From a letter written by the apostle Paul,
with Sosthenes,
to believers in Corinth and everywhere:
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.-1 Corinthians 8:1-13/the complete chapter***Canaan was land inhabited by idol worshipers when the Lord God promised to give Canaan to childless Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Abraham's descendants. Ishmael was born to 86-year-old Abraham and Hagar, the maidservant of Abraham's wife Sarah (Sarai). Isaac was born to 100-year-old Abraham and 90-year-old Sarah. When Isaac was 40 years old, he was married to Rebekah, Abraham and Sarah's grandniece. Fraternal twin sons Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) were born to 60-year-old Isaac and Rebekah. Canaan was inhabited by idol worshipers when the Lord God promised to give Canaan to Isaac and Isaac's descendants and when the Lord God promised to give Canaan to Jacob and Jacob's descendants. In Padan Aram, Haran, Jacob was married to Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Rebekah's brother Laban the Syrian (Aramean). Joseph was the 1st son born to Jacob and Rachel, and Joseph was 30 years old when Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, proclaimed him second-in-command. Jacob was 130 years old when he moved with his family from Canaan to Egypt. In Egypt, Jacob proclaimed Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons born to Joseph and his wife Asenath, to be his own sons. Sometime after 147-year-old Jacob died in Egypt and Jacob's family buried his body in Canaan, and 110-year-old Joseph and his siblings were dead, their descendants the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Miriam and her younger brothers Aaron and Moses were from the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 3rd born son Levi. When Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, they led the Israelites away from Egypt, across the divinely parted Red Sea and into the desert wilderness of Shur, according to the commands of the Lord God. In the desert wilderness of Sinai, in the region of Mount Sinai, the Israelites heard the voice of the Lord God proclaim the Ten Commandments to them, and the Lord God began giving Moses judgments, statutes and laws for the Israelites. The Israelites were not to have, make, bow down to, worship, or mention the name of any gods. The Lord God told Moses that the Israelites were to drive out the idolaters and destroy all items of idolatry. When Moses was upon Mount Sinai 40 days and nights with the Lord God, the Israelites told Aaron to make gods to go before them. Aaron made a gold calf and proclaimed it to be the gods that brought the Israelites out from Egyptian slavery. In Shittim, the Israelites worshiped the idols worshiped by the Moabites, the descendants of Abraham and Sarah's nephew Lot, and Lot's oldest daughter, and the son, Moab, born to Lot and his daughter. During the 40-year journey to Canaan, the Promised Land, Miriam the prophetess died and was buried in Kadesh, in the desert wilderness of Zin. Upon Mount Hor, 123-year-old Aaron the high priest died. Before Moses went upon Mount Nebo, and the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses the prophet died and was divinely buried, the Lord God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites that after they began living in Canaan they were to drive out the idolaters and destroy all items of idolatry. Joshua, Moses' aide and successor from the tribe of Ephraim, led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the land that the Lord God promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. Joshua led the battles that defeated and displaced many of the idol worshiping inhabitants. Yet, after each of the Israelite tribes received their portion of the Promised Land, many of the tribes were not able to completely conquer or eliminate the idolaters, nor did the Israelites remove all items of idolatry. After 110-year-old Joshua died, and the elders of Joshua's generation were dead, the Israelites began worshiping idols. The Lord God allowed enemies to defeat the Israelites, and when the Israelites cried out to the Lord God for help, the Lord God told the Israelites to cry to their idols. Othniel the judge served the Lord God and led the Israelites to victory. Solomon, the 2nd child born to King David and Bathsheba, was the 3rd king to rule over all of the Israelites. Rehoboam, the son born to Solomon and Naamah, was the 4th king to rule over all of the Israelites in the Promised Land. After Rehoboam gave a specific answer, the Israelites split into 2 kingdoms, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of Solomon. Judah was the nation in the south, Jerusalem was the royal city, and Rehoboam was the 1st king to reign. Israel was the northern nation, Samaria was the final royal city, and Jeroboam, the son born to Nebat and Zeruah, was the 1st king to reign. Jeroboam established idolatry throughout the northern nation and none of the kings who ruled the kingdom removed idolatry from the land. King Ahab was the 7th king to rule over all of the Israelites in the northern nation of Israel. During Ahab's 22-year reign, Elijah the
