This Sunday we’ll finally be moving past what were arguably the most uncomfortable passages to publicly talk about…so that’s a relief. That being said, the principles that were being set forth in the previous chapters will still be carried over into our text this Sunday.

We’ll be reading 1 Cor 8:1-13 in our study of that book.

Paul shifts the topic to another question the Corinthians had obviously asked him, concerning eating the leftover meats from animals that had been used in pagan sacrifices. Some clearly took issue with that practice while others did not.

Paul sets up a tension between “knowledge” and “loving God”. Why do you suppose he did that? How do you understand the distinction between those two ideas? What is it that actually strengthens the church?

In v 4-8 Paul gives specific scenarios which describe how the principles of grace could be put into action. The issues in the text are not things we would encounter in 21st Century America – but what could be an example of one person’s freedom and another person’s prohibition? How easy or difficult is it for you to lovingly look past someone else’s freedom or prohibitive conviction? What might help us find a higher ground to relate to each other from?

Paul finishes the section with a reminder that exercising our liberties isn’t our highest goal. Something else overrides our liberty…what is it? How difficult or easy is it for you to not do something you feel the freedom to do, in order to preserve your fellow believer?

This is going to hit home and may hit hard for many of us – but the end result is the best kind of community the earth has ever known. I hope you can join us for this study this Sunday

Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.