3.6 Food Offered to Idols

Freedom and Responsibility (A Final Word)

THE TEXT OF PAUL’s final homily in this third essay is displayed in figure 3.6(1).

Paul opened this essay with a discussion of food offered to idols, and following the pattern he established in the first two essays, he now returns to the same topic for a concluding word on the subject. He is not confused and the material is not a jumble. Rather, in a measured, balanced way, he returns to the opening homily of this essay, and in the light of what he has written throughout the essay, completes the discussion.

THE RHETORIC

Once again Paul uses the prophetic rhetorical template of seven inverted cameos with a climax in the center. Cameo 1 is the summary principle and cameo 7 applies that principle in a broad, all-inclusive manner. Cameos 2 and 6 focus on “Think of others and eat or do not eat—to the glory of God.” The next pair of cameos (3 and 5) continues with “Eat what you are served in private homes and give thanks for it.” The climactic center focuses on the special occasions in which love requires that they not eat (cameo 4).

The material tells the reader:

Eat

Do Not Eat

Eat

1.	^10:23“All things are lawful,”	THE SUMMARY PRINCIPLE:
	but all things are not helpful.	Seek What Helps and Builds
	“All things are lawful,”	Seek the Advantage of the Other
	but not all things build up.
	²⁴Do not seek your own advantage
	but that of the other.1

2.	²⁵Eat whatever is sold in the meat market
	without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
	²⁶For “the earth is the Lord’s,	EAT
	and everything in it.”	All Is the Lord’s

3.	²⁷If any one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner
	and you are disposed to go,	EAT
	eat whatever is set before you	All Offered to You
	without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

4.	²⁸But if some one says to you,
	“This has been offered in sacrifice,”	DO NOT
	then out of consideration for the man who informed you,	EAT
	and for conscience’ sake—
	²⁹I mean his conscience, not yours—do not eat it.

5.	For why should my liberty
	be determined by another man’s scruples?	EAT
	³⁰If I partake with thankfulness,	and Give Thanks
	why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

6.	³¹So, whether you eat or drink,
	or whatever you do,	EAT
	do all to the glory of God.	In All—Glorify God

7.	³²Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks	APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLE:
	or to the church of God,	Offense Does Not Build Up
	³³Indeed I try to please all people in everything	I Try to Please All
	not seeking my own advantage,	Not Your Advantage
	but that of many, that they may be saved.	But Others’—for Salvation

8.	^11:1Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.	A PERSONAL APPEAL

Figure 3.6(1). Food offered to idols: A second look (1 Cor 10:23–11:1)

This order confuses the modern reader. We are accustomed to:

On the one hand:

(1)Think of others and try to be helpful. (7) Don’t offend people. (2) Eat (or don’t eat) the meat you buy in the market for it is the Lord’s. (6) Do so to the glory of God. (3) At a meal in a pagan’s home eat whatever they serve you. (5) You are a free person, give thanks and eat.

But on the other hand:

(4) If someone whispers to you “This is idol meat, I am sure you would want to know,” then do not eat (out of respect for his or her conscience, not your conscience).

Paul composes using the familiar ring composition style of the writing prophets—assuming his readers can follow him. The climax appears in cameo 4, and that center relates to the beginning and the end. The homily closes with Paul’s signature personal appeal (cameo 8), which repeats and expands the concluding appeal at the end of his first essay.

COMMENTARY

Following the pattern established previously, we will examine the matched pairs of cameos, starting with the outside. The first and the last of the seven cameos in this homily are seen in figure 3.6(2).

1.	^10:23“All things are lawful,”	THE SUMMARY PRINCIPLE:
	but all things are not helpful.	Seek What Helps and Builds
	“All things are lawful,”	Seek the Advantage of the Other
	but not all things build up.
	²⁴Do not seek your own advantage
	but that of the other.

7.	³²Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks	APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLE:
	or to the church of God,	Offense Does Not Build Up
	³³Indeed I try to please all people in everything	I Try to Please All
	not seeking my own advantage,	Not Your Advantage
	but that of many, that they may be saved.	But Others’—for Salvation

Figure 3.6(2). Cameos 1 and 7 (1 Cor 10:23-24, 32-33)

Cameos 1 and 7 both conclude with the strong statement, “Seek not your own advantage—but that of the other(s).” This unmistakably ties them together. The key to the discussion is not, “I want my rights!” but rather, “What will build up the community?” Once again, if cameos 2-6 were missing, no reader would notice their absence. The ideas in cameo 1 connect with cameo 7 in a seamless fashion.

