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.” The subjunctive ἴδῃ (“sees”) implies a real possibility, not certainty. The subject is indefinite (τις), and the object is defined: σε, τὸν ἔχοντα γνῶσιν—“you, the one having knowledge.” This sets up a vivid image of one Christian observing another in a compromising context.
ἐν εἰδωλείῳ κατακείμενον: A Provocative Scene
The participle κατακείμενον (“reclining”) paints the picture: the knowledgeable believer is comfortably eating in a pagan temple (εἰδωλεῖον). This action, while not inherently sinful to one with knowledge, might confuse or embolden a weaker brother.
οὐχὶ… οἰκοδομηθήσεται: The Paradox of Building
The rhetorical question pivots on οὐχὶ—an interrogative particle expecting an affirmative answer. The subject is ἡ συνείδησις αὐτοῦ—“his conscience,” and the verb οἰκοδομηθήσεται is striking: “will it not be built up?” But this is no spiritual edification—it’s ironic. The “building up” here leads not to maturity but to sin: εἰς τὸ τὰ εἰδωλόθυτα ἐσθίειν—“toward eating food sacrificed to idols.” Thus, Paul twists typical positive language to warn of a malformed conscience.
Parsing the Core Verbal Forms
| Greek Form | Root | Tense | Voice | Mood / Type | Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἴδῃ | ὁράω | Aorist | Active | Subjunctive | 3rd Person Singular | he sees |
| ἔχοντα | ἔχω | Present | Active | Participle | Accusative Masculine Singular | having |
| κατακείμενον | κατακεῖμαι | Present | Middle / Passive (Deponent) | Participle | Accusative Masculine Singular | reclining |
| οἰκοδομηθήσεται | οἰκοδομέω | Future | Passive | Indicative | 3rd Person Singular | will be built up |
The Building That Leads to Ruin
In 1 Corinthians 8:10, Paul uses grammar to expose the ethical weight of visibility. The one with knowledge might feel free, but what others see shapes what they believe they can do. The future passive οἰκοδομηθήσεται shows a conscience being “built up”—but wrongly. This is not sanctification but distortion. Thus, the syntax of this rhetorical question becomes a call to responsible liberty: our actions build something in others—grammar reminds us to ask what.
