This is Offered in Sacrifice to Idols 1 Corinthians 10:28

According to Paul the apostle , if the church members had non-believers “bid” them “to a feast” and they were “disposed to go, whatsoever is set before” them, they were to “eat, asking no question for conscience sake”. In chapter ten and verse twenty-eight of First Corinthians, Paul told the Corinthian church members what to do if someone tells them, “this is offered in sacrifice unto idols” where we read:

But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof:

The verse begins, “But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, ...”. Paul began with the word, “But” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “if any man say” or “whether a certain person utters, declares and proclaims” “unto you” which refers to “the Corinthian church members” “This” or “the food” “is offered in sacrifice unto idols” which is all one Greek words and refers to “the flesh left over from the heathen sacrifices, eaten at feasts or sold by the poor and miserly in the market”, “eat not” or “do not consume or devour” “for his sake” which means “by reason and account of the one who said it was offered in sacrifice unto idols” “that showed it” or “who disclosed, made known, declared, indicated and told it”. Paul instructed the church members not to eat “food” that has been disclosed as being “offered in sacrifice” to “idols”.

The verse continues, “...and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof:” Paul added the words, “and for conscience sake” which means “by reason and means of the soul as distinguishing between what is morally good and bad that is prompting to do the former and shun the latter while commending one and condemning the other”: “for the earth” which means “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore the inhabited abode of men and animals” “is the Lord's” which means “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah”, “and the fullness” or “the complete filling and abundance” “thereof” which means “the same and itself”. The church members were to refuse to eat food that is offered to “false gods” and “idols” because everything belongs to God.

When we meditate upon these words from Paul, we realize there was a difference between not asking about food that had been “offered in sacrifice to idols” and food that was declared to be “offered in sacrifice”. If the person with whom the church members were eating declared their food had been “offered in sacrifice to idols”, they were to refuse it. This gave an opportunity for the church members to declare “everything” is owned and possessed by the Lord rather than a “false idol”. This would not only relieve the “conscience” of the church members, but would also give an opportunity to share about a relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son.

Next time Paul continues to tell the church members, “conscience, I say, not your own, but of the other”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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