Had the good Samaritan of the parable of Jesus (Lk 10:25-28) sought his own good, he would have continued riding down the hill. But unlike the priest and the Levite who “passed by on the other side,” the Samaritan served the best interests of the unknown wounded man at the side of the road.

In 10:24, the RSV translated heteros as “neighbor,” and added the word “good,” which produced the reading “the good of his neighbor.” Is it “the other” or “the neighbor,” and is there a difference? There can be.

The phrase “Love your neighbor as your self ” is a quote from Leviticus 19:18. The biblical setting of this quote reads,

You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbor, lest you bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Lev 19:17-18, emphasis added)

In this text the “neighbor” is “your brother” and one of “the sons of your own people.” But a few verses later in Leviticus 19:34 the text continues, “The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (emphasis added). Jesus and the lawyer questioning him had these two options open to them in the dialogue recorded in Luke 10:25-28. When the lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” he may have been seeking advice regarding which option to choose. Jesus had a radical option not in the text. Beyond “the son of your own house” and “the stranger living among you” is a third category, namely, “the stranger who does not live among you.” Jesus opened up space for this third option when he created the famous parable of the good Samaritan. The Samaritan became a neighbor and reached out to an unidentified man in need. For Jesus the Samaritan was the neighbor, and he chose to serve the outsider not knowing where he lived. What then of Paul?

Paul, like Jesus, was concerned for others. Paul emphasized this sense of “otherness” by choosing the word heteros. The RSV translated this word as “neighbor” in 1 Corinthians 10:24, but the NRSV restored the more accurate translation of “the other.” How then has this text been read across the centuries in the Middle East?

The fifth-century Syriac Peshitta uses the word hbr (friend, companion). But across more than a millennium the Arabic versions used in this study are divided. Six of them have “friend,” one reads “neighbor” and the remaining twelve translate “the other.” The oldest of this latter group of version is the Mt. Sinai Arabic no. 155 (ninth century), and the most recent is the Bible Society Arabic Bible of 1993. The Hebrew translation of 1817 has “the other,” while the modern Hebrew reads “friend/companion.” Granting that both options have been used in the Middle Eastern versions, it is clear that the dominant understanding of this word across more than twelve hundred years has been “the other.”2 Paul is best understood to be urging his readers to reach out to the one who is different. The person in mind is someone who may have a different native tongue, or who remembers a different history or prioritizes different values in a different order. Paul created a multicultural church, and he urges his readers to care for the interests of “the other” (believer or nonbeliever), setting aside their own interests.

The opening lines of each of these two cameos are related in a special way. Cameo 1 sets out general principles while cameo 7 offers applications of those principles. We can almost hear the conversation between Paul and his readers. It is as if they are engaged in the following dialogue:

Paul	As a general principle (cameo 1) I can say, “All things are lawful to me, but they are not all helpful. Nor do all things build up.”
Paul’s readers	Can you give us a general sense as to how to apply these two principles?
Paul	Yes, I can (cameo 7). Let us look at the two parts of what I have just said.
	1. Regarding being helpful, don’t offend Jews, Greeks or the church of God. You gain nothing by offending people. It makes them angry, and they become entrenched in their opposing views. Giving offense is simply not helpful.
	2. As for building up, when you do not offend you have the opportunity to commend your message of salvation, and in the process build up the community at large. You need to also build up the believing community internally. Work to build up, not tear down.

The first key word in cameo 1, sumphero (helpful), includes the idea of “bringing together.”3 It was also used to describe the carrying of something heavy as in “bear along with.” That meaning includes the nuance of “bear suffering with” and “be in harmony with.”4 In secular speech it was used for two people coming together in marriage.5

The second phrase returns to the topic of “building up.” We have already seen Paul’s extensive use of the image of “building up” throughout the epistle. This word picture was particularly prominent in his parable of the master builder, which included the right foundation, the building of the holy temple, the need for good materials and the fire that will test the results (3:10-16). Here Paul wants to encourage the builders and discourage the wreckers.

