1Corinthians 8:1-3
How Can You Know What the Bible Doesn’t Say
We are in a section that starts here but Paul will still be
discussing in chapter 10. It concerns eating meats that have been
offered to idols, or, in a word, idolatry.
Some Christians at Corinth were eating meat that had been offered to
false gods and the question arose, “Is it right or wrong?”
Before we assume an answer, we need to understand both sides.
1. On the one side were those who were eating this meat. They had
their reasons. They would say:
a. It would be difficult to know which meat had been offered to
idols. Since idols can’t eat the meat offered to it, most
of it was taken to the town market and sold for money to
the public. Unless you knew where the meat came from, you
were just at the market buying groceries.
b. Since this meat didn’t cost the idol priest anything and
since it was going to ruin if not sold, it was probably
sold cheaper than what the farmer sold his meat. Times are
always tough and money is always scare. If a woman could
find a better deal to feed her family, shouldn’t she take
it?
c. And their biggest argument is, "The idol is nothing anyway!
Who cares if lost people gave it to an idol that is real?"
2. On the other side are those who say you shouldn’t eat this meat.
They also had their reasons. They would say:
a. God’s money was going to support idolatry. The whole point
in the idol temple selling the meat is to convert unusable
meat into useable cash.
b. We have a testimony to guard. What if someone sees you
supporting the work of idolatry?
c. Spiritually, this meat has been given to the devil. This is
the original deviled ham! A person eating this meat is
exposing himself to Satanic power.
Consider the following:
I. The issue for us is not whether we can eat meats offered to idols.
A. The issue for us is, "How can you know what the Bible doesn’t
say?"
1. Eating meats was a contemporary issue for that time.
2. Until Paul wrote this epistle, there was no Scripture
dealing with it.
3. Since there are no Paul’s around today, how can we know
what to do when the Bible doesn’t discuss it?
4. That’s our topic for today.
5. There will always be another issue that the Bible does not
address directly.
B. An important truth we need to get is that even when the Bible
doesn’t give us the direct answer to our question, it will
give us the principals needed to find the answer.
II. The biggest problem in resolving a controversial issue is not the
issue. The biggest problem is having the right spirit to accept
the resolution.
A. Dealing with a difficult problem is not all that hard.
Dealing with difficult people is.
1. The Bible has given us a hard and fast rule that will
resolve most all of difficult situations.
1Cor 6:7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault
among you, because ye go to law one with another.
Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not
rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
2. The hard and steadfast rule is that if you don’t know what
you should do, take the loss, make the sacrifice, deprive
yourself of the pleasure, do without.
a. Often I have heard people say, "Show me in the Bible
that this is wrong and I won’t do it."
b. What we should be saying is, "Show me in the Bible
this is right before I do it."
c. However, that kind of spirit is a hard one to develop.
B. \\#1Cor 10:11-14\\ What is the right kind of spirit?
1. \\#10:11\\ Be teachable.
1Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened unto
them for ensamples: and they are written for
our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come.
a. The word ADMONITION means it is something for our
edification, our education.
b. Paul was saying that the things which happened in the
Bible are recorded so that we might benefit.
(1) The best education is one someone else paid for.
(2) Don’t pay to learn what someone else can teach
for free.
c. This is why we preach so much from the historical
accounts of Scripture.
(1) There may not be Bible doctrine per se being
taught there.
(2) But we can learn from the examples given.
(3) This is what makes the whole Bible important.
(4) Truths and principals that given are both
universal and timeless.
d. However, to benefit from them, we must be TEACHABLE.
(1) One of the things that makes working with
teenagers difficult is that they often become
UNteachable.
(2) As a pastor, I will tell you teenagers aren’t the
only ones who think they know so much that they
can’t be taught anything else.
(3) WE adults (and I include myself in that number)
are just as bad.
2. \\#10:12\\ Be humble.
2Cor 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he
standeth take heed lest he fall.
a. The problem with a little bit of knowledge is that it
makes a person proud.
b. I need to say something, but it won’t sound right if
you don’t listen carefully.
c. The older I get, the less sure I am about what I know.
