Paul, like Jesus, had the knack of turning questions round and getting people to focus on the real issue. They has asked him about whether or not it was right to eat the food that had been offered to idols. The way things walked then was that meat offered to idols would later be sold in the market place. So the question was whether or not it was OK to eat the stuff. Some said it was because it was just meat, and idols were nothing anyway. Others said it was contaminated by its association with idol worship. You can imagine both sides getting very puffed up about how right they were. The one group about how wise they were in seeing the truth, the other about how dedicated to the Lord they were.
Paul saw right through this. Knowledge puffs up, but love and wisdom build up. Our first thought should be to think of others. If our eating meat is going to cause difficulties for someone else, then be inclined not to do it.
Conscience is also very important. It is dangerous to force someone to go against their conscience, even if their conscience is misguided or immature.
Now eating food offered to idols is not an issue for us today, but we need to be aware that we can fall into the same traps. I actually think the danger we tend to fall into is in getting all het up about things that really do not matter.
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