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Knowledge can be like a puffer fish. It puffs us up into a state where our thorny exterior rips the flesh of others.
Using food as an example, Paul illustrates that Christians who put an emphasis on knowledge within their relationships risk creating a stumbling block to fellow believers.
Food, however, will not improve our relation with God; we shall not lose anything if we do not eat, nor shall we gain anything if we do eat. 9 Be careful, however, not to let your freedom of action make those who are weak in the faith fall into sin.
1 Corinthians 8:8-9 GNB
Early in my walk with Jesus, I held a Bible study at my house with a few guys in college. At the time, there were three guys coming regularly, and we dug deep into Scripture. Some days we would look into the interpretation of passages and other days a passage would start a conversation about life. It was authentic and raw and I saw a great deal of life change happening through it.
One afternoon, we dug into a controversial passage and sparked a theological debate over Arminianism and Calvinism. It’s the age-old debate over the relationship between God’s sovereignty and our own free will. The debate started to get heated as one of the college students continued to challenge my belief. We argued ourselves into a shouting match. He started crying. To my shame, I had failed Paul’s instruction here in 1 Cor 8. Worse than that, I had shamed Jesus by placing knowledge above love.
And so this weak person, your brother for whom Christ died, will perish because of your “knowledge”! 12 And in this way you will be sinning against Christ by sinning against other Christians and wounding their weak conscience.
1 Corinthians 8:11-12 GNB
This happens all the time, right? It’s especially true of social media… the dumpster of presumptuous knowledge. What’s really embarrassing for me is the effect that this argument had on my Christian character. I had not only caused one to stumble, but I had damaged my witness with these two other guys. Thankfully, we apologized and are still friends today, but Paul’s warning here is very relevant.
Spiritual knowledge was given in order to love and serve others – not shame them. We must be careful not to cause others to stumble in our pursuit of knowledge!
“Many persons cover a spirit of envy and uncharitableness with the name of godly zeal and tender concern for the salvation of others; they find fault with all; their spirit is a spirit of universal censoriousness; none can please them; and every one suffers by them. These destroy more souls by tithing mint and cummin, than others do by neglecting the weightier matters of the law. Such persons have what is termed, and very properly too, sour godliness.”
Adam Clarke