(1) Immediately, I need to say that I am no less
certain of the Bible. It is inerrant, complete,
and absolutely trustworthy.
(2) What I become less certain of is how much I
understand about the Bible. (I know that is a
real confidence builder in the pastor….)
(3) The reason is the more I study the Bible, the
more I see God does exactly what He says, but
He often does it in a way that we would never
expect.
(a) Moses though he knew how God would use him
to deliver the Jews. (It was he not they
who needed the help in understanding!)
Acts 7:25 For he supposed his brethren would
have understood how that God by his hand would
deliver them: but they understood not.
(b) Religious leaders of Jesus’ day - They
thought they were correct in rejecting
Jesus!
i. Jesus tried to get them to open up to
the possibilities of a God bigger than
their understanding, but they would
not.
ii. We need to stay humble.
3. \\#10:12\\ Be careful "lest he fall"
a. God is real and the principals found in His Word work,
but when you ignore or even misinterpret those
principals you leave yourself wide open to the devil!
b. That old saying, "What you don’t know can’t hurt you"
is a lie!
(1) After Hurricane Harvey, a fellow was wading
through a flooded yard to rescue a dog on a
porch. What he did not know was a live power
line was on the ground under the water. He was
electrocuted.
(2) Christians in ignorance are allowing things into
our lives that are destroying our homes, our
relationship with God, and our effectiveness in
this world.
(3) Just because we don’t know about it does not make
the effects in less destructive.
c. BE CAREFUL.
(1) Be prayerful so that you can hear God’s warnings.
(2) Be alert to that you can see the results of your
actions.
4. \\#10:13\\ Trust God
1Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you
but such as is common to man: but God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear it.
a. This is a great anchor verse.
(1) A verse that will help you at all times and in
a variety of situations.
(2) However, it is not just the obvious truth that
we find in the verse that makes it such a great
verse.
(3) It is also the point Paul was making when he gave
us the verse. WE CAN TRUST GOD.
b. The point Paul is making is that YOU CAN TRUST GOD.
(1) The first reason people stiffen up when dealing
with controversial issues is because they are
afraid they are going to lose something they
really want.
(2) People are screaming out, "Don’t take away my
leisure, my hobbies, my pleasures, my
entertainment, my free time, my fun, my, my,
my….)
(3) In dealing with these kinds of issues you need to
remember that you can trust God.
(a) If God takes something away from you, it is
for His glory.
(b) But it is also for your good.
(c) When God takes something away from you, He
has something better to give you.
5. \\#10:13\\ Seek the way out
1Cor 10:13 …but God… will… also make a way
to escape…"
a. The second reason most people stiffen up when dealing
with controversial issues is because they don’t think
they can do without it.
(1) God always provides a way out or a way to bear
it!
(2) As long as the Book is true, God will provide you
the ability to be victorious!
(3) Humble yourself and seek it!
b. I am not saying it is going to be easy.
(1) Life is seldom easy.
(2) I am saying there is a way.
(3) Find it.
6. \\#10:14\\ Flee idolatrous situations
1Cor 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee
from idolatry.
a. You may have thought this was not related to Paul’s
discussion of eating meat offered to idols, but it
was.
b. In helping Christians deal with controversial issues,
Paul laid out another of those hard and steadfast
principals.
(1) If it is associated with idolatry, idols,
Satan’s kingdom, or the occult - FLEE FROM IT!
(2) Some things are not nearly as complicated as we
want to make out.
(3) Deliberately eating meat that has been offered
to idols?
(a) Why would a Christian want to have any
direct and deliberate contact with anything
of the devil’s?
(b) Satanic meat?
(c) Satanic music?
(d) Satanic art?
(e) Satanic worship?
(f) Satanic entertainment?
c. Somewhere along the way, Americans have forgotten some
basic principles.
You probably will never have occasion to eat meat that has been
offered to idols, but you will have a lot of other contemporary
issues which fall into the same category. If you are going to find
the correct course of action, you must first have the right kind of
spirit.
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