1 corinthians 8
Introduction: Did Paul Follow the Law for the Sake of the Jews?
Throughout the New Testament, and especially in the book of Acts, Paul is presented as someone who is a faithful Israelite, obedient to the Torah (Romans 3:31; 9-11; Acts 21:23-24; 23:3ff). Pauline scholar Jacob Jervell highlights this, pointing out that the Lukan Paul is shown to be a good and faithful Jew (40-41). This proves to be puzzling to some evangelicals such as scholar C.K. Barrett, who suggests that Paul is portrayed as too Jewish, too Torah observant, in the book of Acts. Unable to reconcile the Lukan Paul with what he sees in Paul's epistles, Barrett stresses this seeming contradiction, stating pointedly, the “picture of Paul the good Jew is not what one finds in the epistles” (164). Scholars have wrestled with this supposed disjointed picture of Paul for centuries, and many have arrived at an incoherent and confusing depiction of one of the most influential men in history.
Many theories strive to answer these seeming contradictions. Did Luke simply create a good Jew caricature of Paul? Did Paul, while condemning Peter for hypocrisy (cf. Galatians 2), demonstrate hypocrisy himself by pretending to act like a good Jew when he was nothing of the sort? Or, citing 1 Corinthians 9:20, did Paul practice law-keeping for the pragmatic purpose of evangelism to the Jews? Having a basic presupposition that all scripture is inspired by God, we reject that Luke inaccurately or deceptively painted Paul as a “good Jew." Likewise, we reject that Paul was a hypocrite who pretended to be a good Jew around Jews, yet condemned Peter for practicing the same. We are left with the question of 1 Corinthians 9:20-22. Did Paul keep the Torah among Jews to win the Jews for the gospel of Christ? To answer this, we will examine the meaning of “To the Jews I became as a Jew … to those outside the law I became as one outside the law … I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” As we embark on this study, let's first reacquaint ourselves with how Luke describes Paul in Acts. In Acts 21, Luke shows Paul's commitment to the Torah. Paul was traveling to Jerusalem with the desire to be there by the Feast of Pentecost. Upon his arrival, Paul reports to James and the elders in Jerusalem about his ministry to the Gentiles:
Throughout the New Testament, and especially in the book of Acts, Paul is presented as someone who is a faithful Israelite, obedient to the Torah (Romans 3:31; 9-11; Acts 21:23-24; 23:3ff). Pauline scholar Jacob Jervell highlights this, pointing out that the Lukan Paul is shown to be a good and faithful Jew (40-41). This proves to be puzzling to some evangelicals such as scholar C.K. Barrett, who suggests that Paul is portrayed as too Jewish, too Torah observant, in the book of Acts. Unable to reconcile the Lukan Paul with what he sees in Paul's epistles, Barrett stresses this seeming contradiction, stating pointedly, the “picture of Paul the good Jew is not what one finds in the epistles” (164). Scholars have wrestled with this supposed disjointed picture of Paul for centuries, and many have arrived at an incoherent and confusing depiction of one of the most influential men in history.
Many theories strive to answer these seeming contradictions. Did Luke simply create a good Jew caricature of Paul? Did Paul, while condemning Peter for hypocrisy (cf. Galatians 2), demonstrate hypocrisy himself by pretending to act like a good Jew when he was nothing of the sort? Or, citing 1 Corinthians 9:20, did Paul practice law-keeping for the pragmatic purpose of evangelism to the Jews? Having a basic presupposition that all scripture is inspired by God, we reject that Luke inaccurately or deceptively painted Paul as a “good Jew." Likewise, we reject that Paul was a hypocrite who pretended to be a good Jew around Jews, yet condemned Peter for practicing the same. We are left with the question of 1 Corinthians 9:20-22. Did Paul keep the Torah among Jews to win the Jews for the gospel of Christ? To answer this, we will examine the meaning of “To the Jews I became as a Jew … to those outside the law I became as one outside the law … I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” As we embark on this study, let's first reacquaint ourselves with how Luke describes Paul in Acts. In Acts 21, Luke shows Paul's commitment to the Torah. Paul was traveling to Jerusalem with the desire to be there by the Feast of Pentecost. Upon his arrival, Paul reports to James and the elders in Jerusalem about his ministry to the Gentiles:
And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law (Acts 21:20-24, emphasis ours).
