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| Chapter XV.—On Avoiding Offence.
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Chapter XV.—On Avoiding Offence.
“We know that we all have
knowledge”—common knowledge in common things, and the
knowledge that there is one God. For he was writing to believers; whence
he adds, “But knowledge (gnosis) is not in all,” being
communicated to few. And there are those who say that the knowledge about
things sacrificed to idols is not promulgated among all, “lest
our liberty prove a stumbling-block to the weak. For by
thy knowledge he that is weak is
destroyed.”2812
| 2812 1
Cor. viii. 1, 7, 9, 11. | Should they say, “Whatsoever
is sold in the shambles, ought that to be bought?” adding,
by way of interrogation, “asking no questions,”2813
as
if equivalent to “asking questions,” they give a ridiculous
interpretation. For the apostle says, “All other things buy out
of the shambles, asking no questions,” with the exception of
the things mentioned in the Catholic epistle of all the apostles,2814
“with the consent of the Holy Ghost,” which is written in
the Acts of the Apostles, and conveyed to the faithful by the hands
of Paul himself. For they intimated “that they must of necessity
abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication, from which keeping themselves, they
should do well.” It is a different matter, then, which is expressed
by the apostle: “Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not
power to lead about a sister, a wife, as the rest of the apostles, as the
brethren of the Lord and Cephas? But we have not used this power,”
he says, “but bear all things, lest we should occasion hindrance
to the Gospel of Christ;” namely, by bearing about burdens, when it
was necessary to be untrammelled for all things; or to become an example
to those who wish to exercise temperance, not encouraging each other to
eat greedily of what is set before us, and not to consort inconsiderately
with woman. And especially is it incumbent on those entrusted with such
a dispensation to exhibit to disciples a pure example. “For though
I be free from all men, I have made myself servant to all,” it
is said, “that I might gain all. And every one that striveth for
mastery is temperate in all things.”2815
“But
the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.”2816
For conscience’ sake, then, we are to abstain from what we ought
to abstain. “Conscience, I say, not his own,” for it is
endued with knowledge, “but that of the other,” lest he be
trained badly, and by imitating in ignorance what he knows not, he become
a despiser instead of a strong-minded man. “For why is my liberty
judged of by another conscience? For if I by grace am a partaker, why am I
evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whatever ye do, do all to
the glory of God”2817
—what you are commanded to do by
the rule of faith.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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