Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | April 28, 2020

“Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.” 

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 8.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians+8&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge.  Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.  If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;  but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.  …

However not all men have this knowledge;  but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol;  and their conscience being weak is defiled.  But food will not commend us to God;  we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.  But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.  For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?  For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.  And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.  Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.”  1 Corinthians 8:1-4 and 7-13.

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Like today’s Scripture, the following Scripture warns us to not use our liberty so as to put a stumbling block in our brother’s way.

“Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.  I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself;  but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.  For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love.  Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.  Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;  for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.  So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.  Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food.  All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.  It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.”  Romans 14:13-21.

“…  Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.”  Verse 1.

“If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge;  and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”  1 Corinthians 13:2.

“So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”  Romans 14:19.


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