Cornerstone Television

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 8:1

 

Sometimes we have more information than we really want. For example, in 2005, a research study at Ohio University reported that Americans unintentionally eat one to two pounds of insect parts per year. To ensure better quality control, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued strict new guidelines on the amount of “allowable” foreign matter in packaged food. They include: No more than 50 insect fragments or two rodent hairs per 100 grams of peanut butter. No more than ten fruit fly eggs in 100 grams of tomato juice. No more than 150 insect fragments in an eight-ounce chocolate bar. The guidelines were prompted when the Oregon Health Department revealed that the chunks in Hoody’s Chunky Peanut Butter were not peanuts but rat droppings. Hoody executives were sentenced to ten days in prison for health violations.

We probably could have gotten along fine without all the above information. However, it is good to know that the USDA is at least trying to curb some of the impurities in food. This is the information age. We have vast amounts of “knowledge” at our fingertips through the Internet and other media. However, the more we think we know, the more we are tempted to show off our “smarts.” Paul addresses this with the Corinthian church. The issue there also was food—meat sacrificed to idols. Some were convinced they shouldn’t eat meats offered to pagan idols and later sold in local markets. Others, claiming “a superior knowledge,” laughed at and looked down on these “ignorant” souls. The “superiors” flaunted their “knowledge” to the offense of the others.

Because the accusations and counter accusations had become intense, Paul shut down the bickering by saying: Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes. Clearly, the church was distracted and disturbed over something that should have been left alone. The larger issue was for them to love each other, be careful not to offend or cause another to sin, and to get on with the task for which they were called. It’s a good lesson for us to learn in this crazy “information age.”