The sun climbed high, showering its golden embrace over Corinth. The Isthmian Games, in honor of the mighty sea god Poseidon, were in full swing. Crowds from various city-states flooded the streets, their voices forming a cacophony of excitement, music, and hope.
Near the temple of Poseidon, which stood majestically overlooking the Isthmus, Priest Callisthenes was making his final preparations. His robe, a deep blue hue reminiscent of the mysterious ocean depths, flowed gracefully with his movements. His beard, streaked with grey, spoke of years dedicated to the service of Poseidon.
Outside, the procession began its approach. A magnificent bull, its skin shimmering from anointed oils and adorned with golden trinkets, was led forth. This creature was to be the pinnacle of today’s offerings, chosen for its sheer vitality and strength.
Following closely were priestesses, their robes a lighter shade of sea blue, heads adorned with wreaths of seaweed and shells. Their voices rose in harmonious song, a melodic plea to Poseidon for his favor and blessing. The ethereal quality of their hymns seemed to quiet the very winds, ensuring all could hear their sacred song.
As they neared the temple’s grand altar, Callisthenes lifted his arms, bringing about a hush amongst the gathered crowd. The only sound was the soft, lilting hymn of the priestesses, which seemed to hang in the air. The priest then began his invocation, “Great Lord of the Abyss, master of waves and bringer of storms, we present our humble offering. May these games flourish under your watchful gaze, and may our sailors find your favor on treacherous seas.”
The bull, sensing the weight of the moment, grew restless. A group of attendants stepped forward, murmuring words of calm and placing gentle hands on its massive form. Callisthenes, meanwhile, took the ceremonial knife – its handle shaped like a trident – and, with a swift, practiced motion, performed the sacrifice. The crowd gasped, then erupted in a blend of cheers and continued song, marking the ritual’s climax.
Blood from the mighty creature was collected in ornate vessels: some to be poured upon the altar in honor of the god and the rest for other sacred rites. The bull’s body was then prepared for the communal feast. As the bones and fat crackled and sent plumes of smoke skyward from the altar, the meat was shared among the people – a tangible blessing from the god of the sea.
Of course, Callisthenes was one of many priests sacrificing many bulls that day. There would be plenty of meat to honor Poseidon and feed his followers.
As night’s embrace began to claim the day, festivities continued. The grounds around the temple transformed into a haven of music, dance, and joy. The sacrificed bulls’ roasted meat was distributed among the masses, ensuring all partook in Poseidon’s bounty. Indeed, there would be much left over to sell to the meat market.
***
The preceding scene is a fictional account crafted with the help of artificial intelligence based on what we know from historical literature and archeological discoveries of ancient Greco-Roman religious practices, particularly as they may have played out in Corinth.
This was the first-century world of the apostles and the early church as the gospel was spreading from Jerusalem and Judea into “Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.”
It was this world that presented the early church with one of its earliest controversies.
In ancient times, people regularly sacrificed food and animals to various gods and goddesses as an offering of celebration and devotion. This practice was common throughout the Greco-Roman world in which Christianity arose. For example, the Greeks and Romans would sacrifice animals to their gods in temples, as well as at festivals and other important events. They believed that by sacrificing food, they were pleasing the gods and even gaining their favor.
Food left over from such celebratory occasions would be donated or sold to the local meat markets, where it would be sold to the local populace. And this was a problem for first-century Christians. Many Christians believed that to partake of meat that had been consecrated to false gods was to support, or at least give tacit approval of, idol worship.
Many people were unable to mentally separate the act of eating such meat from the pagan religious rituals that had consecrated that meat before its sale in the marketplace.
This perspective was especially prevalent among those converted from Judaism, who held firm convictions about the sanctity of food laws as well as devotion to the Law of Moses generally. Conversely, other Christians, many from Gentile backgrounds, viewed meat as a neutral substance, believing that idols held no real power. They argued for their freedom to eat anything, asserting that the pagan context of the meat’s origin held no bearing on their Christian faith.
This disagreement didn’t take place in isolation. Gentile converts were also pressured by many Jewish believers in Christ to adhere to the rest of the Law of Moses, including the requirement for male circumcision.
