the right direction because of some magnetic interference, but it must not be damaged or thrown out. Once the ship is clear of that interference it will start to point in the right direction again. The conscience needs to be instructed in what is right and what is wrong, but it may take time for that instruction to have its effect. The weak must continue to act according to their conscience, because if it is overridden, it will be as if a vital piece of the equipment of the soul has been broken. If so, then when knowledge increases, it will do no good. The inner integrity and sincerity before the Lord has been fractured; the desire to please the Lord has been set aside. It does not even matter if the encouragement to override conscience came from those who are true believers; it does not help that the strong were in fact correct when they urged the weak to do what their consciences said was wrong..

Application

You go on as a Christian; the years pass. You learn much. We become a little heady and experienced, and we think we know so much and we are getting on so well. It may be that conscience is being overwritten. It used to move us a great deal; it used to stir us when we were about to sin; it used to make us feel ashamed; it used to operate wonderfully, not only in reminding us of our sin, but in reminding us of our duties. There was a time, perhaps, when we would see a Christian in need and we would realise we ought to be offering some help, getting alongside, making a visit, writing a letter. We felt badly if we didn’t do that. Conscience not only stirred us over our sin, but it also reminded us of our duties and kept us on our toes. But we left it behind. We have nudged it away, ‘O, I haven’t time for that. O this time I am going to do this thing regardless.’ We play fast and loose with conscience and brush it aside. What a disaster! Conscience is vital within the Christian. It is a precious thing. ‘So,’ the apostle Paul says, ‘it is so important that even if that young believer is a bit over-scrupulous, don’t disturb the conscience, because it is one of the most important faculties he will have to the rest of his Christian life.

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1 Corinthians 8:7 Commentary and Bible Study