In my article refuting AiG's heresies, I said in the "The Law of Liberty and the Weaker Brother" section that 1 Corinthians 8 is essentially the same as Romans 14 (which agrees with AiG's position). I said that because I was skimming through the chapter when verifying AiG's claims about it. But later on, when I was simply reading through the Bible, I noticed something that I had missed: Paul actually condemns eating meat sacrificed to idols. This is much more consistent with Acts 15:20 than the traditional, apathetic interpretation that it doesn't matter. But let's go through 1 Corinthians 8 and see what it says that might lead one into thinking that Paul is saying that it doesn't actually matter.
[1] Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. [2] And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. [3] But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. [1 Corinthians 8:1-3; NKJV]
It's very interesting that Paul opens this part about things offered to idols by contrasting knowledge with love, and says that a person's knowledge is incomplete. This is actually quite fitting, since one would be fooling themselves to think that it could even be remotely possible that knowingly eating foods sacrificed to idols is okay.
[4] Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. [5] For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), [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. [1 Corinthians 8:4-6; NKJV]
Here's a spot where the misunderstanding may come from. Paul begins his condemnation by saying that an idol is nothing. He also reaffirms that there is only one God and one Lord, and it's through him that we live. On the surface, it sounds like Paul is saying that it shouldn't matter if one knowingly eats meat sacrificed to idols. But remember: Teaching against Torah makes one a false teacher by definition [Deuteronomy 13:1-5]. So while idols are indeed nothing, we should still be obeying God. And God says to have nothing to do with idols or other gods.
[7] However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. [8] But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. [1 Corinthians 8:7-8; NKJV]
Here is yet another snippet that, unless you read the whole chapter very carefully, may lead you into thinking eating meat sacrificed to idols is okay since "idols are nothing". But notice what it says: The conscience of the weak is defile because he or she has concern of the idol. That itself is a condemnation of eating foods sacrificed to idols. So the idols, while nothing, still represents something in the mind of the weak. Paul then re-iterates that food is not what makes us holy or unholy, echoing Romans 14:17.
[9] But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. [10] For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? [1 Corinthians 8:9-10; NKJV]
And here's the beginning of the main condemnation that Paul makes of eating foods offered to idols. Here we have a scenario of someone who knows that idols are worthless eating in a pagan temple resulting in a weaker brother thinking it is okay to knowingly eat foods sacrificed to idols. So the one who eats in pagan temples, knowing that idols are useless and not eating any foods sacrificed to idols, has corrupted the conscience of the weaker member of the Body. And the result:
[11] And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? [12] But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. [1 Corinthians 8:11-12; NKJV]
And thus the main body of the condemnation. If you use your freedom to do something that is not sinful, but in doing so, somehow convince someone who is weak in faith to do something that is clearly a sin, you have then sinned! For you have caused someone to do something that God has clearly forbidden just by doing something that is associated with such that God has not forbidden. Now where have we heard that before? Oh that's right:
[42] But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. [Mark 9:42; NKJV]
This is exactly what Jesus is warning against! And Paul even says this at the end of 1 Corinthians 8:
[13] Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. [1 Corinthians 8:13; NKJV]
It is so important that we do not cause others to sin that Paul says he will eat only vegetables if that is what it takes for him to not cause others to sin concerning food sacrificed to idols. We should likewise therefore do things in a way that does not cause people to sin. And in actuality, I now believe this is one of the main points of Romans 14 that I believe I missed in my article on it:
If something that you want to do is not prohibited by Torah, nor prohibited by local law, then you should do it, but do it in a way that does not cause anyone to break God's law. For everything that we do should be to the glory of our Lord Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.
