Chapter XV.—On Avoiding Offence.

“We know that we all have knowledge”—common knowledge in common things, and the knowledge that there is one God. For he was writing to believers; whence he adds, “But knowledge (gnosis) is not in all,” being communicated to few. And there are those who say that the knowledge about things sacrificed to idols is not promulgated among all, “lest our liberty prove a stumbling-block to the weak. For by thy knowledge he that is weak is destroyed.”996    1 Cor. viii. 1, 7, 9, 11. Should they say, “Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, ought that to be bought?” adding, by way of interrogation, “asking no questions,”997    1 Cor. x. 25. as if equivalent to “asking questions,” they give a ridiculous interpretation. For the apostle says, “All other things buy out of the shambles, asking no questions,” with the exception of the things mentioned in the Catholic epistle of all the apostles,998    Acts xv. 24, etc. “with the consent of the Holy Ghost,” which is written in the Acts of the Apostles, and conveyed to the faithful by the hands of Paul himself. For they intimated “that they must of necessity abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication, from which keeping themselves, they should do well.” It is a different matter, then, which is expressed by the apostle: “Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as the rest of the apostles, as the brethren of the Lord and Cephas? But we have not used this power,” he says, “but bear all things, lest we should occasion hindrance to the Gospel of Christ;” namely, by bearing about burdens, when it was necessary to be untrammelled for all things; or to become an example to those who wish to exercise temperance, not encouraging each other to eat greedily of what is set before us, and not to consort inconsiderately with woman. And especially is it incumbent on those entrusted with such a dispensation to exhibit to disciples a pure example. “For though I be free from all men, I have made myself servant to all,” it is said, “that I might gain all. And every one that striveth for mastery is temperate in all things.”999    1 Cor. ix. 19–25. “But the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.”1000    1 Cor. x. 26. For conscience’ sake, then, we are to abstain from what we ought to abstain. “Conscience, I say, not his own,” for it is endued with knowledge, “but that of the other,” lest he be trained badly, and by imitating in ignorance what he knows not, he become a despiser instead of a strong-minded man. “For why is my liberty judged of by another conscience? For if I by grace am a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God”1001    1 Cor. x. 28–31.—what you are commanded to do by the rule of faith.

Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι πάντες γνῶσιν ἔχομεν τὴν κοινὴν ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς καὶ τὴν ὅτι εἷς θεός· πρὸς πιστοὺς γὰρ ἐπέστελλεν· ὅθεν ἐπιφέρει· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις [ἡ] ἐν ὀλίγοις παραδιδομένη· εἰσὶ δὲ οἵ φασι τὴν περὶ τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων γνῶσιν οὐκ ἐν πᾶσι ** φέρειν, μή πως ἡ ἐξουσία ἡμῶν πρόσκομμα τοῖς ἀσθενέσι γένηται· ἀπόλλυται γὰρ ὁ ἀσθενῶν τῇ σῇ γνώσει. κἂν φάσκωσι πᾶν τὸ ἐν μακέλλῳ πωλούμενον ἀγοράζειν δεῖ, κατὰ πεῦσιν ἐπάγοντες τὸ μηδὲν ἀνακρίνοντες ἐπ' ἴσης τῷ ἀνακρίνοντες, γελοίαν ἐξήγησιν παραθήσονται. ὁ γὰρ ἀπόστολος πάντα φησὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὠνεῖσθε ἐκ μακέλλου μηδὲν ἀνακρίνοντες, καθ' ὑπεξαίρεσιν τῶν δηλουμένων κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τὴν καθολικὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἁπάντων, σὺν τῇ εὐδοκίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, τὴν γεγραμμένην μὲν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστόλων, διακομισθεῖσαν δὲ εἰς τοὺς πιστοὺς δι' αὐτοῦ διακονοῦντος τοῦ Παύλου· ἐμήνυσαν γὰρ ἐπάναγκες ἀπέχεσθαι δεῖν εἰδωλοθύτων καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνικτῶν καὶ πορνείας, ἐξ ὧν διατηροῦντας ἑαυτοὺς εὖ πράξειν. ἕτερον οὖν ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον πρὸς τοῦ ἀποστόλου· μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν; μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν ἀδελφὴν γυναῖκα περιάγειν, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ Κηφᾶς; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐχρησάμεθα τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ταύτῃ, φησίν, ἀλλὰ πάντα στέγομεν, ἵνα μὴ ἐγκοπὴν δῶμεν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἤτοι φορτία περιάγοντες, δέον εὐλύτους εἰς πάντα εἶναι, ἢ ὑπόδειγμα τοῖς θέλουσιν ἐγκρατεύεσθαι γινόμενοι, μὴ οἰκοδομουμένοις εἰς τὸ ἀδεῶς τὰ παρατιθέμενα ἐσθίειν καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν ὁμιλεῖν τῇ γυναικί· μάλιστα δὲ τοὺς τηλικαύτην οἰκονομίαν πεπιστευμένους ὑπόδειγμα τοῖς μανθάνουσιν ἄχραντον ἐκκεῖσθαι προσήκει. ἐλεύθερος γὰρ ὢν ἐκ πάντων πᾶσιν ἐμαυτὸν ἐδούλωσα, φησίν, ἵνα τοὺς πάντας κερδήσω, καὶ πᾶς δὲ ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος πάντα ἐγκρατεύεται· ἀλλὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς. διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν οὖν ἀφεκτέον ὧν ἀφεκτέον. συνείδησιν δὲ λέγω οὐχὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, γνωστικὴ γάρ, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ ἑτέρου, ἵνα μὴ κακῶς οἰκοδομηθῇ ἀμαθίᾳ μιμούμενος ὃ μὴ γινώσκει, καταφρονητὴς ἀντὶ μεγαλόφρονος γινόμενος. ἵνα τί γὰρ ἡ ἐλευθερία μου κρίνεται ὑπὸ ἄλλης συνειδήσεως; εἰ ἐγὼ χάριτι μετ έχω, τί βλασφημοῦμαι ὑπὲρ οὗ ἐγὼ εὐχαριστῶ; πάντα οὖν ὅσα ποιεῖτε εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ ποιεῖτε· ὅσα ὑπὸ τὸν κανόνα τῆς πίστεως ποιεῖν ἐπιτέτραπται.