The people of Corinth lived in a pluralistic, pagan society.  As we have studied earlier in our introduction to Corinthians, there are ruins of large temple structures still in Corinth.  When people were new to the faith, they would have found it hard to move straight from their pagan past to a Christian way of thinking.  Paul emphasizes that, compared to God, the gods of the pagans are nothing, although spiritual realities corresponding to ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ exist.  Now imagine the struggle of a person who has offered meat to the gods each day (and has turned away from that practice when they found Christ) who sees someone from their church eating the meat that was part of their former life.  There would be a pull, not only into eating the meat that was on offer, but to entertain thoughts about the ‘lords’ and the ‘gods’ to whom they had previously committed themselves.  What do you think the church should do about the meat that has been offered to idols?

1 Corinthians 8:4-6

⁴So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. ⁵For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), ⁶yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Questions:

1. To what subject does 1 Corinthians 8 now turn?
2. How many Gods are there?
3. How many gods and lords are there?
4. What religions believe in more than one God and still offer sacrifices to them?
5. Do you know any people who formerly belonged to another religion?  What was their view of God, gods, and lords?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. What three distinct words does Paul use to describe the domains he is talking about?
2. What other name does Paul give the one God?
3. What came from the Father?
4. Who is the one Lord?
5. What comes through the one Lord?

Interpretation

1. Is Paul talking about spiritual realities or physical realities in this passage?  Does it fluctuate?
2. Are ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ really demons?  What influences your answer?
3. Why doesn’t the passage say that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also God?
4. Is Jesus the only Lord, or fluctuate God The Father and The Holy Spirit also Lords?
5. Why is Paul careful to state his position on the reality of idols, God, gods and lords?

Application

1. How are you aware of the spiritual realities behind daily phenomena?
2. Do you think demons are behind other religions?  How does your belief in this area influence your actions to those who leave other religions behind?
3. How can you remember the unique importance of God?
4. How can you powerfully make your point, like Paul does in this passage, and then act as if you didn’t believe it?  Paul does this for the good of all in this chapter.
5. Why do you think people become combative and aggressive when they disagree in the church?  What needs to change in people for them to assert their perspective, disagree and also love each other?