Your Brother Comes First

August 28, 2015 | By Chuck

"Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."(I Cor.8:13) Paul is addressing with the church at Corinth the problem of eating meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. We don't struggle with that particular issue today but the principle in how Paul handled it is very applicable for us today. Paul knew that idols were nothing and certainly were not gods so it was irrelevant if the meat had been sacrificed to idols or not. Paul knew that he could eat whatever he wanted but not every Christian had this same mature knowledge. To some Christians, it would violate their conscience to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. So, Paul would refrain from eating meat for the sake of his brother's conscience. Paul could've eaten the meat, knowing it was okay, but he knew that if he did he would cause his brother to stumble spiritually. Paul denied his own rights for the spiritual well being of his brother. Paul would go on to write: "For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved."(I Cor.10:33) The lesson you and I should learn from Paul is that our brothers and sisters come first. It's not easy to deny ourselves for the interest of others but it is Biblical and what Christians are expected to do. In fact, Jesus said that we must deny ourselves to follow him. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."(Lk.9:23)