Benny Nalkara, CMI

Paul’s teaching on eating meat offered to idols in the First Letter to the Corinthians (8:11-11:1) has been a bone of contention from the first century itself and it continues to be so in the contemporary world also. Jerusalem Council had given certain norms and prohibitions regarding the eating of the meat offered to idols (Acts 15:29; 21:25). But Paul didn’t give any very strong opinions on this issue. For Paul unity and charity were more important than purity in the Christian community.
In Corinth, a fair portion of the meat available for sale came from the sacrifices at some temple or other. Meat from sacrificial animals was doled out at free public dinners, private dinners in dining rooms in temple precincts, and at private homes. It was a custom among the Gentiles to make feasts on their sacrifices, and not only to eat themselves, but invite their friends to partake with them. When the Jew- Gentile Christian table-fellowships were taking place, the eating of “the unclean” food created disturbance among the faithful. It was in this context, Paul gave the teaching on eating and idolatry.
Paul begins the section with the general principle about knowledge and love (1 Cor 8:1-3). Knowledge is not to be presumed as the best thing. Only love can bring about spiritual growth. He treats the entire issue related to food offered to idols based on this principle. He observes that there is a need of consideration for the others. The consciousness of intellectual superiority is a dangerous thing. Our conduct should always be guided not by the thought of our own superior knowledge, but by sympathetic and considerate love for our fellow man. And it may well be that for his sake we must refrain from doing and saying certain otherwise legitimate things. This principle is what we follow in the case of eating meat offered to idols.
Paul was clear that a Christian could not and should not take part in any ceremony honouring the false god (1 Cor 10:14-22). According to Paul, for those who believe in One and Only God, there is no notion of idols (8:4). For those who possess this knowledge, there is no chance of an inner struggle on the issue of food offered to the idols. Beyond that, food is food and it is not actually tainted by having been sacrificed to an idol at some point in the past (1 Cor 8:8-9; 10:23-30). Paul’s advice is that a Christian can buy anything that is sold in the shops and ask no questions. If the Christian accepts an invitation to dinner in the house of a pagan, let him eat what is put before him and ask no questions. But at the same time one should always refrain from giving scandals to those who are “weak” in faith. Even though eating meat sacrificed to idols isn’t in itself a problem for those who don’t see it as worship, it could be a problem for other Christians, the ones Paul describes as “weak.” It’s not because the power of sacrifice to the idols that can make the meat profane or unclean but the conscience of a weak person should not be badly influenced. He sees the danger of those who were following the pagan practices continuing the same if there is no alertness from the part of a “strong” believer. According to him, their conscience is weak and can be easily influenced.
Paul clearly state that food is not taking us close to God. There is no any special advantage in fasting or in feasting. Only in the context of giving scandal to the brethren, one should take care. For him, it’s not the purity of food but the purity of conscience is the most important thing. There is a need of restricting one’s own personal freedom for the sake of others. What Paul highlights here is to exercise the freedom to love our neighbour and keep the community whole. Paul’s main concern was the welfare of the brethren and anything that threatens this ideal was considered by him as something to be avoided. More than the question of purity, he emphasized charity and unity in Christian living.
Over emphasis on ritualism and purity should not be the reasons for our Christian religious existence, rather it should be the question of charity. Approaches and stance on food are to be taken not based on the purity laws but based on the possibility of promoting charity. Our actions can never be based only on what we know to be right for ourselves. We also need to consider what is right towards our brothers and sisters in Jesus.