"Piety Among Pagans," 1 Corinthians 8, Benji Davis

It's a real honor to welcome the Reverend Benji Davis to the

pulpit this morning. Benji and his wife Ashley, who's

here somewhere on this side, are visiting from Winston Salem, NC,

where Benji is the rector of Christ Church in Winston Salem.

When I saw we had this difficult passage that I didn't want to

preach on food, sacrifice the idols, I thought, I know just

the guy and Benji. I told the 9:00 AM service that

I couldn't think of any idols here in Washington, but I

thought maybe an outsider could think of a few.

So it's it's great to welcome him, our brother, and be

prepared for an excellent sermon.

Let's welcome Benji Davis to the Church of the Resurrection.

Thank you. Thank you, Dan.

It's so good to be with you this morning and good morning.

If you would go ahead and turn to that lesson from First

1 Corinthians 8 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 8. As you turn in there, I just

want to give you greetings from the folks at Christchurch.

We, we love you all. We pray for you and pray that

God would bless you as a congregation, strengthen you so

that your fidelity to Christ and his gospel may shed the light of

the gospel here in this city. In our lesson there in verse

one, Paul shifts his focus to a new topic now concerning food

offered to idols. And we were joking in the first

service that Winston is full of idols.

And then someone came up to me. It's from the area and mentioned

Krispy Kreme. If you don't know, Winston Salem

is the home base, the founding, the birth place of Krispy Kreme

doughnuts. And yes, we probably do idolize

our doughnuts a little too much there, but I'm a fan of Reds.

If anybody's from the area, you might know.

Anyways, this new topic concerning meat offered to idols

and whether we can eat it or not really garners Paul's attention

from chapter 8 all the way through the beginning, verse 1

of Chapter 11. Yet the issue of eating or not

eating meat to idols that's been offered to idols reveals

underlying issues present within the church at Corinth concerning

here, particularly in our lesson, Knowledge and love.

Now, admittedly, as it's been known, I'm not from this area of

the country, I'm not from these parts, but I imagine that

knowledge is a significant commodity and rigorous thinking

of valuable skill in the city that has an Intel community.

We don't have one. We might need one, I don't know,

but we don't have one. We don't have lots of think

tanks like here in DC. And of course we have a few

universities, but I think there's a good number of them

here in the area. And we can go on and on, talk

about ways that knowledge, critical thinking, intellect is

a valued asset here in the city like DC.

And in a culture characterized by professional intellectuals,

it's all too easy, all too easy to believe that right conduct

and true and lasting transformation and change begins

and ends with knowing the right things, with knowing the right

things, with possessing the right ideas, the right

knowledge. If only the right ideas and

policies were to prevail and be in place, then.

And you can add your optimal outcome to the end of that

sentence. However, Paul reveals that

having the right ideas do not necessarily lead to right

conduct or to human flourishing or to giving glory to God.

Look at me there at verse one. Here, Paul likely draws upon a

slogan that was used by the knowledgeable within the

Corinthian church to champion their practice of eating meat

offered to idols. We know that all of us possess

knowledge. We know that all of us possess

knowledge. And Paul gives the content of

what they knew in verse 4 by citing what we might say are two

additional slogans. Therefore, as to the eating of

food offered idols, we know that.

And here's the first one. An idol has no real existence.

An idol has no real existence and that.

And here's the second, there is no God but one.

You see, the knowledge they possessed was not a problem.

This is true and accurate knowledge.

The psalmist declares in Psalm 115.

Their idols are silver and gold, the works of human hands.

They have mouths, but they speak, not eyes, but they do not

see. They have ears, but they do not

hear. Noses, but they do not smell.

They have hands, but they do not feel feet, but they do not walk,

and they do not make a sound with their throat.

Idols. There are no idols.

There are no real existence to them.

