Contrasting Knowledge and Love

At this point in the letter to Corinth Paul enters into the discussion of an issue that will engage him, in one way or another, through 11:1. While the concrete concern that calls for his attention is the issue of “food sacrificed to idols,” at a theological level his focus is Christian rights and responsibilities, especially regarding “knowledge” and “freedom” in lifestyle practices. Interpreters trace the course of Paul’s reflections in slightly different ways, for at one point Paul seems to consider the eating of foods that had originally been offered in pagan temple ritual, and at other places he seems to be commenting on the presence and participation of Christians at the sacrifices themselves. Some background information is necessary to comprehend this…