Meat sacrificed to idols- chow down??

[Silent Enigma]

I'm sure you're familiar with the passage in Acts 15---

Acts 15:23-29

23 They wrote this, letter by them....

To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.....

24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words.....

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

But I find it odd that Paul, in chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians, refers to eating meat sacrificed to idols as a "freedom". Since the supposed deities don't exist the meat being sacrificed to them wouldn't mean anything, in reality.

He cautioned the Christians not to eat it if it would defile a brother's conscience.

So what is the end conclusion? No idol meat at all, as per Acts 15? Or eat it with discernment of who's near, as per 1Cor 8?

Quick! Find me the answer so I can eat some hindu steaks!

 

[JohnJones]

The problem is you are using a faulty translation.

(Acts 15:20 KJV) "But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood."

The phrase in this verse is "pollutions of idols" NOT "things offered to idols."

 

[NicodemusPrime]

I don't think you will run into this situation much nowadays. Not in the civilized world at least. If you do, find another store to buy your groceries at.

 

[AnnieSue]

There is only one God, meat that is sacrificed to idols is still just simply meat.
But there are some that may not want to eat the meat if it has been sacrificed to idols because they believe it is unholy. I believe Paul is saying that though nothing is actually wrong with the meat, don't eat it in front of those who see it differently because a weaker brother may not yet understand and it may cause him to stumble.

1co 8:4 Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is [anything] in the world, and that there is no God but one.

1co 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many;

1co 8:6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.

1co 8:7 Howbeit there is not in all men that knowledge: but some, being used until now to the idol, eat as [of] a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

1co 8:8 But food will not commend us to God: neither, if we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.

1co 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak.

1co 8:10 For if a man see thee who hast knowledge sitting at meat in an idol`s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

1co 8:11 For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died.

1co 8:12 And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, ye sin against Christ.

1co 8:13 Wherefore, if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I cause not my brother to stumble.

 

[Silent Enigma]

The problem is you are using a faulty translation.

(Acts 15:20 KJV) "But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood."

The phrase in this verse is "pollutions of idols" NOT "things offered to idols."

Hmmm, I should have checked that translation as well I guess. So you would say that it means to avoid idolatry in general.

 

[Silent Enigma]

I don't think you will run into this situation much nowadays.

Yeah, but I was curious how the 2 passages fit together. I'm going to look something up... be back in a minute...

 

[Silent Enigma]

Ok I'm back. I noticed something--

The problem is you are using a faulty translation.

(Acts 15:20 KJV) "But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood."

The phrase in this verse is "pollutions of idols" NOT "things offered to idols."

Wait a minute John--

Acts 15:29

29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
KJV

You were looking at the wrong verse. The correlation between this "ban" and the "liberty" spoken of in 1Cor 8 still needs to be explained.

 

[Terral]

Hi Silent Enigma

Enigma >> But I find it odd that Paul, in chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians, refers to eating meat sacrificed to idols as a "freedom". Since the supposed deities don't exist the meat being sacrificed to them wouldn't mean anything, in reality. He cautioned the Christians not to eat it if it would defile a brother's conscience. So what is the end conclusion? No idol meat at all, as per Acts 15? Or eat it with discernment of who's near, as per 1Cor 8?

Paul’s teaching here must be understood from the context of how the typical Corinthian lived 2000 years ago, when Christianity was very young indeed. These Corinthians were the most fleshy and carnal people of all in your New Testament (1Cor. 3:1-3). If you have any experience with a port city, with ships coming and going regularly, then imagine how it was for this two port city in the lower part of Greece. An adulterous person in those days was said to be ‘playing the Corinthian.’ They had Temples to Aphrodite in many parts of the city. The Temple goddesses were nothing more than prostitutes.

The typical trip to the temple included a Love Feast ritual where one gorged himself the remains of animals sacrificed to idols. People who practiced these things were now members of Paul’s new Corinthian Church. Some were even coming to church drunk. 1Cor. 11:21. Paul knew that some of the members of the church had a good understanding that since there is One God, then the food sacrificed to idols meant nothing. 1Cor. 8:4. He was concerned about the stronger members of the congregation causing the weaker members to stumble. He is acting as the good conscience of the congregation and advising them to be more aware of how they eat and drink, and how this might affect the weaker members of the group.


Have your steak, this teaching does not apply to you today.

God bless,



Terral

 

[Mary_Magdalene]

Hi Silent Enigma





The typical trip to the temple included a Love Feast ritual where one gorged himself the remains of animals sacrificed to idols.

what is the scripture for that? thanks!

 

[Silent Enigma]

Hi Silent Enigma
Have your steak, this teaching does not apply to you today.

Well, I wouldn't be able to have a hindu steak, as they regard cattle as sacred....

But my main question wasn't about what I should do, but what a 1st century Christian should have done. They have the prohibition of it in Acts 15:29, but in 1Cor 8 Paul speaks of it as a liberty to be used with discernment of weaker brothers. Paul even gives a specific example a little bit later:

1Co 10:27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
1Co 10:28 But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience--
1Co 10:29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience?

So why does the letter in Acts totally prohibit it? Can a history buff help me out?

Also, the whole thing could still apply to us today, in the sense of being discerning about things you do that might give other Christians the wrong impression and lead them into sin.

 

[Oblio]

FYI - The Orthodox New Testament reads in Acts 15:29 '... that ye abstain from sacrifices to idols ...'