The psalmist agrees. Or we could turn to the great

Shema of Deuteronomy chapter 6. Hear O Israel, the Lord our God,

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

the Lord is 1 So the content of their knowledge was not the

issue. And and Paul highlights this

maybe even more explicitly in verse 2 when he says if anyone

imagines that he knows something, he does not know as

he ought to know, as he ought to know.

You see, Paul here addresses the issue of right knowing, the

right use of our knowledge. He is not in this moment,

correcting the content of their knowledge, but rather how they

are employing it in their lives as a basis for their conduct.

He's critiquing how they're employing their knowledge in

their lives as a basis for their conduct.

Paul saying that knowledge alone, even true and accurate

knowledge, even true and accurate knowledge about God, is

not sufficient to produce right conduct or to effect lasting

change and transformation. Look again at verse one.

We know that all of us possess knowledge.

This knowledge, this true and accurate knowledge, Paul says,

puffs up. But love builds up and in this

we have a grave warning. Knowledge, even true and

accurate knowledge, possesses a danger if it is not sublimated

to a love for God and a love for others.

True and accurate knowledge poses a danger for us if it is

not controlled or directed by a love for God and a love for

others. As we continue to read in

chapter 8, it becomes clear that the knowledgeable group within

the Corinthian church use this knowledge to further their own

interests at the expense of others within the church.

They use their knowledge to serve themselves, this true and

accurate knowledge about God. And we see this kind of over and

over again in the letter. There's a consistent underlying

themes that regardless of the the presenting issues, there's

these underlying things that are the real core of what Paul is

addressing in this letter. You see, with this knowledge

that they had, they claimed for themselves a right, a freedom to

eat idle meat. Yet, as Paul reveals in verse

11, their use of this knowledge for themselves generated

detrimental outcomes. Now, Paul does not identify

exactly what motivated them to exercise this freedom,

regardless of the downstream impacts it would have on others

or even maybe even themselves. But we can surmise that it

likely was to retain a certain level of status or to advance

their standing within Corinthian society and culture.

In ancient Corinth, there was no clear dividing line between what

was social or secular and religious, cultural and

theological, as we attempt to maintain those distinctions

today. They were intricately connected

and intertwined. And since Pagan temples in

Corinth and Pagan shrines served as locations of meals essential

for conducting business and politics, for advancing 1's

social and vocational standing, to refuse to eat meat sacrificed

to idols would serve to effectively cut one off, to

sever one from an essential dimension of life within the

city of Corinth. And while the overarching topic

here for Paul concerns the nature of idolatry generally,

Paul's less concerned with the physical idols and even the

question of of concerning of whether it's whether we eat meat

or not that's been sacrificed to idols.

Rather, here at the beginning of this section, he focuses on the

issue of knowledge and its proper use.

He focuses on idols that are entrenched within our heart and

within our thoughts. And these idols, for the

Corinthians, appear to be connected in some way to

individual freedom. That becomes the dominant

concern of Chapter 9 and yes, even idolatry as we tackle in

Chapter 10. The dominant idols of the heart

seem to be individual freedom but also personal advancement.

Knowledge, even true and accurate knowledge used to

advance our standing or to ensure our rights, produces,

according to poll pride. This knowledge puffs up.

This knowledge produces arrogant conceit, a looking down on those

who might not possess it, and this pride eventually leads to

loveless conduct, loveless conduct, and ultimately and

tragically, to destruction, to destroying one's brother or

destroying one's sister in Christ.

Paul remarks #7 that not all possessed this knowledge,

meaning not everyone in Corinth, the Corinthian church was at the

same place of understanding concerning food sacrificed to

idols. Because psalmist, he says,

through former association with idols, eat food as it's really

offered to idols, and their conscience, being weak, is

defiled. So their use of this knowledge

to exercise freedom to further their own advancement led to the

destruction of their weaker brothers and sisters.

As Paul notes in verse 11 when he says and by and so by your

knowledge and so by your knowledge.

This weak person is destroyed. The brother for whom Christ

died. And as Paul references, and as

Paul's reference to Christ self sacrificial death sets this

entire topic within its proper frame, it draws into greater

focus the consequence of using knowledge to advance one's own

ends, one's own self, and to ensure one's own rights.

