1 Corinthians 8:4-6: 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. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 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.
After you have come to Christ, after you have the Word of God, you know that an idol is nothing. That is the way Paul spoke of the idols—they are nothing. There is but one God. So he says that the meat that was offered to the idol was not affected. It was not contaminated. In fact, it was prime meat. So the instructed Christian could go there to get his meat and eat it with no problem. These idols were merely called gods. As I stood in the ruins of the temple of Apollo in Corinth, I thought of this passage of Scripture. I thought of all the sacrifices that had been offered to that image of Apollo there. It was nothing. The meat was brought in to the idol, put there for a little while, and then it was taken to the meat shop. It didn’t make any difference in the meat—the idol was nothing. The instructed Christian knew that. He knew there is but one God, the Father, and that there is but one Lord Jesus Christ. He made all things, and all things belong to Him. 1
Application
- Read Psalm 115:1-8. Who creates an idol? Who does an idol resemble?
- How does someone or something become an idol in your life?
Thought to Share
An idol is just a poor imitation of something that will never satisfy. – TWEET IT
Prayer
Lord, help me to find my sufficiently in You alone.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
