“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” It is quite interesting to note that this famous statement comes in the middle of a section where Paul is explaining why Christians must not participate in idol feasts! To put it simply, you do not become an idolater to win idolaters.
The question for Paul is not just the technical question of “was the food offered to idols?” The question is “what does your participation in this meal mean?” Not just to you, personally, individually – but to your Christian community – as well as to your former community!
Questions of “identity” and “community” are at the heart of what Paul is talking about. People in Corinth wanted to follow the example of Naaman – we can engage outwardly in the worship of Roman gods and still worship Jesus.
Now Paul says that in one sense, it’s true that you could eat meat sacrificed to idols – because an idol is nothing in the world; God made all things, and so all things are good. Paul will say at the end of chapter 10, if you are at one of these dinners – eat whatever is set in front of you. But on the other hand, Paul recognizes that food has symbolic meaning as well. If eating this meal will identify me with that group and its deity, then I must not eat this meal.
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