The Eating of Meat Sacrificed to Idols

Text: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Reflection and Question: There is no dilemma about eating meat sacrificed to idols in our church as there was for Paul and the Christians in Corinth. But there is a principle in Paul’s logic that does apply to the problems facing us now: Love is more important than knowledge. For example, I may know something my neighbor does not; if that knowledge hurts my neighbor, then loving silence is God’s preference. We are not to be the cause of our neighbor’s downfall. Loving our neighbor is more important than being right. To what situation in the church can you apply Paul’s teaching now?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, Love Divine, make Paul’s wisdom ours today, we pray. May we lift his truth from the details of first century Corinth and apply them to the details of our faithful Christian lives this day. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This meditation is based on the Daily Lectionary Year 1 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).