For His Glory

Read 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

What do you notice? What stands out to you? What observations or questions does this passage raise?

Discuss:

Buying meat in Corinth was a bit of a minefield. Virtually all the meat available for purchase had been slaughtered as a sacrifice at one temple or another, and there was a genuine question in some people’s minds about whether this made it unclean, defiled or spiritually dangerous. (In fact, there are commands both in Exodus 34 and Acts 15, telling people not to). Paul however argues that if you are not participating in the idolatrous feasts and parties and have made a clean break from your previous life, and recognize that idols are just wood and stone, and meat is just meat, then there is no problem in eating it.

No problem unless it hurts the faith of someone who is trying to leave that lifestyle and pattern of thinking but struggling...

• What do you think is Paul primarily concerned with in this passage? (Hint: it is not mainly about eating meat).
• What are some modern examples of things that we as Christian may do (ie we have permission) but must decide whether we should do in a particular context?
• Shouldn’t we be enjoying the freedom we have in Christ at every opportunity? Why or why not?
• How do you work out whether something is going to hurt someone else’s conscience/ faith? What steps might you need to take?
• How is this attitude and these actions glorifying to God?

Phil talked about God’s glory, using passages like Psalm 19:1, Exodus 40:34-35, Ezekiel 1:27-28 and Hebrews 1:3.

• What does God’s glory mean to you?
• What does it have to do with us – I mean, God is already glorious despite us, right?
• What is one thing you can do this year to make your life more glorifying to God?

Pray: for one another to be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and to the needs of the people around you, both Christian and non-Christian, so that they can see a model of God being glorified.