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1 Corinthians 8:4-6
In 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 the Apostle Paul picks up as was his intention in 1 Corinthians 8:1 (NKJV), “…concerning things offered to idols.” The prelude that he gave in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 was important because he wanted to make the congregation of the church at Corinth aware that as they already have, possibly, the knowledge that he about to give them, if they do not act on that knowledge and implement the required action of the knowledge in their lives, then they are not following in the footsteps of a Christian life. He now has their attention and can continue with his teaching of “things offered to idols” as we have noted in 1 Corinthians 8:1.
The secular lifestyle of the Roman influence in Corinth was immense. They worshiped many different gods at many different temples. It was normal for a person to worship one god and participate in the ritual of that temple, and then go to a different temple and participate in the worship and ritual of another god. In 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 Paul wants to make sure that the congregation of the church at Corinth is aware that there is only one true God, and that their worship should be to only the Father God of heaven through His One and only Son Jesus. He states in 1 Corinthians 8:6, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”
This is a command to worship only the one true God of heaven through salvation in His Son Jesus.
When God gave the commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, the first commandment is found in Exodus 19:3 declaring, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” And the second commandment is reflective of the first as we learn in Exodus 19:4-6, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD you God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the father upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” In the coming of the Messiah – Christ Jesus, in the realization and understanding of salvation through faith and not of works (Romans 3:28), this commandment is all the more solidified. The Apostle Paul has made the congregation of the church at Corinth aware of the knowledge of their behavior in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 8:1-3) and he supports this in Romans 3:20 as he declares, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” We too, through our knowledge of the Bible, have the knowledge that we are to worship only the one true God of heaven through our salvation in Christ Jesus.
Dear LORD,
We may not even realize how many ways of this world that we get caught up in that when simplified are participating in worshiping idols, as the true definition of an idol is anything that we put before You. Please make us aware – give us the knowledge of anything that we may need to put behind us so that our relationships with You through our salvation in Christ Jesus may grow and that we will be the people that You have called us to be. In Jesus name I pray, amen.