Listen to verse 12. Thus sinning against your

brother and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you

sin against Christ. You sin against Christ.

This is serious what Paul's addressing here.

You see, Christ is the Plumb line according to which we are

called to build one another up in love with our knowledge.

This is not an either or knowledge versus love.

This is having holding them into proper relationship.

Paul's not saying knowledge bad, love good.

Paul's saying our knowledge controlled by a love for God and

one another, leads to flourishing, leads to glory

given to God. If we allow our knowledge to

puff us up, it leads to the destruction of our brothers and

sisters, and it leads to us giving great offense to Christ

himself. You see Christ, who possesses

all knowledge in love, gave up countless freedoms and rights

for the great benefit, not of himself, but for those who were

weaker than himself when he willingly submitted to the

cross. Reference Philippians chapter 2

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

in the great Christ him there that clearly articulates that

fundamental tenet of our faith, that example of Christ.

This is why Paul claims in verse 12 that you are not only sitting

against your brother, you are fundamentally sitting against

Christ, who by his death has been building up your brothers

and sisters, you included. Through it.

You see, Christ reveals to us that knowledge, like authority

and power are to be employed to elevate others, to build others

up. As Christians, as little

Christs, we are to employ our knowledge to elevate, to lift up

those who are weaker in knowledge like a trellis.

I hope that kind of really captures your imagination around

this. Like a trellis that is used, it

provides scaffolding for a vine to reach heavenward so that it

can enjoy greater amounts of sunlight and also be safeguarded

from being trampled under foot. You were to use your knowledge

and love as a trellis so that others can be elevated and built

up and raised to glory in Christ.

Like Christ, we must sublimate our knowledge to love for God,

allowing such love to direct and channel our knowledge for His

glory in one another's good. Look with me again back in

verses 2 and three. If anyone imagines that he knows

something, he does not know as he ought to know.

But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

Verse 3 is a is a bit confusing, maybe perplexing.

It doesn't quite seem to flow from verse 2.

We might have expected Paul to say something like this.

If anyone imagines that he knows something he does not yet know,

as he ought to know, But if anyone knows as he ought to

know, he is known by God. That flows really well.

Paul maybe should have considered that, but that's not

what he wrote. Rather, in place of if anyone

knows, as he ought to do, Paul wrote If anyone loves God, If

anyone loves God. In refocusing upon the love of

God, or the love for God, he reveals that the difference

between imaginary knowledge and real knowledge, between

idolatrous knowing and faithful knowing, is whether such

knowledge is submitted, directed, governed, channelled

by the love, by a love for God, by an overriding passion to love

God with all of our life, especially our mind, especially

our intellect. For Paul, knowing as we ought to

know is defined by such love. And in fact, this is a fairly

dense claim, because as Christ teaches us to love him, to love

God the Father is to keep his commandments.

It's an exalted calling we have to use our minds, our knowledge,

directed by a love for God, directed by a life that is

wholly submitted to his will in way, a love which of course, has

been pioneered and perfected for us by Christ himself.

So how do we tell the difference between imaginary knowing and

right knowing? I love Paul.

Sometimes we Paul can be very complicated.

Peter acknowledges this. There are other times when

Paul's quite simple, straightforward.

I love the simplicity and the straightforwardness of this.

How do we know the difference between imaginary knowing and

real knowing, faithful knowing? For Paul, it's simple.

Imaginary knowing leads to pride.

It leads to being arrogant and conceited, to being puffed up

and right knowing. Knowing that lovingly builds one

another up, and knowing that loves God, right?

Knowing builds one another up, it encourages, it strengthens,

it supports others, and it seeks, delights in, relishes in

glories in God, His way, His will.