In cameo 7 Paul sets a high standard. He is engaged in evangelism and his theological goal is clear. But his method is also clear. The standard is: Give no offense to Jews, Greeks or to the church. For him there will be no public attacks on the faith of others. Critical analysis, yes, attacks—no! While writing to Christians he does not hide the fact that the gods of the “the Gentiles” do not exist and that their worship brings them into fellowship with demons. As noted, archaeology has identified Greek shrines in Corinth dedicated to the worship of twelve different gods.6 But there is no attack on any of these idols, their sacred books, their temples or their priests. When lecturing on Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-31) Paul found common ground between his message and respected Greek authors. In Paul’s ministry, tolerance, open-mindedness and respect flowed together with critical analysis and non-apologetic evangelism. To update Paul’s directive into the twenty-first century we could say, “Give no offense to Jews or to Muslims or to the church of God. Do not seek your own advantage, but theirs—and at the appropriate time, in a respectful and culturally sensitive way, bear witness to the Christian story without apology.” This directive is clear, yet Paul leaves the reader with a further question.

In the second essay Paul boldly instructed the Corinthians to dismiss the incestuous man. In this third essay he directs them to give “no offense to the church of God.” How can these two texts be reconciled? Was he not potentially offending at least a part of the church by urging the dismissal of the offender? Surely he was. But a surgeon does not offend a patient by cutting out a deadly tumor. The operation may be painful and the recovery slow, but for the health of the body, such a procedure is necessary. In the case of the Corinthian church Paul’s surgery offered the only hope for healing. It may be possible to combine these two texts by suggesting that what Paul means is, “Strive to avoid offending the conscience of anyone, and at the same time, maintain ethical standards within the body of Christ, even if that effort may require discipline in order to protect the spiritual health of the community and save the offender.”

The second semantic envelope in this homily (cameos 2, 6) is also remarkable. The two matching cameos are seen together in figure 3.6(3).

2.	²⁵Eat whatever is sold in the meat market
	without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
	²⁶For “the earth is the Lord’s,	EAT
	and everything in it.”	All Is the Lord’s

6.	³¹So, whether you eat or drink,
	or whatever you do,	EAT
	do all to the glory of God.	In All—Glorify God

Figure 3.6(3). Cameos 2 and 6 (1 Cor 10:25-26, 31)

These two cameos unite around the topic of “eating and the divine.” Cameo 2 tells the reader: All meat sold in the marketplace belongs to God, not to the idols, because the entire earth is the Lord’s. This affirmation must have been hugely liberating for Paul’s readers. Imagine a new Greek Christian entering the meat market in Corinth with great inner turmoil and wondering, “If this meat was offered to Asclepius the god of health, it must belong to him. And if I buy it and eat it, will Asclepius make me sick because I no longer worship him?” “No,” answers Paul—“it all belongs to the one Lord who created all things” (cameo 2). Such fears are groundless. So if you eat it or do not eat it—give all glory to God alone (cameo 6) and do not be afraid.

This brings us to the three central cameos [see fig. 3.6(4)].

Paul begins cameo 3 by answering a second assumed question. The first was, “Can we buy idol meat and eat it in the privacy of our own homes?” Paul’s answer was, “Yes, by all means. It all belongs to God anyway” (cameo 2), and “Don’t forget to offer him the glory” (cameo 6). Paul now turns to answer the

3.	²⁷If any one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner
	and you are disposed to go,	EAT
	eat whatever is set before you	All Offered to You
	without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

4.	²⁸But if some one says to you,
	“This has been offered in sacrifice,”	DO NOT
	then out of consideration for the man who informed you,	EAT
	and for conscience’ sake—
	²⁹I mean his conscience, not yours—do not eat it.

5.	For why should my liberty
	be determined by another man’s scruples?	EAT
	³⁰If I partake with thankfulness,	and Give Thanks
	why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

Figure 3.6(4). Cameos 3-5 (1 Cor 10:27-30)

question, “What about idol meat that is served to us when we are guests in the home of a pagan?” Paul replies, “Of course. Go ahead and eat! Don’t let your conscience bother you” (cameo 3).

In the matching cameo (cameo 5) Paul expands this directive and applies it to himself. In effect he tells his readers, “I am a free man! I eat such meat and I thank God for it! If others make a different choice, that does not limit my freedom.” Cameo 5 matches and completes what Paul says in cameo 3.

As is common the climax of the homily appears in the center (cameo 4), where love is prominent. Paul indirectly tells his readers, “Your rights and your freedom are not the only components in this discussion. What about love?” We do not know if the informant whispering in the ear of the Christian guest is the unbelieving host showing consideration to his guest, or a fellow Christian who happens to be present at the banquet. In either case, what should the Christian guest do when he or she is specifically informed at the banquet about the pagan origins of the meat?