Contextually, we see a number of things from this passage. First, James and the elders relate how many thousands of Torah-obedient Jewish believers there are. Second, these had all heard that Paul was teaching all the Jews among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, which is further delineated into a specific allegation of teaching against circumcision and following the customs. Third, Paul is told to take four men who have a Nazarite Vow (Stein, 472) and along with them, undergo the purification ritual specified in the Torah. This purification ritual included a burnt offering, a sin offering, a peace offering, and the shaving of one’s hair (Numbers 6:1-21). Note that over thirty years after the atoning death of the Messiah, we see Paul offering sin offerings, among others, in the Temple. In Judaism, a Nazarite was the highest sanctification of holiness one could achieve. Essentially, it was the means by which a lay person would step into the shoes of a Priest of the Lord (Edersheim, Chapter 19). Though not written down until several hundred years later, the Mishnah possibly reveals a view that may have been in place during the first century, teaching that a Nazarite was honored beyond a priest and given the status of a tzadik, or righteous one, because one became a Nazarite by choice, not through heredity (Mishna Nazir vi). Fourth, Paul agrees to undergo the purification ritual along with these men in order to prove that there is nothing to the allegations that had been levied against him by other Jews. In other words, Paul had been accused of teaching against the Torah and its instruction of how to live righteously, and this purification service was to prove beyond a shadow of doubt that there was nothing to these rumors. It was to show that the allegations were false, because Paul lived in obedience to the Torah.
Twelve days later, being falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the Temple, Paul states emphatically:
Twelve days later, being falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the Temple, Paul states emphatically:
Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets (Acts 24:13-14, emphasis ours).
Luke is clearly portraying Paul as a Torah-obedient believer in Jesus as the Messiah. In fact, Luke's portrayal of Paul is quite similar to his portrayal of Stephen in Acts six. Stephen was falsely accused of speaking against Moses (6:11) and the law (6:13). The religious leaders found lying witnesses who said that Stephen wanted to change the customs received from Moses (6:14). Similarly, Paul had been falsely accused of speaking against the law and against Moses (24:13), when in fact he believed and obeyed the Law and the Prophets (24:14). Luke shows that those who attempted to portray Paul as teaching against the Torah, against circumcision, against sacrifices, and against participation in the Temple were lying witnesses. In truth, Paul obeyed the law and encouraged others to do so as well.
Still, some will say, yes, Paul was Torah observant when he was with Jews, but when he wasn’t with Jews, he lived as a Gentile. After all, didn’t Paul say in 1 Corinthians 9:22 that he was “all things to all people?”
Before we can begin to understand 1 Corinthians 9:22, let's consider its larger context, found in chapters eight through ten. In both chapters eight and ten, Paul deals with issues related to food that has been sacrificed to idols. Chapter nine, which does not address idol sacrifices directly, is sandwiched between them. F.F. Bruce, in his commentary on First Corinthians, notes that some may be surprised by this sudden digression, yet he states there should be little surprise since chapter nine deals with the same larger theme: curtailing one's own freedom in the interest of others (82-83). Similarly, Pauline scholar Ben Witherington III says that chapter nine is less about Paul defending his apostleship as it is Paul “providing an example of self-sacrificial behavior” (203). Again, David E. Garland, commentating on First Corinthians nine, says that Paul writes chapter nine as an example of his counsel in chapters eight and ten. He states that chapter nine “ … is integral to Paul's argument about idol food” (396). Therefore, if we are to understand chapter nine, let's begin with chapter eight.
Chapter 8: Love Supersedes our Freedoms
Paul begins in verse one with the topic of the chapter: “Now concerning food sacrificed to idols ...” Chapter eight has many similarities with Romans 14, so much so that we argue Romans 14 addresses the very same issue: eating meat sacrificed to idols and the weaker brother. Paul begins by explaining what he knows about idols:
Still, some will say, yes, Paul was Torah observant when he was with Jews, but when he wasn’t with Jews, he lived as a Gentile. After all, didn’t Paul say in 1 Corinthians 9:22 that he was “all things to all people?”
Before we can begin to understand 1 Corinthians 9:22, let's consider its larger context, found in chapters eight through ten. In both chapters eight and ten, Paul deals with issues related to food that has been sacrificed to idols. Chapter nine, which does not address idol sacrifices directly, is sandwiched between them. F.F. Bruce, in his commentary on First Corinthians, notes that some may be surprised by this sudden digression, yet he states there should be little surprise since chapter nine deals with the same larger theme: curtailing one's own freedom in the interest of others (82-83). Similarly, Pauline scholar Ben Witherington III says that chapter nine is less about Paul defending his apostleship as it is Paul “providing an example of self-sacrificial behavior” (203). Again, David E. Garland, commentating on First Corinthians nine, says that Paul writes chapter nine as an example of his counsel in chapters eight and ten. He states that chapter nine “ … is integral to Paul's argument about idol food” (396). Therefore, if we are to understand chapter nine, let's begin with chapter eight.
Chapter 8: Love Supersedes our Freedoms
Paul begins in verse one with the topic of the chapter: “Now concerning food sacrificed to idols ...” Chapter eight has many similarities with Romans 14, so much so that we argue Romans 14 addresses the very same issue: eating meat sacrificed to idols and the weaker brother. Paul begins by explaining what he knows about idols:
Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one” (8:4).
Yet he goes on to say,
However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do (8:7-8).