The controversy culminated with the very first church council recorded in Scripture. This Jerusalem Council, led by the apostles and church elders and taking place probably around AD 49-50, decided that Gentiles did not need to adhere to the full Mosaic Law, emphasizing faith in Jesus Christ and abstaining from a few specific practices closely tied to pagan idolatry. The lead pastor in Jerusalem, James, issued the ruling:
Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Acts 15:19-20, KJV
The book of Acts indicates that the Gentile believers received this policy generally well (see Acts 15:30-31), but if Paul’s later writings are any indication, the matter of eating meat offered to idols remained an issue of contention. Paul addressed the matter in his first letter to the Corinthians, which was written probably around AD 53-55.
Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him. As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
I Corinthians 8:1-13, KJV
First, Paul emphasized the importance of love over knowledge. This is something all of us should keep in mind. Too often, I see Christians bitterly argue with one another over doctrine, often doing so by boasting (directly or indirectly) of their superior grasp of the Scriptures. Paul would never say that doctrine is unimportant, but he did say that love is greater than knowledge as well as both faith and hope (see I Corinthians 13).
If doctrinal convictions, including your disapproval of a fellow believer’s opinions or choices, cause you to move away from love, you are headed in the wrong direction.
Paul, in fact, drives home the reality that none of us know all that there is to know. In this life, even at our best, we “know in part” (I Corinthians 13:9a) and we “see through a glass darkly” (I Corinthians 13:12a). This is why Paul emphatically states that “if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know” (I Corinthians 8:2).
No matter how passionate we are in our convictions or how certain we are that we’ve arrived at “the truth” on a given matter, we must maintain humility and love. That is Paul’s clear message as he wades into this issue. It’s something all of us should keep in mind.
On the matter itself, Paul points out that “we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one” (I Corinthians 8:4b). This is a crucial premise. The overwhelming majority of those who identify with Christ understand that idols are “nothing” and that false gods are just that — false! Therefore, when they eat meat that has possibly be consecrated to an idol, they aren’t taking part in idol worship. They are just eating meat!
There are, however, exceptions.
Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
I Corinthians 8:7, KJV
Some people – weak believers and non-believers — do not have “that knowledge.” What knowledge? The knowledge that there is only one God and that idols are “nothing.” When these people partake of meat that has been offered to an idol, they are doing so according to the belief that the meat was “a thing offered unto an idol.” In other words, these people take it very seriously. And they are complicit. Accordingly, they are “defiled” in God’s eyes.
This is a clear prohibition. Do not eat meat offered to idols if you believe in, practice, or are complicit in, the worship of said idol – or the false god that idol represents.
Paul isn’t done. There is another important aspect to this issue.
But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
I Corinthians 8:8-9, KJV
Put simply, if a Christian eats meat that has been offered to an idol and does so with his heart turned to the One True God, knowing that false gods and idols are “nothing,” then eating such meat neither helps nor hinders him. It’s a neutral issue. It is neither good nor bad. In such matters, we have liberty.
Paul, however, does warn that our liberty isn’t the end of the discussion. We must “take heed” that others may be watching, and our decision to eat meat that’s been offered to idols could be a “stumblingblock” to the weak.
We all know people who are “weak.” When it comes to those who are “weak,” we could be talking about those in church or outside the church, though Paul certainly has brothers and sisters in Christ foremost in mind. We could be talking about children or people who have the mind of a child. It could be people who are mentally impaired or psychologically challenged. It may be victims of abuse or who have suffered some type of trauma that impairs their judgment or ability to cope. This weakness Paul speaks of could be a matter of mental, emotional, or spiritual health. It could be an issue of intellectual capacity or a lack of cognitive skills. It may simply be a lack of spiritual maturity.
Whatever the cause or reason, there are “weak” people who can be led astray by our words, choices, and actions.
Paul says that we should not use or flaunt our liberty in Christ while causing such people to stumble into sin or (in the case of this issue) defilement.
Now that we understand Paul’s teachings with respect to one of the most contentious questions argued about within the first-century church, it helps us apply his Spirit-inspired wisdom when it comes to similar areas of controversy or uncertainty today.
For more on this topic…
2 Replies to “To Eat or Not to Eat: The First-Century Christian Controversy Over Meat Sacrificed to Idols”
Comments are closed.