1 Corinthians 10:23-26

Paul has been circling the same issue since chapter 8Is it okay for Christians to eat food that has been devoted to an idol?– Paul has two answers, one rational and other relational• rational: idols have no meaning for us, so food is food• relational: some Christians are convinced that food presented to an idol is contaminated◦ take their concerns seriously and don’t “offend” them◦ at times love requires us to act contrary to reason or our rights– why did Paul give so much space to this issue?• I suspect that he anticipated a negative reaction from the Corinthians◦ he knew they were intelligent and enjoyed a good argument(they had written him regarding a number of controversies among themselves)◦ and he knew how difficult it would be for them to put others first• some of them would think, “It doesn’t make sense for those overly scrupulous believers to worry about idols and non-existent deities. Maybe they just need to grow up!”◦ so he labored to help them get a new perspective