Disputable Matters: Don't Be A Stumbling Block
Part of Embodied Spirituality—A Study of First Corinthians
July 16, 2023

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1 Corinthians 8:9-13 (New International Version)
9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

I. Be careful with disputable matters (v. 9)

spiritual knowledge and feelings are insufficient as ethical standards of faith.
• We “test the spirits” with the Word of God because the Holy Spirit
always sounds like . (Mt. 24:24, 2 Cor. 10:5, 1 Thess. 5:19-22, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, 1 Jn. 4:1)
• The first rule in hearing God’s voice is that you might be .
• Weak faith is making spiritual where there are none in the Word.
• The devil tempts us to overprioritize our in order to create false religion.
• Compulsion to “set free” on secondary issues is disguised .
II. Kinds of convictions (vv. 10-11)
• The conscience is a , not a of truth.
• Weak faith focuses on as spiritual maturity.
• Abstinence and liberation are spiritual not standards.
• Abstainers and liberators have the same to glorify God.
• Thoughtful and caring people will regularly others.
III. Sinning against Christ through our freedom (vv. 12-13)
• Love moves in the direction of not individualism.
• Our first responsibility as Christians is to the most person in the room.
• Mature faith understands harmony requires .
• Mature faith understands the practice of .
• Strong faith understands the value of (Rom. 14:22, 1 Cor. 9:20-23, Dan. 1:1-16).
• Discretion is not deception or hypocrisy, but rather it is .