Commentary on 1 Corinthians 8.1–9.26

“Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge.” Now he is going to speak about knowledge; what the knowledge is he does not say at once, but shows in what follows, saying that an idol is nothing. “Knowledge puffs up.” It is plain that one who has knowledge glories in this very thing, if not outwardly, then within himself, because he is wise. For this is the way of one who knows, to glory in himself; so it puffs up. “But love builds up.” So knowledge is great and useful to itself when it is humbled by love, so that it may grow further. For it is tempered by love, so as not to be too undiluted and make the knower drunk, so that he exalts himself. For as wine not tempered by a mixture of water unsettles the mind, so knowledge too makes one proud unless it is tempered. For all things alone are unpleasant and harmful; for neither is bread eaten well alone, nor are other foods pleasing without mixing, but harmful; therefore love builds up. Love itself, though it is called by one name, consists of many things; for it cannot exist without patience, nor without humility, nor without simplicity of heart. These, then, were puffed up through the knowledge that an idol is nothing, who, to the hurt of the salvation of unskilled brothers, ate the meat of sacrifices, knowing that it is lawful to eat meat, and that, since an idol is nothing, the eater is not defiled. These were a stumbling block to the brothers, not having love before their eyes; for it was better to forgo meat than to cause the brothers to stumble. For their knowledge destroyed the minds of unskilled brothers, who thought there was some grace there at the idol, when they saw more knowledgeable brothers present there and not shrinking from it. Therefore he says, “Love builds up”, so that, caring for the salvation of the brothers, they might not use the rights of knowledge there, lest they cause them to stumble. “But if anyone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.” He shows that those very people who glory in knowledge have not known as one ought to know. For while they do not pursue love, which is the mother of all good things, they do not know as they ought. So for knowledge to bear fruit it must subject itself to love.

“But if anyone loves God, he is known by him.” The one who loves God is the one who moderates his knowledge for the sake of love, so as to benefit his brother, for whom Christ died. “Concerning, then, the foods of things sacrificed to images.” Now he treats the matter itself, so as to show by reason that knowledge, when love is scorned, is not only of no benefit but even harmful. “We know that an image is nothing, and that there is no God but one.” It is true; for among Christians there is one God.

“Although there are those who are called gods and lords, whether in heaven or on earth.” For by the pagans the sun and moon and the other stars are called heavenly gods; on earth they call Apollo, Aesculapius, Hercules, Minerva gods and lords. “Yet for us there is one God the Father, from whom are all things, and we in him.” For all things, wherever they are, are from him. But when he says “and we in him”, he distinguished us from the rest, who, though they are from him, are not in him, as long as they do not yet believe. “And one Lord Jesus, through whom are all things, and we through him.” For all things are from the Father, but were created through the Son. But when he says “and we through him”, he means that we have been re-formed in the knowledge of God through him through whom we had been created; for, having been made through him with the rest, after the stupor of mind and of ignorance we came to know through him the mystery of the one God. He spoke, then, of one God the Father and one Lord Jesus his Son; so that, since God cannot fail to be Lord, likewise the Lord also might be understood to be God; he showed that God and Lord are one, preserving the mode of the one principle.

“But knowledge is not in everyone.” That is, not all believers know the mystery of the one God; so some of those who believe think there is some divine power in images. “For some, with consciousness of the idol until now, eat it as sacrificed to an image.” For some of the people still ate of the sacrifices with veneration for the image, as if there were some divinity there. “And their conscience, being weak, is defiled.” The conscience is stained if it is weak concerning God.

“But food does not commend us to God.” It is true, since we will not please God just because we eat everything, nor offend him if we scorn some things. “For neither if we eat shall we abound, nor if we do not eat shall we lack.” For if the food of sacrifices is scorned, there will surely be no lack of something to eat; but if it is taken, there will be no abundance such that nothing else is needed; and therefore it is to be rejected, since one does not live without other food, and it is a stumbling block to the brothers.

“But see that your liberty does not perhaps become an offence to the weak.” That is, lest, because you say it is lawful for you to eat meat from a sacrifice, since you know an idol is nothing, you give rise to offence for brothers who do not yet know that an idol is nothing.

