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corpus-paul - Re: Paul and meat sacrificed to idols

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  • From: "John C. Hurd" <John.Hurd AT Squam.org>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Paul and meat sacrificed to idols
  • Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 12:06:37 -0400


Nathan is quite right to be confused. But 1 Corinthians (and most of
the other letters) cannot be read as though it were an essay on a series
of topics. It is part of a conversation. In his founding visit to
Corinth he had not established any dietary restrictions, thus allowing
the eating of "idol meat" (a phrase that has a wide range of meaning).
Later, in his (mostly) lost letter to the Corinthians mentioned in 1
Cor. 5:9-11 he told them to avoid idol meat. The Corinthians responded
in their Reply Letter (see 1 Cor. 7:1), "Why can't we eat idol meat?
After all, you ate idol meat when you were here." And Paul in 1 Cor.
8:1--11:1 tries to affirm both sides of the question. In principle
Christian freedom allows the eating of idol meat, but various
considerations make it unwise (demons) or uncharitable (the weaker
brother). And he liked the resulting argument so much that he reused it
in Romans 14.
See in much more detail, JCH, The Origin of 1 Corinthians.
With best wishes -- John

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