You see, if your knowing doesn't make you delight in God, if your

knowing does not love God and lay down, or love and lay down

your life for people, then you do not know as you ought to

know. You do not know as you ought to

know. Church of the Resurrection, Who

are you serving? Who are you serving with your

intellect? Who are you serving with your

mind, with your knowledge? Are you serving God by loving

Him and loving one another? Or are you serving your own

advancement or safeguarding your own rights or freedoms?

Prayerfully consider that today, this week, as you think back and

meditate over this passage. OK, but how do we cultivate?

How do we cultivate right knowing?

All of us, Like myself, I put myself somewhere on the spectrum

between idolatrous knowing and right knowing.

You can determine which side of that I'm on.

And how do we cultivate right knowing?

Is it by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps?

Kind of a just be better, just try harder, just love more, love

God, love others. Come on, you can do it.

Well, look at the end of verse 3 at the end of Paul's thought.

Here we find our beginning place for beginning to cultivate this

right knowing. If anyone loves God.

Now pay attention to this last phrase.

He is known by God. He is known by God.

Right knowing begins with the grace of God.

Right knowing begins in and surrounded by and saturated in

the grace of God. This language of being known by

God refers to God's gracious act of election of choosing you in

Christ. We hear it in the Old Testament,

Amos chapter 3. You only referring to Israel.

Amos 3 · chapter mention

You only have I known of all the peoples of the earth.

Israel was known. It was they were chosen by God

in Ephesians chapter one, that beautiful passage Paul writes in

verses 3 and 4. Blessed be the God and Father of

our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every

spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He

chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we

might be holy and blameless before Him.

And here's the point here, I think is the good news for us in

First Corinthians chapter 8. Right knowing is rooted in God's

1 Corinthians 8 · chapter mention

grace. It's sourced in a humility that

comes from maturely recognizing that everything you have and

everything you are is the result of God's lavish, unmerited

favour and grace. You have no leg to stand on

apart from God. You have no mind.

Apart from the One who holds all things together by the word of

His power, you are nothing apart from God.

He did not choose you because of your mind.

He did not choose you because of your extent of your knowledge,

the depth of your knowledge. He did not choose you because of

your intellect. He chose you according to the

purpose of His gracious will. He chose you and His Son because

He loves you and because He loves His Son.

He delivered you from the domain of darkness and transferred you

into the Kingdom of His beloved Son.

Jesus is the one who reconciled you even though you were

alienated and hostile in your mind, doing evil deeds.

He reconciled you in His body of flesh by His death in order to

present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him.

This is grace upon grace upon grace.

This is where we begin to direct our knowing to its proper ends,

recognizing that God has given us everything.

And here's how we maybe begin to cultivate that right knowing

this week as you ask yourself those questions, who am I

serving with my mind, with my intellect, with my knowledge?

Add this, meditate upon and inwardly digest the marvellous

grace of God that's been given to you in Christ.

It's been extended to you by his divine Providence and sovereign

will that's been lavishly heaped upon you.

And as you increasingly see how gracious He is toward you, and

how every atom and every aspect of your life is a result of His

remarkable, unbelievable grace, then you will grow in humility

and ask Him to give you that gift of humility.

And from that humility you will practice a right knowing that

employs your knowledge, that employs your knowledge, your

intellect, to love God and to love one another more fully in

line with Jesus himself. The result will not be

destruction, but rather God's people, His holy temple, the

body of Christ continually being built up one spiritual stone

after another into God's holy habitation.

The result will not be sin against Christ, but rather glory

heaped upon Christ, praise extended to the Father and to

his Son, and all of this will be to His glory.

All of this will be to the advancement of the gospel in

this place. Can you imagine?

Can you imagine the testimony your lives will be if you fully

submit your knowledge, your intellect, your mind to love God

and love your neighbor? What a light that would be in a

city like DC and in a city like Winston Salem and throughout

this world. I will be praying for you.

Pray for me. The God helps us, strengthens

US, empowers us for that essential work in this world so

that God might be glorified, others might be drawn to Christ

and built up to full maturity in Him.

And name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.