1 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9: Paul on eating food of idols, and possible 2nd author

Περι δε των ειδωλοθυτων οιδαμεν οτι παντες γνωσιν εχομεν η γνωσις φοσιοο η δε αγαπη οικοδομει

* Concerning things offered to idols, we know that we all possess knowledge. This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

Ει τις δοκει εγνωκεναι τι ουπω εγνω καθως γνωναι

* If anyone thinks to have known anything, he has not yet known it as it is necessary to know.

Ει δε τις αγαπα τον θεον ουτος εγνωσται υπ αυτου

 * But if anyone might love God, he is known by God

 περι της βρωσεως ουν των ειδωλοθυτων οιδαμεν οτι ουδεν ειδωλον εν κοσμω και οτι ουδεις θεος ει μη εις

* Concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one.

In “there is no god but one” Paul references Deut 32:39: “See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” And 2 Sam 7:22: “How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”

Και γαρ ειπερ εισιν λεγομενοι θεοι ειτε εν ουρανω ειτε επι γης ωσπερ εισιν ωσπερ εισιν θεοι πολλοι και κυριοιο πολλοι

 * If indeed there are whose called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords

αλλ ημιν εις θεος ο πατηρ εξ ου τα παντα και ημεις εις αυτον και εις κυριος Ιησους Κριστος δι ου τα παντα και ημεις δι αυτου

* To us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we are, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and us.

Αλλ ουκ εν πασιν η γνωσις τινες δε γη σθνηθεια εως αρτι του ειδωλου ως ειδωλοθτον εσθιουσιν και η σθνειδησις αυτων ασθενης οθσα μολυενται

* But not all is in this knowledge. But some, with custom until presently, ate a thing sacrificed to an idol, as their custom, they being weak are defiled.

Βρωμα δε ημας ου παραστησει τω θεω, ουτε εαν μη φαγωμεν υστερουμεθα ουτε εαν γαγωμεν περισσευομεν

* Food does not commend us to God. Neither if we do not eat, do we come up short, nor if we eat do we have an advantage.

Βλεπετε δε μη πως η εξουσια υμων αυτη προσκομμα γενηται τοις ασθενεσιν

* See that this authority of yours does not become an occasion of stumbling to those who are weak.

Εαν γαρ τις ιδη σε τον εχοντα γνωσιν εν ειδωλειω κατακειμενον ουχι η σθνειδησις αυτου αστενους οντος οιδοκομηθησεται εις το τα ειδωλοτθτα εσθιειν

* For if anyone might see you, having knowledge of idol-temple eating, his custom not being weak, will be built up so as to eat food offered to idols.

If you are seen eating food sacrificed to idols, by someone who hasn’t gotten used to the idea that that is not a good thing, that person might go back to eating idol-food.  That is traditionally translated as a question.  It is not a question.

Απολλται γαρ ο αστενων εν τη ση γηωσει ο αδελφος δι ον χριστος απεθανεν

* This weak person is destroyed by your knowledge, the brother for whom Christ died.

ουτως δε αμαρτανοντες εις τους αδελφους και τυπτοντες αυτων την σθνειδησιν ασθενουσαν εις Χριστον αμαρτανετε

* Thus, sinning against the brothers and wounding their custom when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

Διοπερ ει βρωμα σκανδαλιζει τον αδελφον μου ου μη φαγω κρεα εις τον αιωνα ινα μυ τον αδελφον μου σκανδαλισω

* Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat, in order that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

In all of this, Paul references Jeremiah 18:15:  “Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to worthless idols, which made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths. They made them walk in byways, on roads not built up.”

Ουκ ειμι ελευθερος, ουκ ειμι αποστολος, ουχι Θησουν τον κυριον υμων, εορακα, ου το εργον μου υμεις εστε εν κυριου

* Am I not free? Am I not sent out? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my workmanship in the Lord?

Ει αλλοις ουκ ειμι αποστολος αλλα γε υμιν ειμι η γαρ σφραγις μου της αποστολης υμεις εστε εν κυριω

* If I am not sent out to others, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my sent-out-ness in the Lord.

Η εμη απολογια τοις εμε ανακρινουσιν εστιν αυτη

* This is my defense to those who examine me.

Μη ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν φαγειν και πειν

* Do we not have the authority to eat and drink?

Μη ουκ εχομεν εξουσιαν αδελφην, γυναικα, περιαγειν ως και οι λοιποι ατοστολοι και οι αδελφοι του κυριου και κηφας

* Do we not have the authority to bring a sister, a woman, as do the rest of those who are sent out and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

Η μονος εγω και βαρναβας ουκ εχομεν εξουσιν μη εργαζεσθαι

 * Or do only Barnabas and I not have authority to not work?

τις στρατευεται ιδιοις οψωνιοις ποτε τις φυτευει αμπελωνα και τον καρπον αυτου ουκ εσθιει η τις ποιμαινει ποιμνην και εκ του γαλακτος της ποιμνης ουκ εσθιει

* Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink some of the milk of the flock?

Μη κατα ανθρωπον ταυτα λαλω η και ο νομος ταθτα ου λεγει

* Do I not say these things according to humans? Does not the Law say these things? 

Εν γαρ τω μωυσεως νομω γεγραπται ου κημωσεις αλοωντα μη των βοων μελει τω θεω

* In the Law of Moses it has been written: “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is there care for the oxen with God?

Deut 25:4:  “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”

Η δι ημας παντως λεγει δι ημας γαρ εγραφη οτι οφειλει επ ελιπιδι ο αροτριων αροτριαν και ο αλοων τπ ελπιδι του μετεχειν

* Does he speak for all of us?  For us it was written. The one who plows is obligated, in hope, and the one who threshes is, in hope, of partaking.

