Scripture Reading : 1 Corinthians 8
Theme : Christian Liberty
Continuing his answers to the Corinthians, underlying the question on food offered to idols is the wider issue of “Christian liberty”. In this passage, Paul gave the first principle in enjoying our Christian liberty with respect to other believers: knowledge must be balanced by love.
- Knowledge (8:1-2). Knowledge can be a weapon to fight with or a tool to build up, depending on how it is used. The strong believers in the church had knowledge that idols could not contaminate food, but they were not using their knowledge in love. Instead of building up the weak saints, the strong Christians were only puffing up themselves.
- Love (8:3-6). Paul’s great concern was that the strong saints help the weaker saints to grow and to stop being weak saints. It is here that love enters the picture, for “love builds up” and put others first. When spiritual knowledge is used in love, the stronger Christian can take the hand of the weaker Christian and help him enjoy his freedom in Christ. Knowledge must be balanced by love if we are to use our Christian freedom in the right way.
- Conscience (8:7-13). Conscience is the internal court where our actions are judged and are either approved or condemned (Rom. 2:14-15). Conscience is not the law, but conscience depends on knowledge. The conscience of a weak Christian is easily defiled (v.7), wounded (v.12) and offended (v.13) because they lack knowledge. For this reason, the stronger saints must defer to the weaker saints and do nothing that would tempt them (v.11) and to help him mature.
Praying the Scripture
- A know-it-all attitude is only an evidence of ignorance. The person who really knows truth is only too conscious of how much he does not know. Furthermore, it is one thing to know doctrine and quite something else to know God. It is possible to grow in bible knowledge and yet not grow in grace or in one’s personal relationship with God. The test is love. Are we loving our brothers and sisters and seek to edify them, or are we puffed up by spiritual pride with our knowledge?
- “We love because He first loved us. If anyone says ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:19-20) Jesus commands us that we love one another in order to testify that we are from God. Love builds up and put others first. Let’s pray that we will love one another in our church just as Christ loves us and gave Himself up for us.
- We are free in Christ, but we must take care that our spiritual knowledge is tempered by love and that we do not tempt the weaker Christian to run ahead of his conscience. Let us be sensitive to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ and seek to help them grow, for he or she is a brother for whom Christ redeemed by His precious blood.
经文：哥林多前书8
主题：信徒的自由
保罗继续回答哥林多教会的疑问。这里，吃祭偶像之物的根本问题是对“信徒自由”的了解。保罗在这段经文中给予享受信徒自由的第一原则，即与其他信徒有关：知识要与爱平衡。
- 知识（8:1-2）。知识能作攻打的武器，也可以是建立他人的工具。教会里成熟的信徒知道偶像不能玷污事物，但他们不在爱中使用这知识。他们不建立软弱的弟兄，反倒自高自大。
- 爱心（8:3-6）。保罗最大的关注是成熟的圣徒要帮助软弱的圣徒成长，从不成熟中长大。爱就在此上演， 因为“爱心能造就人”，视他人为先。当属灵知识是在爱中运用的，较强的基督徒能牵着较弱的信徒，助他享受自己在基督里的自由。我们若要以正确方式使用我们在基督里的自由，就当平衡爱与知识。
- 良知（8:7-13）。良知是内在的法庭，判决我们的行为是正确与否（罗2:14-15）。良知并不是法律，乃靠知识而生。软弱信徒的良知容易受到污秽（7节）、伤害（12节）与干犯（13节），因为他们缺少知识。由此，灵性较强的圣徒必须以软弱的圣徒为先，不要做出会试探他们的事（11节），并帮助他们成长。
用经文祷告
- 以为自己知道什么的态度仅是无知的凭据。真正晓得真理的人倒知道他缺乏的知识甚多。更何况，教义知识与认识神是两码事。我们可以在圣经的知识中有长进，却不在恩惠及与神的个人关系中成长。其中的考验就是爱；我们是否爱弟兄姐妹，寻求造就他们，还是因自己有的知识在灵性的骄傲中自高自大呢？
- “我们爱，因为神先爱我们。人若说‘我爱神’，却恨他的弟兄，就是说谎话的；不爱他所看见的弟兄，就不能爱没有看见的神”（约一4:19-20）。神命令我们要爱彼此，以见证我们是从神来的。爱造就人，以他人为先。让我们祷告我们会在教会中彼此相爱，就如基督爱我们，甚至为我们舍命。
- 我们在基督里是自由的，但我们要注意自己的属灵知识是在爱中运用的，不要试探我们软弱的弟兄，不顾他的良知。让我们对主内弟兄姐妹们的需要敏感，因为他也是基督用自己的宝血救赎的。
