1 Corinthians 8:1-6 Don’t Be Puffed Up
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: February 20, 2020 1 Corinthians 8:1-6
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
(Understanding the Text) Now, Paul switches topics to a answer a question about whether to eat meat offered to idols. I think in the end his answer is maybe. He has two basic arguments. One is that idols are just meaningless pieces of artwork made by humans, so offering meat to one does not affect the meat. It’s okay to eat it because there is nothing supernatural affecting it or the person eating it. On the other hand, he says that people who used to be involved in worshiping idols may still have a remnant of belief in that idol as a god. Thus, that person should not eat meat offered to idols because in eating it, that person feels that he is worshipping the idol. That would be wrong. In the end, Paul says that even though you can, it would be better not to eat meat offered to idols because not everyone is free to do it, and it could hurt them.
(Revelation of God / Application) Paul prefaces his logic with the idea that we all think that we know best, but if our knowledge of what is best puffs up our own egos and does not build others up in love, then it is not knowledge from God. Knowledge is only as important as the amount of love that is paired with it. If you have knowledge without love, your knowledge is worthless. The love of God is true wisdom and knowledge paired with it can be amazing, but knowledge by itself, no matter how true, leads to death when it makes us prideful of ourselves and condemning of others. The reason Paul brings this out is that he is going to go on to say that he agrees with the people who say that it is okay to eat meat offered to idols intellectually, but that they are wrong because there are others who would be hurt by their behavior if they follow through. The principle of loving our brothers must always rise above our own correct knowledge. For example, I believe that drums in music are usually fine and that my friend did not have to give up his drums in order to follow Jesus. Jesus never required that of him, yet in his mind, it was necessary. Out of love for him and his needs, I need to keep my mouth shut about my opinion of drums in music.
(Revelation of God) “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. “ Paul makes a profound statement here that I have a hard time seeing the depths of, i.e. I know there is treasure here, but I can’t seem to see it clearly. We have our existence through our original creation and through our new creation. The Father is the source of our life from its first conception and through every breath we take. Jesus also is the source of our life from its first conception and through every breath we take. The Father is our God. Jesus is our Lord. They are both divine, yet they have different positions in our lives. Jesus is the representative of humankind; thus, He is the King of all the earth. He is our Lord in a special sense. The Father is our God as He is God of all created beings, but He is not the special representative of the human race. According to Guzik’s commentary, this was an affirmation of Jesus as Yahweh. “Paul isn’t distinguishing Jesus from God, as if Jesus were not God. When Paul calls Jesus Lord, he uses the Greek word kurios, and this word would have meant something to Bible reading people in Paul’s day. i. Leon Morris on Lord: ‘This term could be no more than a polite form of address like our ‘Sir.’ But it could also be used of the deity one worships. The really significant background, though, is its use in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to render the divine name, Yahweh. . . . Christians who used this as their Bible would be familiar with the term as equivalent to deity.’ ii. Certainly, no one can say through whom are all things, and through whom we live of anyone else than God!”
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I need to beware of my pride in my intelligence. If my ability to understand and acquire knowledge puffs me up so that I look down on fellow Christians, I am in the wrong. My knowledge is only as good as the love that I pair it with. I need to look on my brothers and sisters -in-Christ with love and respect at all times, not feeling superior because of my intelligence. Help me to love people because I am terrible at it.