Everyone does what they do because they are obligated to do it, in the hope that when they have finished they will partake in the product of their labor.

Ει ημεις υμιν τα πνειματικα εσπειραμεν μεγα θμεις υμων τα σαρκικα θερισομεν

* If we have sown spiritly things among you, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?

Ει αλλοι της υμων εξουσιας μετεχουσιν ου μαλλον ημεις, αλλ ουκ εχρησαμεθα τη εξουσια ταυτη αλλα παντα στεγομεν ινα μη τινα ενκοπην δωμεν τω ευαγγελι του χριστου

* IF others of authority over you partake, should we not even more? But, we did not use this authority, but we bear all things in order we should not give any hindrance to the good news of Christ.

Ουκ οιδατε οτι οι τα ιερα εργαζομενοι τα εκ του ιερου εσθιουσιν οι τω θυσιαστηριω παρεδρευοντες τω θυσιαστηριω συμμεριζονται

* Do you not know that those who serve in the temple eat the things from the temple, and those attending the altar partake in things from the altar?

We know from this that Greco-Roman polytheistic worship was still actively practiced.  With Greco-Roman temple praxis, as with the praxis of the Temple in Jerusalem, both the priests and those who served in the temple (not tnecssarily the same thing) ate the things that worshippers brought in to have sacrificed.  Hadrian’s dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem to Jupiter did not mean that the essential praxis of sacrificial offerings was changed, just that the god to whom they were offered was different.

ουτως και ο κυριος διεταξεν τοις το ευαγγελιον καταγγελλουσιν εκ του ευαγγελιου ζην

* So also, the Lord ordered those announcing the good news to live.

Paul is saying: we preach, you feed us.

Εγω δε ου κεχρημαι ουδενι τουτων ουκ εγραψα δε ταυτα ινα ουτως γενηται εν εμοι καλον γαρ μοι μαλλον αποθανειν η το καυχημα μου ουδεις κενωσει

* I have not used of any of these things, nor have I written these things in that it should be thus with me. It would be good for me to die rather than my boasting make anyone void.

Εαν γαρ εθαγγελιζωμαι ουκ εστιν μοι καυχημα αναγκη γαρ μοι επικειται ουαι γαρ μοι εστιν εαν μη ευαγγελισωμαι

* If I bring the good news, it is not boasting to me. For necessity is laid upon me.  It is woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

Ει γαρ εκων τουτο πρασσω μισθον εχω ει δε ακων οικονομιαν πεπιστευμαι

* If I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with management.

τις ουν μου εστινγ ο μιισθος ινα ευαγγελιζομενος αδαπανον θησω το ευαγγελιον εις το μη καταχρησασθαι τη εξουσια μου εν τω ευαγγελιω

* What then is my reward? In order that by bringing good news without expense, I make the good news, so as not to use up my authority in the gospel.

ελευθερος γαρ ων εκ παντων πασιν εμαυτον εδουλωσα ινα τους πλαιονας κερδησω

* Being free from everything, I became a slave to all, in order that I might gain them the more.

Και εγανομην τοις Ιουδαιοις ως Ιουδαιος ινα Ιουδαιους κερδησω τοις υπο νομον ως υπο νομον, μη ων αυτος υπο νομον ινα τους υπο νομον κερδησω

* To Judeans, I became as a Judean, in order to gain Judeans. To those under the law I became as one under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might win those under the law.

In Philippians 3:5, Paul announces: “Circumcision on the eighth day, from the people of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; according to law, a Pharisee.”  In light of that, this statement that he was not a Judean, and not under the law is bizarre.  Either this statement in Corinthians is an insertion from a later writer (which is possible), or Paul is messing with his community.

τοις ανρομοις ως ανομος μη ων ανομος θεου αλλ εννομος Χριστου ινα κερδανω τους ανομους

To those without the law, I became as one without the law, not being without the law of God but within the law to Christ, that I might gain those without the law.

Εγενομην τοις ασθενεσιν ασθενης ινα τους ασθενεις κερδησω τοις πασιν γεγονα παντα ινα παντως τινας σωσω

* To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all, that by all means I might save some.

Παντα δε ποιω δια το ευαγγελιον ινα συνκοινωνος αυτου γενωμαι

* All I do on account of the good news, in order that I might be a fellow-partaker of it.

Ουκ οιδατε οτι οι εν σταδιω τρεχοντες παντες μεν τρεχοθσιν εις δε λαμβανει το βραβειον, ουτως τρεχετε ινα κακαλαβητε

* Do you not know that those who run in a racecourse, all run but only one receives the prize? So run in order that you may obtain it.

* πας δε ο αγωνιζομενος παντα εγκρατευεται εκεινοι μεν ουν ινα φθαρτον στεφανον λαβωσιν ημεις δε αφθαρτον

* Everyone who strives controls himself in all things. They do it in order that they might receive a perishable crown, but we {receive] an imperishable [one].

Εγω τοινν ουτως τρεχω ως ουκ αδηλως ουτως πυκτευω ως ουκ αερα δερων

* Therefore I do not run uncertainly; I fight as not beating the air. 

Αλλα υπωοιαζω μου το σωμα και δουλαγωγω μη πως αλλοις κυρξας αυτος αδοκιμος γενωμαι

* But I beat my body and bring it into slavery, how not having preached to others I myself might be rejected.

This has the sound of later Christian theology (askesis) which likened spiritual praxis to Olympic athletic events.  One of the earliest Christian writers to present this was Origen (184/185 – 253/254).  Anthony the great (also known as St Anthony, and Anthony of Egypt) (ca. 251–356), one of the “Desert Fathers.” was one of the greatest practitioners.  It is likely that this was inserted into the text to provide evidence for the praxis in the earliest Church teachings.