Revelation 2 is specifically addressing the Church at Ephesus this was a Church under Paul's teachings until they all turned away from him. Ephesus was the Capital of Asia.
(CLV) 2Ti 1:15 - Of this you are aware, that all those in the province of Asia were turned from me, of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
Did they turn from him; because he was telling them that they could no longer eat meat sacrificed to idols?
Those days were long gone.
They probably couldn't find him (1:7), chained (1:16, 2:9) and rotting in that cold Roman dungeon (4:13).
1 Corinthians 8 is only 13 verses long. Verse 1 seems to reveal the subject of this chapter.
Since it's such a short chapter; maybe you can walk me through, verse by verse to explain what in the world Paul is talking about here; and then
harmonize it with what Yahshua said to the Church at Ephesus in Revelation 2.
I look forward to your scholarly dissection.
Why harmonize it with Revelation 2?
Ephesus lost its first love. They hated the Nicolaitans, a heretical sect who believed that religious liberty meant they could practice idolatry and immorality.
(CLV) 1Co 8:1
Now concerning the idol sacrifices: We are aware that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, yet love builds up.
idolatrous sacrifices = food sacrificed to idols,
knowledge = vv. 2-6,
love builds up = the Christian should love his brother who doubts.
(CLV) 1Co 8:2
If anyone is presuming to know anything, he knew not as yet according as he must know.
The man who thinks he knows something does not know as he ought to know; i.e.,
that all human knowledge is limited. Only God knows it all.
(CLV) 1Co 8:3
Now if anyone is loving God, this one is known by Him.
Knowledge tempered with love toward God shows that one is known and loved by God as one of God's own redeemed.
And if you remember how God loves you, you will love.
(CLV) 1Co 8:4
Then, concerning the feeding on the idol sacrifices: We are aware that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God except One.
idol is nothing = it's not a real god and possesses no power,
(CLV) 1Co 8:5
For even if so be that there are those being termed gods, whether in heaven or on earth, even as there are many gods and many lords,
For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords),
(CLV) 1Co 8:6
nevertheless for us there is one God, the Father, out of Whom all is, and we for Him, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all is, and we through Him.
nevertheless there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things come and from whom we live;
and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
This is the knowledge of v.1 we possess.
(CLV) 1Co 8:7
But not in all is there this knowledge. Now some, used hitherto to the idol, are eating of it as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, being weak, is being polluted.
not in all = not everyone knows this, that an idol has no personal reality,
used hitherto to the idol = some are still accustomed to idols,
eating of it as an idol sacrifice = when they eat such food they think of it as being sacrificed to a true idol,
their conscience is weak, it is polluted = those who think of an idol as being real cannot rid themselves of this idea. Therefore, they think that in eating meat sacrificed to idols they are involving themselves in pagan worship and have sinned against Christ.
(CLV) 1Co 8:8
Now food will not give us a standing with God, neither, if we should not be eating are we in want, nor if we should be eating are we cloyed.
Food does not bring us near to God
are we in want = we are no worse if we do not eat,
are we cloyed = we are no better if we do eat,
(CLV) 1Co 8:9
Now beware lest somehow this right of yours may become a stumbling block to the weak.
right of yours = exercise of your freedom--be careful that it does not become a stumbling block to the weak,
(CLV) 1Co 8:10
For if anyone should be seeing you, who |has knowledge, lying down in an idol's shrine, will not the conscience of him who |is weak be |inured to the eating of the idol sacrifices?
If anyone seeing you, who have this knowledge (of freedom)
lying down in an idol's shrine = eating in an idol's temple (they reclined),
whose conscience is weak = believe eating meat sacrificed to idols is involving themselves in idol worship,
be inured to the eating of idol sacrifices = be hardened (emboldened) to eat what has been sacrificed to idols?
(CLV) 1Co 8:11
For the weak one is perishing also by your knowledge; the brother because of whom Christ died.
So this weak brother is destroyed by your knowledge (of the truth), for whom Christ died.
(CLV) 1Co 8:12
Now in thus sinning against brethren, and beating their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ.
Now in sinning against your brother in this way, and wounding his weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ.
(CLV) 1Co 8:13
Wherefore, if food is snaring my brother, I may under no circumstances be eating meat for the eon, lest I should be snaring my brother.
If what I eat causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
Summary:
Eating food sacrificed to idols is
not idolatry, as the informed conscience knows (vv. 2-6) .
The Nicolaitans, however, took it to the next level, and believed that religious freedom allowed them to
practice both idolatry and its sexual immorality.
1 Corinthians 8 is about eating food sacrificed to idols
not being idolatry.
It's about brothers with a weak (uninformed) conscience thinking that it
is idolatry and, therefore, for them it
is sin, because they are violating their conscience.
It's about mature brothers not allowing their freedom in Christ to lead immature brothers to violate their conscience, which is sin for the immature brothers, as well as sinning against Christ for the mature brothers.