If we read chapter eight in isolation, we may think that Paul grants freedom to eat meat sacrificed to idols, unless it hurts the conscience of a weaker brother. This interpretation suggests that “strong” believers are not affected by such practices, but that the weak may stumble back into idolatry. However, this is inconsistent with the rulings of the Jerusalem council in which Gentile believers are told to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols (Acts 15:29, see Witherington's commentary on Acts 15, p.434), as well as the condemnation of those in the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira who eat food sacrificed to idols (Revelation 2:14, 20). Moreover, it is inconsistent with what Paul says in chapter ten of First Corinthians, which we will discuss below.
Many First Corinthians scholars such as Gordon D. Fee and David E. Garland propose a different interpretation. Paul is not granting the Corinthians the right to participate in eating food sacrificed to idols. He has already written to them about the importance of avoiding idolatry in his previous letter (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:9-10). Most likely the Corinthians have written a response, saying that surely they can eat food sacrificed to idols because they have “knowledge” that idols are nothing and that there is only one God (8:1,4). According to Fee and Garland, Paul grants them this “knowledge” for the sake of argument, and then shows how even so, they should not participate in idol sacrifices out of love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. As Fee states,
Many First Corinthians scholars such as Gordon D. Fee and David E. Garland propose a different interpretation. Paul is not granting the Corinthians the right to participate in eating food sacrificed to idols. He has already written to them about the importance of avoiding idolatry in his previous letter (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:9-10). Most likely the Corinthians have written a response, saying that surely they can eat food sacrificed to idols because they have “knowledge” that idols are nothing and that there is only one God (8:1,4). According to Fee and Garland, Paul grants them this “knowledge” for the sake of argument, and then shows how even so, they should not participate in idol sacrifices out of love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. As Fee states,
Although Paul will finally forbid their going to the temples, his first concern is with the incorrect ethical basis of their argument. The problem is primarily attitudinal. They think Christian conduct is predicated on gnōsis (knowledge) and that knowledge gives them exousia (rights/freedom) to act as they will in this matter. Paul has another view: The content of their knowledge is only partially correct; but more importantly, gnōsis is not the ground of Christian behavior, love is (363).
Later, Paul will show them that participation in anything associated with idolatry is wrong. For now, he shows that even if it were acceptable, it is harmful to other believers, so we should abstain. Similarly, Garland explains,
Paul's strict monotheism makes him rigidly opposed to any encroachment by religious syncretism, but his argument does not take the form of a raging renunciation of the actions of those who feel free to eat as they please. He chooses a more indirect route to try to convince those who have not yet been persuaded … Paul leaves aside, for the moment, the theological aspect of the argument and turns to the potential effect of their current behavior on a fellow believer who may not have the same level of theological sophistication to rationalize such behavior or to apprehend its theological consequences (378).
Paul could have, at the start, forbid the Corinthians' syncretism—participating in both worship of the one true God and in idol feasts and sacrifices. But instead, for the moment, he hypothetically grants them the right and then shows that even still, they must act out of love for others and abstain. Later, in chapter ten, he will show that this supposed right or freedom is no right at all and is unacceptable.
Some understand Paul's statement in verse eight to be a declaration that all things are acceptable to eat as food, and therefore we are no longer under the food laws of the Torah. However, the context is not talking about kosher food laws, but rather meat that has been sacrificed to idols. It would be an example of eisegesis, or reading into the text, to interpret this passage as overturning the food laws of the Torah. Paul grants, again for the sake of argument, that eating meat sacrificed to idols is nothing because idols are nothing. He mentions nothing about the food laws found in the Torah. There are many things that God does not designate as food in the Torah (i.e. pig, shellfish, frogs, worms, etc.), and there is nothing to indicate that Paul is discussing any of these here in chapter eight.
In verse nine, Paul introduces the primary theme that will run throughout chapters eight through ten.
Some understand Paul's statement in verse eight to be a declaration that all things are acceptable to eat as food, and therefore we are no longer under the food laws of the Torah. However, the context is not talking about kosher food laws, but rather meat that has been sacrificed to idols. It would be an example of eisegesis, or reading into the text, to interpret this passage as overturning the food laws of the Torah. Paul grants, again for the sake of argument, that eating meat sacrificed to idols is nothing because idols are nothing. He mentions nothing about the food laws found in the Torah. There are many things that God does not designate as food in the Torah (i.e. pig, shellfish, frogs, worms, etc.), and there is nothing to indicate that Paul is discussing any of these here in chapter eight.
In verse nine, Paul introduces the primary theme that will run throughout chapters eight through ten.
But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak (8:9).
We may have (supposed) knowledge, freedom, or rights, but we must not let these interfere with the gospel to the unsaved and the spiritual growth of the saved. Even if we argue that we can rightfully eat food sacrificed to idols, it is a right we must be willing to forego if it causes fellow believers to stumble (10-13). Their spiritual growth is of utmost importance, to the point that Paul says he will never eat meat if it harms his brother's growth in the Messiah (13).