Reading through the Bible-Conscience

Weak Conscience

Strong Conscience

1 Corinthians 8:7, "However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled."

There is not in everyone that knowledge: The Corinthian Christians who felt free to eat at the pagan temple may have based their freedom on correct knowledge (knowing that idols are nothing). But for some, they have consciousness of the idol, and they eat meat sacrificed to the idol as a thing offered to an idol.

Paul asks the Corinthian Christians who know there is nothing to an idol to remember that not everyone knows this. And if someone believes there is something to an idol, and they eat meat that has been sacrificed to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled.

Why is their conscience considered weak? Not because their conscience doesn't work. Indeed, it does work - in fact, ii overworks. Their conscience is considered weak because it is wrongly informed; their conscience is operating on the idea that there really is something to an idol.

You can imagine the "free" Corinthian Christians with their superior knowledge saying, "but we're right!" And in this case, being right is important but it is not more important than showing love to the family of God.

Dear God, I am so grateful for the freedom I have in Christ and I pray that I will live that freedom out in love for others.