Homilies on First Corinthians

“If I by grace partake, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?” “Of what do you 'by grace partake?' tell me.” Of the gifts of God. For His grace is so great, as to render my soul unstained and above all pollution. For as the sun sending down his beams upon many spots of pollution, withdraws them again pure; so likewise and much more, we, living in the midst of the world remain pure, if we will, by how much the power we have is even greater than his. “Why then abstain?” say you. Not as though I should become unclean, far from it; but for my brother's sake, and that I may not become a partaker with devils, and that I may not be judged by the unbeliever. For in this case it is no longer now the nature of the thing, but the disobedience and the friendship with devils which makes me unclean, and the purpose of heart works the pollution.

But what is, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? “I, for my part,” says he, “give thanks to God that He has thus set me on high, and above the low estate of the Jews, so that from no quarter am I injured. But the Gentiles not knowing my high rule of life will suspect the contrary, and will say, 'Here are Christians indulging a taste for our customs; they are a kind of hypocrites, abusing the demons and loathing them, yet running to their tables; than which what can be more senseless? We conclude that not for truth's sake, but through ambition and love of power they have betaken themselves to this doctrine.' What folly then would it be that in respect of those things whereby I have been so benefited as even to give solemn thanks, in respect of these I should become the cause of evil-speaking?” “But these things, even as it is,” say you, “will the Gentile allege, when he sees me not making enquiry.” In no wise. For all things are not full of idol-sacrifices so that he should suspect this: nor dost you yourself taste of them as idol-sacrifices. But not then scrupulous overmuch, nor again, on the other hand, when any say that it is an idol-sacrifice, do thou partake. For Christ gave you grace and set you on high and above all injury from that quarter, not that you might be evil spoken of, nor that the circumstance which has been such a gain to you as to be matter of special thanksgiving, should so injure others as to make them even blaspheme. “Nay, why,” says he, “do I not say to the Gentile, 'I eat, I am no wise injured, and I do not this as one in friendship with the demons'?” Because you can not persuade him, even though you should say it ten thousand times: weak as he is and hostile. For if your brother has not yet been persuaded by you, much less the enemy and the Gentile. If he is possessed by his consciousness of the idol-sacrifice, much more the unbeliever. And besides, what occasion have we for so great trouble?

“What then? Whereas we have known Christ and give thanks, while they blaspheme, shall we therefore abandon this custom also?” Far from it. For the thing is not the same. For in the one case, great is our gain from bearing the reproach; but in the other, there will be no advantage. Wherefore also he said before, “for neither if we eat, are we the better; nor if we eat not, are we the worse.” And besides this too he showed that the thing was to be avoided, so that even on another ground ought they to be abstained from, not on this account only but also for the other reasons which he assigned.