now^ in the common Text stand after the word for idol ; most modern editors of the Greek Testament, on the authority of the older MSS., place them before that word. In the one po- sition, they naturally qualify the word to eat ; ' until now they eat^'> i. e. they continue to eat. In the other, they qualify the Avord conscience ; with a conscience still under the influence of an idol^ which gives a better sense. Having this persua- sion, or at least this apprehension of the reahty of the idol, they eat the sacrifice as a sacrifice. That is, they do not re- gard it as ordinary meat, but as something which had a reli- gious character and influence, from the fact of its having been offered in sacrifice. Hence their conscience being weak was defiled. A weak conscience is one which either regards as wrong what is not in fact so ; or one which is not clear and decided in its judgments. According to the Scriptures, "whatever is not of faith is sin," Rom. 14,23; therefore whatever a man does, thinking it is wrong, or doubtful whether it be wrong or not, to him it is sin. Thus the man who eats an idol-sacrifice, uncertain whether he is doing right or not, defiles his conscience. The conscience is said to be defiled, either when it approves or cherishes sin, or when it is bur- dened by a sense of guilt. The latter form of pollution is that here intended. The man who acts in the way supposed feels guilty, and is really guilty.
8. But meat commendeth us not to God : for nei- ther, if we eat, are we the better ; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
This verse is analogous to v. 1, in so far that it contains a principle adopted by the apostle as his o^rn, which the Co- rinthians urged to justify their latitudinarian practice with regard to these sacrifices. It is not introduced as an objec- tion, or as a point to be contested, but as an admitted truth, the apphcation of which is to be regulated by other principles no less true. It is admitted that meat does not commend us to God. Literally, does not cause us to stand near to God ; which involves the idea expressed in our version. For eating makes us neither better nor worse. It neither causes us to excel (Trepwro-evetv) nor to come behind (vo-rcpetv).
There is another view of the bearing of this passage which has much to commend it, and which has many advocates. It is regarded as assigning a reason why the strong should have