Puffed Up or Build Up

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

PUFFED UP OR BUILD UP

1 Cor 8:1-3

8:1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But the man who loves God is known by God.

NIV

Once again, we should include this whole chapter, or as Paul did not write in chapters, his whole thought regarding eating food sacrificed to idols. But that would be too much to digest at one time and there are these nuggets of truth within to deal with. This idea of thinking they possessed knowledge is one of those nuggets. We can take this idea and bring it right up to date in the church today. We might think that we have all the truth of God and appear that we do. We might even have a fuller knowledge of the word of God than some others, especially those new in the faith and are just learning how to live in accordance with the will of God. Certainly, God has called and gifted some to be shepherds and teachers so as to assist others in their walk of faith. He gifts some with a greater ability to have insights that others might not see. But the fact still remains that it is dangerous to think anyone is better, or that we are better than anyone which leads to being puffed up or arrogant. It is interesting the Greek word translated as knowledge is the root word for Gnosticism. There are various thoughts as to what a gnostic believes and what part, if any, does it play any role in Christianity. Within the context that Paul is using this word, it seems to imply the idea some thought they had a superior spiritual knowledge about God. One of the various meanings of being a gnostic was dualism or acknowledging more than one god and in that culture they certainly were various temples to various gods. Yet, in this idea here, if we restrict it to the church, this idea of thinking we have a superior knowledge only makes us think more highly of ourselves then we should. Being arrogant only divides the church, or it causes others to sin, as in not liking or thinking poorly of the one who is arrogant. This may even apply to those who think themselves to be spiritual, or very spiritual, appearing to be holy, or having this “Holier than thou” attitude can certainly cause division in the church, or at very least, not create unity. Love, on the other hand does create unity, as we love God, we also then love each other. As Paul puts it so concisely, knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. So then we have the choice to either be puffed up or to build up.