prophet presented a challenge to the Israelites and the false prophets and their idols. King Pekah was the 18th king to rule over all of the Israelites in the northern nation of Israel. During Pekah's 20-year reign, the Assyrians invaded the kingdom and King Tiglath-pileser, ruler of Assyria, began taking Israelites captive. During the 9th year of the reign of King Hoshea, the 19th king to rule the northern nation, the Assyrians conquered Samaria, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. Rehoboam's son Abijam (Abijah) was the 2nd king to rule Judah, and Abijam was an idolater. Before Abijam's battle against Jeroboam, proclaimed that the 2 golden calves made by Jeroboam were not gods. Abijam's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Hezekiah was the 12th king to rule Judah. In a prayer to the Lord God, Hezekiah proclaimed idols to be the work of men's hands. Hezekiah's great-great-grandson Jehoiakim (Eliakim) was the 17th king to rule Judah. During Jehoiakim's 11-year reign, the Babylonians (Chaldeans) invaded Judah and Jerusalem and King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon, began looting the temple of the Lord. Jehoiachin (Jeconiah/Coniah), the son born to Jehoiakim and Nehushta, was the 18th king to rule Judah. During Jehoiachin's 3-month reign, the Babylonians took more prominent Israelites, including Jehoiachin, his wives and mother, to Babylon. During the 11th year of the reign of Jehoiakim's brother King Zedekiah (Mattaniah), the 19th king to rule Judah, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. Over 500 years after Israelites began returning to Judah and Jerusalem, John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, were born. John the Baptist was born into the tribe of Levi to Zechariah (Zacharias) the priest and his wife Elizabeth (Elisabeth). Jesus the Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Elizabeth's relative Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 4th born son Judah, the tribe of David and his descendants, all of Judah's kings, to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. Approximately 30 years after John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ were born, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Jesus having prayed, the heavens tearing open, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and lit upon Jesus. The Lord God in heaven audibly acknowledged his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. Jesus fasted 40 days and nights and was tempted. Afterwards, Jesus was tended to by angels, and Jesus went to the area near John the Baptist and John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world, and testified that Jesus is the Son of God. In Galilee, Jesus told specific Israelite men to follow him, and Jesus began to preach, teach and perform miracles among the Israelites. Less than 3 1/2 years after Jesus was baptized, Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot the disciple and apostle, and Jesus was arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, and returned to heaven. Paul (Saul) was an Israelite from the tribe of Jacob and Rachel's 2nd and last son Benjamin and did not believe Jesus to be the Christ. Throughout Jerusalem, Paul persecuted and imprisoned Israelites who called upon the name of Jesus. When Paul was journeying to the synagogues in Damascus, Syria, to find, bind and take to Jerusalem any Israelite believers he found, Paul and those with him saw a light from heaven flash around them. Paul heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him, and Paul spoke to Jesus, and obeyed Jesus. In Damascus Paul was baptized. From thenceforward, Paul the apostle journeyed and wrote divinely inspired letters, teaching Israelites and Gentiles, people not born into the Israelite tribes, the good news of Jesus the Christ, and everlasting life, and a multitude of other revelations.-Genesis 11:26-50:26, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 6:1-81, 7:20-29, 10:1-29;30, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Isaiah 36:1-39:8, Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26
Reference Information:
charity = agape/agapao = love
edifieth = oikodomei/oikodomeo/oikodomos = builds up, build a house, build someone up
Reference Scriptures:
Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.-Deuteronomy 4:39
For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.-Romans 14:2...But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.-Romans 14:15...For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.-Romans 14:20-21
If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?-1 Corinthians 10:27-29
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.-Colossians 1:2...In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:-Colossians 1:14-16
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.-1 Timothy 2:5-6
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