《飲飲食食，重新得力》Day34
《飲食的限制：用愛心約束自由》
3 他們禁止嫁娶，又禁戒食物，就是上帝所造、叫那信而明白真道的人感謝著領受的。4 凡上帝所造的物都是好的，若感謝著領受，就沒有一樣可棄的，5 都因上帝的道和人的祈求成為聖潔了。 (提摩太前書四3-5)
1 論到祭偶像之物，我們曉得我們都有知識。但知識是叫人自高自大，惟有愛心能造就人。2 若有人以為自己知道甚麼，按他所當知道的，他仍是不知道。3 若有人愛上帝，這人乃是上帝所知道的。4 論到吃祭偶像之物，我們知道偶像在世上算不得甚麼，也知道上帝只有一位，再沒有別的上帝。5 雖有稱為神的，或在天，或在地，就如那許多的神，許多的主；6 然而我們只有一位上帝，就是父－萬物都本於他；我們也歸於他－並有一位主，就是耶穌基督－萬物都是藉著他有的；我們也是藉著他有的。7 但人不都有這等知識。有人到如今因拜慣了偶像，就以為所吃的是祭偶像之物。他們的良心既然軟弱，也就污穢了。8 其實食物不能叫上帝看中我們，因為我們不吃也無損，吃也無益。9 只是你們要謹慎，恐怕你們這自由竟成了那軟弱人的絆腳石。10 若有人見你這有知識的，在偶像的廟裏坐席，這人的良心若是軟弱，豈不放膽去吃那祭偶像之物嗎？11 因此，基督為他死的那軟弱弟兄，也就因你的知識沉淪了。12 你們這樣得罪弟兄們，傷了他們軟弱的良心，就是得罪基督。13 所以，食物若叫我弟兄跌倒，我就永遠不吃肉，免得叫我弟兄跌倒了。(哥林多前書八)
3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:3-5)
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. (1 Corinthians 8)
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. (1 Corinthians 8)
分享：不知大家曾否為吃「祭過的食物」而感到猶豫呢？對於不少家中初代信徒來說，這可能是個實際又尷尬的問題：餐桌上放著的是祭祀後留下的燒肉、白切雞，吃還是不吃呢？其實，這並不是新問題，早在聖經時代，神已為我們留下發人深省的指引。
其實神的道理永遠是最簡單直接：「凡上帝所造的物都是好的，若感謝著領受，就沒有一樣可棄的，都因上帝的道和人的祈求成為聖潔了。」(提摩太前書四4-5) 面對一些人推行嚴格的禁戒制度，包括禁止結婚與食物，保羅指出神所造的物都是美好的，若我們懷著感謝的心領受，這都可以的，甚至因著神的道和人敬虔的祈求而成為聖潔。
但同時，保羅在《哥林多前書》提出另一個層面：自由要以愛心約束。哥林多的信徒明白：偶像不是神，食物也無非是食物。從知識上看，吃祭偶像之物沒問題；但不是每個人都有同樣的屬靈理解與自由。若有人從前拜過偶像，他們對這些食物仍有顧忌，若他們見你吃了，可能會被絆倒、良心軟弱，甚至認為你在容讓拜偶像的行為。我們自恃通透的認知也讓人沉淪了，所以這便算作得罪了軟弱的弟兄，這就得罪了基督。因此保羅說為了那些弟兄，我們永不吃祭肉。帶出「但知識是叫人自高自大，惟有愛心能造就人。」(參哥林多前書八)
因此，對於祭祀後的食物，關鍵從來都不是吃與不吃，而是是否帶著敬虔與感恩的心，尊主為大；同時雖有吃的自由，但若因此讓別人跌倒，便要以愛心約束之。
著名布道家葛培理 (Billy Graham) 牧師終生滴酒不沾。雖然聖經從不禁酒，但他曾說：「並不是因為我認為喝酒是罪，而是因為我不想因自己的自由成為他人跌倒的原因。」他沒有將這要求強加於他人，但出於愛心和見證，他鼓勵信徒謹慎行事，他強調的是信徒要為別人的益處，約束自己的自由。
反思：有沒有一些我認為「可以做」的事情，或在某些情況下會絆倒他人？我是否願意謹慎行事，以愛心約束自己的自由？
禱告：親愛的天父，感謝祢的教導從來沒有輕視人的軟弱，也教導我們以愛心行事。求祢賜我們一顆敏銳與敬虔的心，懂得在自由中節制自己，不讓我們成為人的絆腳石，反而能在生活中活出愛與見證，造就弟兄姊妹，榮耀祢的名。奉主名求，阿們。
詩歌分享《我願為祢去》
Posted in 2025-6G