136 I. CORINTHIANS 8.

that council, therefore, were no barrier to Paul's discussing the question on its merits. In this chapter the subject is viewed in two aspects ; first, considered in itself; and second- ly, in its bearing on the weaker or less enlightened class of Christians. Most of the questions which disturbed the early church had their origin in the conflicting prepossessions and prejudices of the Jewish and Gentile converts ; or at least, of the more and less enlightened of the Christian converts. For it is probable that many of those who had been educated as heathen belonged to the class of weaker brethren. As a body, however, the Gentiles were disposed to latitudinarian- ism 'j and the Jews to superstitious scrupulousness. So far as general principles were concerned, Paul sided with the Gentile party. Their views about meats and drinks, and holy days, and ceremonies were derived from the apostle himself, and were therefore approved by him. But the spirit and practice of this party he severely condemns. Thus, m the present in- stance, he admits that an idol is nothing ; that a sacrifice is nothing ; that all enlightened Christians know this ; that, con- sequently, eating of the heathen sacrifices was a matter of in- difierence, it made a man neither better nor worse ; and yet eating of them might be, and in their case it was, sinful ; be- cause injurious to their weaker brethren. He begins the chapter with the admission, therefore, that all enlightened Christians have knowledge. He reminds them, however, that there is something higher than knowledge ; that knowledge without love is, after all, only another form of ignorance. The main thing to be known is not apprehended, vs. 1-3. He admits, however, that Christians know that the gods of the heathen are vanities and lies, that there is but one only, the living and true God, v. 4. For although the heathen acknow- ledge a whole liierarchy of deities, >celestial and terrestrial, Christians acknowledge but one God and one Mediator, v. 6. AJl this is admitted. It is, however, nevertheless true that many Christians, though they know that there is but one God, yet are not persuaded that the heathen deities are nothing, and therefore they stand in awe of them, and could not help believing that eating of sacrifices offered to idols was an act of worship, or in some way defiling, v. Y. The apostle also admits the second principle relied upon by the Gentile converts, viz., that meat does not commend us to God, that it can have no influence on our spiritual state, v. 8. It is not enough, however, that an act should be in its own nature in-