On Charity

While preaching through 1 Corinthians, I was struck by chapters eight through ten. There, the Apostle Paul addresses idolatry. Apparently, some in the Corinthian Church had taken to attending feasts to the idols in their temples; that is, they were participating in pagan worship services. They had somehow convinced themselves that since idols were not really gods, their worship services were meaningless; thus; a Christian could attend without compromising his confession (1 Corinthians 8:4-8). Indeed, such attendance was proof of Christian maturity, since it showed one fully grasped the doctrine of monotheism and accordingly had no fear of false gods. Those who went to the idol feasts were, in their own estimation, the strong, and those who stayed away the weak.
Unsurprisingly, Paul condemns this thinking most vigorously. After all, the Second Commandment says “You shall not make for yourself a carved image- any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” (Exodus 20:4-5) There’s no exception clause in the Second Commandment. It doesn’t go on to say “But feel free to bow down to carved images as long as you maintain a mental reservation noting idols aren’t really gods at all, but only pieces of carved rock.” Worse still, Paul adds, idol feasts are in fact demon sacraments (1 Corinthians 10:14-21). As the Lord Supper Spiritually (that is, by the work of the Holy Spirit) joins us to Christ, so idol feasts spiritually unite one with demons. Participation in idol feasts is essentially a denial of one’s Christian confession: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons: you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21)
But what fascinates me is how Paul waits until chapter ten to make this point. He begins his condemnation of the Corinthian practice in chapter eight by showing how the “strong,” who can make the mental reservations which permit them to attend the idol feasts, lead the “weak,” who can’t, into sincerely worshipping a false god. In fact, if all we had to go on was 1 Corinthians 8, we might well conclude participation in idol feasts contains no inherent sin, and is to be avoided only when it might compromise a brother’s conscience.
Our doctrine is clear: idol worship is a terrible sin. But Paul doesn’t begin with doctrine. He begins with charity. He exhorts the Corinthians to love their brothers by refraining from idol feasts in chapter eight. In chapter nine he defends his apostolic authority, not to instruct them on the Second Commandment, but to command them to forsake their sin of pride. The “strong” Corinthians are proud of their conduct only because they do not love their brethren more than themselves. Paul’s logic: What’s the point of teaching the Corinthians right doctrine if they’re not seeking to apply what they already know with love? Knowledge without love is worse than useless; it can kill the weaker brother, for whom Christ died (1 Corinthians 8:11). “We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” (1 Corinthians 8:1)
We Orthodox Presbyterians are very careful about our doctrine, and are rightfully wary of those who pit love against doctrine. Indeed, the liberals in the old Presbyterian Church U.S.A. rallied under the banner of “love” so they could uncharitably persecute the orthodox in their midst. Paul himself insisted on correcting the doctrinal error of the “strong” Corinthians who thought idol feasts proof of their great knowledge. Still, we err whenever we think right doctrine sufficient in itself. Our doctrine, however right it may be, is worse than useless if not clothed in love. Love, not doctrine, is the chief Christian virtue, and love is always an identifying characteristic of the true Church. When we begin with love for our brethren, our knowledge will not puff up, but edify. Love enables us to use our right doctrine for the good of our brethren, in imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnation of truth, who first loved us, and who will always love us.
“Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:12-13)