1st Corinthians 8:8-9

In Jewish culture, there are several animals that had been deemed “unclean to eat”. Pork being one of them. Remember, they had added over 600 rules to the 10 Commandments. Once the New Covenant was in place, through Jesus, people like Paul realized it was ok to eat certain things. (God revealed this to Peter in Acts 10:11-15.)

Basically, Paul is saying in our verses that our freedom as Christians to eat whatever we want should not be used in the wrong way. There are certain things about Christianity that across the board are right or wrong for everyone. We should ALL be upholding the 10 Commandments because that’s the foundation of how God wants us to live. Then, there are areas that aren’t specifically spelled out.

Each person has their own convictions and God’s leading which is what Paul is referring to in verse 9. It’s not about food, but here is an example:

My old Pastor back home does not drink alcohol. Period. But the Pastor he replaced brought a 60 year old man to Jesus on the golf course because he drank a beer with him. The Bible is very clear that alcohol in and of itself is not wrong. But getting drunk is! Therefore, if someone feels like they shouldn't drink at, maybe a wedding, then that’s good because their actions COULD hurt someone. That freedom to drink alcohol should not be abused. And it should be within each person's Biblical and personal relationship with God. I hope that makes sense.