To paraphrase Paul’s directive he seems to be telling his readers,

If you are invited to a meal in an unbeliever’s home and someone quietly informs you that the meat is “idol food,” out of your love for the informant, who is trying to be sensitive to what he thinks are your feelings, don’t eat the meat. Your freedom should be tempered by love.

In the opening homily (8:1-13) of essay three, Paul asked that knowledge and love be kept together. At the close of the essay he urges the uniting of freedom and love. Paul is again subtly preparing the reader for the hymn to love that will appear in chapter 13.

The uniting of freedom and sensitivity/love here in cameo 4 is connected to cameo 1 at the beginning and cameo 7 at the end. Summarizing Paul’s opening cameo he insists that “all things are lawful, but all are not helpful or upbuilding.” Why is this? Because freedom must be marinated with love (cameo 4). At the end of the homily in cameo 7 Paul teaches: Give offense to no one, seek their advantage, not your own—that they may be saved. This reflects the love admonished in the center cameo.

The larger question is not, what does freedom assure me (cameos 3, 5)? But rather, what does love require of me (cameo 4)? For Paul’s readers who were accustomed to ring composition, this climactic call for sensitivity/love was unambiguous and compelling.

As noted earlier, for many contemporary readers the order is confusing. We are conditioned to listening to a presentation that offers:

On the one hand:

At home (2) and at private banquets (3) give thanks, eat what you like (5) and give glory to God (6).

But, (alla) on the other hand:

If someone tells you, “This is idol meat,” for his sake do not eat the meat (4).

This sequence is so deeply ingrained in the English-speaking world that the RSV placed parentheses around cameo 4 as if it were an aside. Its position in the center as the climax of the homily is thereby obscured.7 But once Paul’s use of the prophetic rhetorical template is identified, the center climax shines brightly with appropriate splendor.

This is how a Christian can live in a non-Christian society. As noted, Paul’s theme song throughout the essay is “Freedom and Responsibility.” That responsibility (cameo 4) takes on the color of love and sensitivity.

In summary, Paul has earlier discussed

1. What about idol meat served in temple-operated restaurants? Paul’s answer is, It is acceptable if you really understand that the idols do not exist and as long as there is no one present who is still deeply unsettled about these socalled gods.

2. What about eating and drinking in an idol worship service? Paul’s answer was, “Never! Such eating is participation in the worship of demons.”

In this text Paul considers two further questions. These are:

3. Can I buy this idol meat in the market and eat it at home? Paul replies by saying, “Eat whatever is sold in the meat market” (cameo 2). The idols do not exist and the meat itself belongs to God—not to the idols. The whole earth is his.

4. What about a dinner party in the home of one of my unbelieving friends? Paul responds using language that is almost a direct quote from what Jesus told the seventy disciples when he sent them out two by two. Both Jesus (Lk 10:8) and Paul say, “Eat whatever is set before you” (cameo 3). But if someone tells you, “This is idol meat,” out of love for the informant—don’t eat.

Paul’s near direct quote from Jesus opens the possibility of a relationship between Jesus’ sending out of the seventy (Lk 10:1-12) and Paul’s mission to the Gentiles.8 Paul also traveled light, entered each community in weakness and seems to have followed the other instructions Jesus gave to the seventy.

Genesis 10 lists seventy Gentile nations and the book of Jubilees 44:34 (composed in Hebrew about 150 B.C.) also mentions the seventy nations. Regarding Luke 10:1 Marshall writes, “Although the content of the sayings is related to mission in Palestine, it is possible that Luke regarded this mission as prefiguring the church’s mission to the Gentiles.”9 Thus, Jesus’ sending out of the seventy disciples echoes a concern for people beyond Israel.

After his profound reflections on how a Christian can live out his or her life in the midst of a pagan world, Paul concludes the essay with his signature ending (cameo 8). The Corinthians are not to imitate him in everything, but insofar as he imitates Christ they can confidently take his life as a model.

It is not an accident that this essay appears in the center of the five essays that make up the epistle. How to live out the Christian life in a pagan world was (and is) a vital question for Christians in every age. The center of Romans discusses “Christian and Jew” (Rom 9–11). Here in 1 Corinthians the center is “Christian and Pagan.” The two essays are a pair, and their placement in each case is deliberate.

Having discussed “men and women in the human family” in the second essay, Paul now opens a matching topic for the fourth essay. This new topic is “men and women in the church.” To that essay we now turn.