“For if anyone sees one who has knowledge reclining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, being weak, be built up to eat of things offered to images?” He said this because someone who sees a knowledgeable brother, invited to an idol's temple, reclining and eating the meat of sacrifices, thinks there is some grace there, and he too begins to eat the meat of sacrifices, not with the conscience with which the other, because of his knowledge, knows that an idol is nothing, but with that by which he thinks there is a divine power there, since he sees the knowledgeable brother eating there and not shrinking from it. “And will the weak brother perish by your knowledge, the brother for whom Christ died?” The weak man will perish if he eats of the sacrifices against faith in the one God; and these are, as it were, the words of one who is angry and shows what evil knowledge can produce if it is not tempered by love. “By your knowledge”: that is, your expertise kills him, when he sees done by you what he understands otherwise. And you will be the occasion of death to the brother whom Christ, to redeem him, allowed himself to be crucified. And therefore he teaches that one must sometimes set knowledge aside for the sake of love; for without doubt the salvation of a brother is worth more than food; for it is lawful indeed, but not expedient. This will be to have known as one ought to know.

“But sinning thus against the brothers and striking their weak conscience, you sin in Christ.” For when they do not strive after the love by which Christ freed us, they sin in Christ, not against Christ; for to sin against Christ is to deny Christ, but to sin in Christ is to sin in the things that are Christ's. Just as one who is under the law is said to sin in the law, so those who are under Christ are said to sin in Christ.

“Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” He teaches that love must be pursued so far that lawful things are counted as unlawful, so as not to harm a brother. For how great an evil it is not to transgress through unlawful things, and to give offence through things that are permitted; so that the law is kept in unlawful things and not observed in lawful ones, when they are eaten thoughtlessly! For the law permitted what it allowed in such a way that there is still a measure they must keep. It is certainly lawful to have a wife, but if she has committed fornication, she must be cast off; so too it is lawful to eat meat, but if it has been offered to idols, it must be rejected.

“Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” While he seems to deny, he affirms; for he speaks in anger. For he proves he is an apostle because he was sent to the gentiles, the Lord saying to him: “I will send you to the gentiles” (Acts 22:21). He shows he is free because he coveted nothing of anyone, nor taught with flattery. And he saw Jesus our Lord while he was praying in the temple at Jerusalem (Acts 22:18). “Are you not my work in the Lord?” They are his work because he himself planted them in the Lord, preaching the word of God to them for a year and six months.

“If I am not an apostle to others, yet I am to you”; for by the Jews who believed and nevertheless kept the law he was denied to be an apostle. For he was already teaching that one ought not to be circumcised nor keep the sabbath; and since the other apostles, because of offence, avoided this matter, he seemed to teach differently; therefore he was denied to be an apostle by these; for he was an apostle to those who had seen in him the marks of power. “For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord”; for by his preaching they were converted from idols to faith in the one God.

“My defence to those who question me is this.” Now he begins to plead the case which he set out above, saying: “All things are lawful for me, but I will be brought under no one's power. Food for the belly and the belly for food” (1 Cor 6:12–13). So he begins this case, saying: “My defence to those who question me is this.” And what it is he added, saying:

“Have we not the power to eat and drink?” This is what he had said: “All things are lawful for me.” “Have we not the power to take a woman about with us, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” He added “and Cephas” because, though he was first among the apostles, he did not refuse the support offered. Cephas is Simon Peter himself. For women, out of desire for the Lord's teaching and eager for virtues, followed the apostles, ministering to them both support and services, as they also followed the Saviour, ministering to him from their means.

“Or do only I and Barnabas not have the power to do this?” That is, we have the power to do it, but we do not wish to. He says “to do” instead of “to receive”, to speak more honourably. And to confirm this, he adds examples, saying:

“Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who shepherds a flock of sheep and does not receive of its milk? Do I say these things according to man?” That is, do I follow a human opinion? “Does not the law say the same?” He shows that the testimonies mentioned above agree with the divine teachings, so as to show that he refuses, certainly not without reason, to accept support from them, since by so many examples he shows that it is to be both given and received.

“For it is written in the law (Deut 25:4): You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the grain. Is God concerned about oxen?” Let us settle this in a few words for the time being; for it is written in the prophet Jonah: “I will not spare the city in which there dwell more than a hundred and twenty thousand people, and many cattle?” (Jonah 4:11). And the Psalmist: “Men and beasts”, he says, “you will save” (Ps 35:7). How, then, does God not care about oxen and cattle? But he does not care about oxen and cattle for their own sake, but for ours, for whose sake they were made; so he cares about us, not about them.

