Tag Archives: 1 Corinthians 8:10

ἐὰν γάρ τις ἴδῃ σε, τὸν ἔχοντα γνῶσιν, ἐν εἰδωλείῳ κατακείμενον, οὐχὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτοῦ ἀσθενοῦς ὄντος οἰκοδομηθήσεται εἰς τὸ τὰ εἰδωλόθυτα ἐσθίειν; — 1 Corinthians 8:10

The Ethics of Visibility

This verse explores a scenario of moral influence and perception: what happens when a believer with “knowledge” is seen by a weaker brother engaging in questionable behavior? The grammar plays a crucial role in conveying Paul’s concern. A conditional structure, participles, and a rare use of the future passive come together to create a rhetorical question that warns of the unintended consequences of liberty exercised without love.

ἐὰν… ἴδῃ: The Conditional Framework

The sentence begins with a third-class conditional clause: ἐὰν γάρ τις ἴδῃ σε—“for if someone sees you.”… Learn Koine Greek