1 Cor 8 & 9---CRY FREEDOMAs pastors, we are often ask “Can Christians go clubbing?”, “Can Christiansdrink?” etc. What does the Scriptures say about dealing with disputable matters?Here in 1 Cor 8-9, the issue is eating food sacrificed to idols. ContemporaryChristians in Western culture haven’t had to struggle much over whether it issinful to eat meat sacrificed to idols, but the first century church did.Christian converts in Corinth found themselves facing a controversy that causeddivision, arguments, and confusion among the body of Christ in that city. Corinthwas full of idolatry. Those who became Christians turned their devotion awayfrom idols to Jesus Christ. However, they had to apply their new faith in a citywhere idol worship still permeated every facet of daily life. “Temples for theworship of Apollo, Asclepius, Demeter, Aphrodite and other pagan gods andgoddesses were seen daily by the Corinthians as they engaged in the activitiesof daily life. The worship of Aphrodite with its many sacred prostitutes, was aparticularly strong temptation” In addition to this temptation, they also had todeal with the question whether they could eat meat that had been sacrificed toan idol. The local temples provides a service of butchering and preparing meat for thecity. The people would bring the animals to the temple, where it would besacrificed to an idol. Some of the meat went to the temple priests, some wasburnt up , some were given to the idol worshipper. This meat that had beensacrificed to an idol might be prepared and eat in a feasting hall there at thetemple, or the idol worshipper could take it home. Some that was apportioned tothe idolatrous priests made its way to the local meat market, where it was soldto the public.So there was a heated debate and finally they wrote to Paul who did not respondwith a clear cut response of yes or no. Instead he lay down some principles whichcan be summarised as:1.Don’t be a know-it-all 1 Cor 8:12.An idol is nothing to the person who serves under one true God. 1 Cor 8:4-63.Sin within disputable matters depend on how someone think about it. (1Cor 8:7-8).Those who associate eating meat with worshipping an idolviolate their conscience. Rom 14:23 says Whatever that is not of faith issin. If you are ever in doubt, don’t do it! Therefore something that is not asin for one person could be a sin for another. But neither person candictate the conscience of another in such disputable matters.4.Our freedom in Christ is limited by our sensitivity to other Christians. (1Cor 8:9-13). Those who have no pangs of conscience in a particular mattere.g. watching Harry Potter or drinking, must be aware that others whomight see them doing so and be emboldened to do likewise in violation of