"Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies." (1 Corinthians 8:1, NASB95) . The ESV puts quotation marks around the phrase "all of us possess this knowledge." What the Corinthians "know" is recorded in verse 4. "To paraphrase this: 'We both know that you consider yourself to be thoroughly informed about this matter.'” (KJV Bible Commentary, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994). 2302.) Paul is employing a bit of sarcasm here. The correction that Paul is making is that behind their knowledge was an unloving attitude.
Their knowledge is true. There is nothing to an idol. Christians know that. There is only one God. But this knowledge had caused them to act in a very unloving way. They were flaunting their freedom to eat food offered to idols and in doing so they were bringing harm to others (see verse 7f).
So Paul then goes on to say, "If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;" (1 Corinthians 8:2, NASB95). Paul makes this amazing statement. He says that knowledge isn't just a cognitive process. You can know and not know at the same time. You can know something rightly. You can know something with doctrinal precision. But if your knowledge is not expressed lovingly, you do not know anything. This is an amazing truth that Paul is expounding. He is virtually saying that knowledge that does not go further than itself by seeking the well-being, the good, the benefit of others is not knowledge. "With the essential ingredient of love, knowledge is tempered and made the right kind of discerning and compassionate knowledge . . .." (Expositor's Bible Commentary)
In the next post we will wrap this up by asking, "What will turn presumed knowledge into precise knowledge?"
No comments:
Post a Comment