“Or rather”, he says, “he says it for our sake; for it was written for our sake.” For by figure everything said passes over to us. “Because he who ploughs in hope and threshes ought to receive the fruit of his hope.” It is true, for one labours in this hope, to gather the fruit.

“If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your carnal things?” He says it is not a great thing, nor an even exchange, if those who preach the kingdom of God and feed the church with heavenly food were to take nourishment for the body; so that, handing on eternal things, they might obtain temporal ones.

“If others share in power over you, do not we more?” For if those who are not your fathers through the gospel, and do not have the same affection toward you, have the right to receive, how much more we? And 'your apostles' is understood, because Barnabas too was an apostle. “But we have not used this power; rather we endure all things, so as not to put any hindrance in the way of the gospel of Christ.” He brought out the meaning he had long hidden; for he shows that he did not wish to accept support, though it was lawful, so that the vigour of the gospel's authority might not grow torpid. For the false apostles flattered sinners, wishing to receive, so that they did not seem to themselves to sin, being subject to them; but since this was contrary to the discipline of the gospel, he does not wish to receive, so that he may rebuke freely and not be found among their number. For so that the right of the Christian rule might remain, he made lawful things unlawful, because those men gave offence through licence.

“Do you not know that those who work in the shrines live from the shrine, and those who serve at the altar share in the altar?” By 'shrines' he means the law of the gentiles, by 'altar' that of the Jews. For so the Lord decreed through Moses (Deut 18:3–5), that the priests should take a portion of what had been offered.

“So too the Lord Jesus ordained that those who proclaim the gospel should live from the gospel.” God, then, did not follow the pattern of the gentiles through Moses, but natural reason itself has this, that one should live from the place where he works. This reasoning, then, he decreed for nature itself and for human life. Yet adding these things to the pile, he makes the case weightier, so as not to make light or odious what he commends by so many testimonies; and yet he does not wish to benefit by it himself, lest he humble his freedom to rebuke.

“But I have used none of these things.” After showing in many ways that it is lawful to receive, yet he has no need of it; for to receive from sinners is harmful, as I mentioned above. “And I have not written these things so that it may be so done for me; for it is good for me rather to die. No one shall empty my glory.” He says his glory consists in this, that the severity of the gospel remains; and he chose rather to die than to violate the rights of the gospel, knowing that this profits him more for future salvation. For he refused to let the service owed be paid to him by these people, lest by it they gain confidence to sin.

“For if I preach the gospel, I have no ground for glory; for necessity lies upon me.” As the Lord says: “When you have done what I tell you, say: We are useless servants; we have done what we ought to do” (Luke 17:10). “For woe will be to me”, he says, “if I do not preach the gospel.” For a servant sent by his master does what he has been commanded even unwillingly; if not, he must be held to it with blows. Indeed Moses was sent unwillingly to Pharaoh (Exod 4:13–14), and Jonah was compelled to preach to the Ninevites (Jonah 1:3). “For if I do this willingly, I have a reward.” It is plain that no one receives a reward for something he does unwillingly. For if he is willing, he is worthy of a reward, because he agrees with his master; and what is done willingly is done better. “But if unwillingly, a stewardship has been entrusted to me.” Nor is this obscure: one who does something without devotion does it not by will but by necessity. For because it is not in his own power, he does unwillingly what he has been commanded.

“What, then, will my reward be? That in preaching the gospel I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to abuse my power in the gospel.” Restraining the boastfulness of his words, he glories, and wants it understood how great a reward he deserves, because he does not use his power in the gospel, when he refuses support offered, lest he humble the force of preaching. This is what is lawful but not expedient, for the salvation of the brothers, so that they may be corrected. He wants to be a pattern to others, so that where they see it is not expedient they do not use even lawful things; if not, they become guilty from a lawful thing, which they take in such a way that it turns to harm.

