WHAT BUILDS A
CHURCH?
Following the devastation of New
Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina, Fred Luter surveyed the damage from a
helicopter. Luter, the pastor of the 7,000-plus member Franklin Avenue Baptist
Church, strained to catch sight of his church building from the aircraft's
window. The stench from the water-soaked houses and sludge-covered vehicles drifted
500 feet in the air.
Finally, Luter spied his Church and
began to weep as the helicopter circled it twice. Several other ministers who
were with him sought to comfort him, putting their hands around his shoulders.
He chose not to fly over his nearby home. The weeping pastor shared; life is
like a vapor on this side of eternity. What you have today could be gone
tomorrow. You can't put your trust in earthly things. It's tough. I've got 19
years of my life invested there."[1]
Then, looking beyond the tragedy,
Luter spoke with courage and determination. "But we're going to rebuild.
We're going to rebuild. "As per the determination to rebuild the Church, "FABC
is currently still growing. In December 2018, the congregation moved into a
brand new 3,500 seat sanctuary with separate children and youth worship
services." [2]
This story raises a few questions.
What is a church? Is it a structural building or a community of sinners saved
by grace and set apart for God? Church buildings are built and can be destroyed,
but what truly makes a local church strong? It is not bricks and mortar as in a
physical structure, but precepts upon precepts of God learned and applied by
Christians.
I believe that is the case with FABC
or any church that has survived this Global Pandemic. After dealing with
critical relational issues, the Apostle Paul addresses questions regarding
liberties in the Church. In the process, he reminded the Corinthian believers
of what is involved in building their congregation. WHAT BUILDS A CHURCH?
I Corinthians 8:1-13
Background: Before we explore
our passage, it would be helpful to refresh our memory regarding the beginnings
and the make-up of the Corinthian Church. By the end of the 2nd
century, Corinth had become one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Paul
believed that Corinth was a strategic city of influence, with a significant
Jewish population. (Acts 18:4).
Corinth was one of the most wicked cities
of ancient times. Degradation, immorality, and heathen customs abounded. Many
religions were represented, even a temple that offered a thousand sacred
prostitutes. People worshipped pleasure more than living by godly principles.
In that context, a Church was born due to the Apostle Paul's 18 months of
intense labor.
The Corinthian Church was made up of
converts from the Jewish faith, Greek and Roman backgrounds. Some of the
Corinthians had a colorful past. Some
had been male prostitutes, some practiced homosexuality, and others worshipped
idols, robbed, cheated, and committed adultery. You could only imagine what a
task it was for Paul to lead them on the right path.
While addressing critical issues of
concern, Paul laid down specific codes of conduct for these believers of
diverse religious beliefs and behavioral backgrounds. Paul shares how
individual rights might offend weak believers and what builds up all believers
in this passage.
I.
FOOD SACRIFICED TO IDOLS (4-6)
Vs.4-6, "So, what about eating
meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not
really a god and that there is only one God. 5 There may be so-called gods both
in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many
lords.
6 But we know that there is only one
God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only
one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we
have been given life." The question here was, what about eating food offered
to idols? In one way, they may have been asking, "why can't we eat meat
offered to idols"?
To understand the context of this
question, the Greeks and Romans were polytheistic (worshipping many gods) and
polydemonistic (believing in many evil spirits). They believed that the evil
spirits would try to invade human beings by attaching themselves to food before
it was eaten. So, they would offer it to the idols to purify it and drive away
evil spirits. Like in India.
Such decontaminated food was offered
to the gods as a sacrifice. The unburnt food on the altar was served at wicked
pagan festivals, and the leftover was sold in the market. After conversion,
believers resented eating such food bought out of markets because it reminded
sensitive Gentile believers of their previous pagan lives and the demonic
worship.
Paul was aware of their knowledge on
matters regarding idols and food offered to them. So, he begins his argument by
agreeing with believers who knew "idols were nothing, so food offered to
idols was not defiled." What are the idols that millions worship?
According to Paul, an idol is not a
god. He further notes in verse five, "There may be so-called gods both in heaven
and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords."
Where did Paul get this understanding? Perhaps by reading Psalm 115:4-8.
"Their idols are merely things
of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak and
eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot
smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats
but cannot make a sound. 8 And those who make idols are just like them, as are
all who trust in them."
Repeatedly for this and other
reasons, God condemned idolatry. When people worship idols, unknowingly, they
are worshipping demons. (Psalm 106:36-38, 2 Chron 11:15). Later in the letter,
Paul urges believers to flee from idolatry by equating the food offered to idols
to demons, not to God. (I Cor 10:19). Understanding these and other scriptures
brought clarity towards idolatry and gave me a compassionate approach towards idol
worshipers.
After exposing the myths and false
understanding of idols, he appeals to their collective knowledge of the
supremacy of the God of creation. If you have any doubts regarding who created
and sustains everything, listen to verse six, "But we know that there is
only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And
there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and
through whom we have been given life."
Verses
seven to ten explain the proper way of dealing with our liberties.
II
WHAT ABOUT MY RIGHTS? (7-10)
It looked like those from a Jewish
background believed that idols were nothing but demons; hence, eating food
offered to idols would not affect them. In contrast, others from Greco-Roman
believed differently and were reluctant to eat meat sacrificed to idols. Apparently, some Christians were
going into the temple and eating food offered to the idols. They encouraged
other Christians to do the same or at least in danger of doing so. Vs. 10,
"For if others see you with your "superior knowledge" eating in
the temple of an idol, won't they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating
food that has been offered to an idol"?
In the Corinthian Church, it would
seem that some believers were asserting and defending their right to eat food
offered to idols in the temple while others were uncertain. What do Christians
in our country argue about these days? We may not be fighting over food offered
to idols. We may be fighting over asserting our rights and so-called freedoms.
For example, the right to bear arms,
women's reproductive rights, gay marriage, wearing masks and vaccinations, immigration, etc. The proponents and opponents of these rights and others may have valid
arguments to support their case. However, several Churches and families have
been split over these issues. Is it worth asserting our rights or preserve a
relationship? Paul discusses how he dealt with his rights as a model of how we should
exercise our rights.
III.
WHAT BUILDS A CHURCH?
Paul challenges the notion of
"knowledge." We sometimes
tend to think we know all we need to know to answer specific questions.
If knowing becomes everything, some people end up as know-it-alls who treat
others as know-nothings. Actual knowledge isn't that insensitive. Paul dedicated a whole chapter to deal with love,
but he highlighted a few aspects of love here. Vs.1, "But while knowledge
makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church." "But
knowledge puffs up while love builds up." (NIV) He draws a contrast
between knowledge that makes people arrogant and a compassionate love that
builds people up.
Loving God and one another is not
optional but a direct command we Christians must follow. Consider these
scriptures: Matt 22:37-39, "Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord
your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the
first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself."
John 19:34,
"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have
loved you, you should love each other." I John 4:7-12, "Dear
friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone
who loves is a child of God and knows God. Dear
friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12
No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love
is brought to full expression in us." Building on this premise, Paul urged
the Corinthians to love God because God would know them through their love. I
Cor 8:3. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds people up.
Paul's freedom to eat meat would
offend a weak believer; he was ready to give up his right. If Paul was willing
to give up his freedom not to offend a brother, how about you and me? When we
love others, our freedom should be less important to us than strengthening the
faith of our fellow believers. What builds Hope church and any other church is
LOVE. Amen!