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself the servant of all, so that I might gain more.” He is free from all since he handed on the gospel to no one with flattery, nor coveted anything of anyone except his salvation, nor accepted from anyone more generous support, as the price of hypocrisy, for the enjoyment of luxuries. He says he made himself the servant of all in that through humility he showed himself like all those weak in mind, so as to strengthen them by patience for future salvation, cherishing the minds of those who either sinned or followed divine things more slowly, so that they would not take it badly to be rebuked.

“And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so as to gain the Jews.” He seems, as it were, to have pretended, so as to become all things to all, as flatterers are accustomed to do; but it is not so; for a divine man and spiritual physician, knowing the causes and wounds of all, cherishes them with great care and suffers with them; for we have certain things in common with all people. He became, then, as a Jew to the Jews, because, on account of the offence to them, he circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3), and, having been purified, went up into the temple, lest they take occasion through him to blaspheme (Acts 21:26). He did a thing, then, which ought already to have ceased, but he did it according to the law. For he also agreed with them that the law and the prophets were from God, and from them showed that this is the Christ who was promised, so that his agreement might have effect.

“To those who are under the law, as though I were under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to gain those who are under the law.” Those who are under the law are known to be the Samaritans; for they accept only the law, that is, the five books of Moses. They are by origin from the Persians and Assyrians, whom the king of Assyria, when the children of Israel had been taken into captivity, placed to inhabit the regions of Samaria (2 Kgs 17:6, 24); therefore they also worship fire in the Persian manner. To them, then, the Apostle, by not denying that the law was from God, became as one under the law; but from it, with gentle words, he handed on to them that Christ was to be understood, just like that Samaritan woman who said to the Lord: “I know that the Messiah is coming” (John 4:25), taught by the law. “To those who are without law, as though I were without law (though I was not without the law of God, but under the law of Christ), so as to gain those who are without law.” He says this because when he is in the law of Christ, he is in the law of God; for what is Christ's is God's, and what is God's is Christ's, as he says: “All mine are yours, and yours are mine” (John 17:10). “So as to gain those who are without law.” For when he agrees with them, that is, with the gentiles, according to natural reasoning, that the world and the things in it were made by God, and that the soul is immortal, and that we have our origin from him (for so he says in the Acts of the Apostles: “And as some of you have said, For we are also his offspring”, Acts 17:28), he became thus as one without law, by which means he introduced to them that Christ himself is the one whom God chose beforehand to judge the world, and that he is the one through whom he made all things.

“To the weak I became weak, so as to gain the weak.” He became weak when he abstained from lawful things for the sake of weak brothers, lest he give rise to stumbling for them. “I have become all things to all, so that I might save all.” This was the mark of a wise and spiritual man, that, having become all things to all, he yet did not go beyond the purpose of religion; for where he yielded, he yielded so as to make progress; nor did he do anything other than what the law commanded.

“But I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a sharer in it.” That is, I do all the things mentioned above, so that I may become a sharer in the will of the gospel, which it has concerning human salvation.

“Do you not know that those who run in the stadium all run, but one receives the palm?” Now he wishes to set out something else; and so by this example he shows how great is the benefit of our law, in which the palm is promised not to one but to all. “So run that you may obtain.” He wants them to run eagerly toward the promise, because it is great.

“But everyone who strives in the contest abstains from all things”: from all the things that the same discipline teaches must be avoided, though they know that one is to be crowned; how much more must we observe this, since salvation is promised to all! “And they so that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” In this too the gift is very different; and therefore we ought to be more diligent, for whom is kept a spiritual crown, woven not of earthly and fading flowers but of eternal jewels, like a royal diadem.

“So I run, not as at an uncertainty.” He declares that he runs with great hope, holding as certain what has been promised. “So I fight, not as one beating the air.” That is, I contend not with words rather than with deeds. “But I chastise my body and bring it into servitude.” To chastise the body is to restrain it with fasts, and to give it the things that serve life, not luxury. It is brought into servitude when it carries out not its own will but the spirit's. “Lest perhaps, preaching to others, I myself be found reprobate.” He shows that he restrains his body so that he himself too may be counted worthy of the reward that he preaches to others; lest, having healed others, he himself remain in his wound. He affirms, then, that the hope of his preaching is sure, when he shows by his deeds that he pursues what he teaches; for one who acts otherwise than he preaches makes his hearers suspicious, so that they doubt the promises. So by his example he exhorts that one must exercise oneself not more with words than with deeds.