JAFFRAY THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL IN MAKASSAR

Final Paper

Interpreting 1 Corinthians Using a Variety of Methods

Re-interpreting 1 Corinthians 8:9 based on Indonesian People Smoking Behavior

Name: Binardi Siagian

ID Number: 1902002
Program: Master of Christian Education

Lecturer: Rev. Dr. Dorcas Gordon

Makassar, August 2019

 1. Introduction
Indonesia are the fourth biggest population nation around the world. it has thousand islands
spread over the Indonesia territory and providing a place to live for more over than 300 ethnics
with more than 1340 tribes living over it. 1 As the biggest multicultural nation, each ethnic, have
their own sense of culture, belief and ethics of the way of life of the tribe Itself. Every unique
ethics of life created based on their own needs as they were living together become a rich way to
made a self-patronizing for the tribe’s people. One of the famous tribes in Indonesia, the authors
came from the bataknese Culture, and lived together with one common bataknese people’s
addictive behavior known as smoking. These addictive habits were already become part of
bataknese man’s behavior especially. Most of the male bataknese are an active smoker or, a
passive, or already total stop. Much further, smoking addictive behavior is already being the part
of local batak Church itself. As people can witnessed themselves there’s no policy yet to restricted
the congregation nor the staff and priest to smoke’s in church territory. People are free to smokes
everywhere except inside the hall of church, and that’s only based on common sense.
The fact of healthiness aspect, Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable deaths in England,
accounting for nearly 80,000 deaths each year. One in two smokers will die from a smoking-related
disease. 2 On the Indonesian context, smoking is the biggest cause of Indonesian Health
Government deficit according the causes of the smoking impact to the person and the diseases led
by the bad habit of inhaling smokes.3
This troublesome habit wasn’t just the problem of the bataknese culture and ethics, mostly
Indonesian culture, Man, woman, an emerging Youth, teenage, even a child was very vulnerable
to be attached to became a smoker. Those habits were so common in the way of Indonesian people
life. Those people who did that were coming from the less-educated people to an unreached
education people.
Some of people argue about smoking and drink as their own culture, even their ancestor does
the same thing for over than 1000 years. People’s smokes the tree, people drank the native Alcohol
as the part of context that already made by peoples and peoples agreed with that. And mostly of
those contexts creates a self-defense argument from the biblical text itself coming from Mark 7:19
“…All things that edible or useable are fine to be use or consume” and those passage are used as
the legitimating for people to smoking.
Others perspective, Bible said that “there’s nothing wrong with it, even the cigarette main
ingredients are part of God creation. And the God Himself told human to be borderless in what
human eats, because it is a part of God gift to human enjoy with it. But Paul, on 1 Cor 8:9 seem to
be countering what Marks wrote earlier. If that scripture text were used to legitimating the action
of smoking and other and many bad behaviors, which one are the Truth? The papers will be

1
https://www.indonesia.go.id/profil/suku-bangsa accessed on Friday 16 August 2019, at 09:11am.
This is one of the official websites and trustable website from Indonesia Government of Ministry of
Communication and Information Technology. On the website, were able to see comprehensive about
Indonesian Ethnics and culture name and numbers of population from each registered tribe.
2
https://www.nhs.uk/smokefree/why-quit/smoking-health-problems Accessed on Friday 16
August 2019, at 10.11 Am.
3
https://www.neraca.co.id/article/118461/defisit-bpjs-kesehatan-akibat-pembiayaan-penyakit-
karena-rokok Accessed on Friday 12:22 PM. Director of Indonesia Medical association providing an
information about the triangle effects smoking habits impacts directly for human metabolism and even it is
multiplying up to 15 times for human to be exposed a lung cancer etc., and the impact to the government
itself for claiming the national health assurance and heavy costing the government to handling it.
explained with science social interpretation methods based on first Corinthians, and
contextualizing for Indonesia culture and ethics.

2. Cigar Industries: Indonesian Biggest State Revenue or Biggest loss revenue?

Smoking is a very common addictive behavior in Indonesia, the effort to stop a smoking
behavior is started a long day past but still always met difficulties. The latest government effort in
order to stop smoking behavior is to conduct a policy for the tobacco’s industries and cigarette
industries to sell a printed a disturbing photo’s of people who’s been exposed by a smoking related
disease.4 Even thou, the effort still facing a hard time based on index of people interest still keeping
on the high level of smoking intention.5
Based on economic aspect, the cigarette industries, were the largest and the most sell well
product based on Indonesian people market interest. Even the cigar home industries product is
well sold in the level local consumer and local people can get with cheaper price due the product
are usually out from Indonesia taxes control. Even thou a well package cigar (production from the
mega industries) people can still afford cigar at a low price comparing to other Asian nation. People
can afford a pack of cigar starting from IDR. 12.000 to 25.000, - including the taxes.6 And
Indonesia cigar policy are still lack of age restriction for the consumer so every people are allowed
to bought the cigar without doubt.
Cigar industrial also playing a big part of Indonesia state revenue every year. The state revenue
from cigar industries approximately 153 Trillion each year based on report at 2018,7 and even
further, Indonesian cigar industries playing a big role over the state revenue every year. The fact
cigar industries took a place to reduce Indonesian number of unemployment too. There are up to
6.1 million people are living from the cigarettes industries. 8 Cigar industries have become a vital
part of Indonesia state revenue also people lives are depending on it. But, on the other side of the
“super state revenue” income industries, there is a critical negative impact for the whole nation
including the consumers living quality. On the aspect of healthiness as the author mention at the
introduction, peoples actually dying to be addicted buying a cheap price cigar, and dying to afford
a proper medical treatment caused by smoking related disease. And Government are directly
responsible to warrant a good medical treatment for the both problems.
Both the system of cigar industries state revenue and Indonesian national health insurance
(BPJS) are leeching each other, leaving an endless loop of profit and deficit between sectors, and
the biggest impact were exposed from the citizen side.

4
http://poskotanews.com/2012/09/23/gambar-peringatan-baahaya-merokok-indonesia-terlalu-
kecil/ accessed on 16 august 2019 at 20:33 PM.
5
http://health.kompas.com/read/2012/09/11/19275290/Perokok.Laki-
laki.di.Indonesia.Capai.67.Persen accessed on 16 august 2019 at 20:46 PM
6
https://finance.detik.com/industri/d-4574484/kendalikan-peredaran-rokok-harga-transaksi-pasar-
diusulkan-naik accessed on 16 august 2019 at 20:54 PM. The cigar prices in Indonesia if converted to USD
will be only $1.76 Tax included. According to a 2015 study the average wage of Indonesians is Rp.
3.750.000,00 or around 280 USD a month. While the minimum wage of Jakarta (Indonesia's capital) is Rp.
3.355.000,00 or 250 USD. (https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-average-salary-of-Indonesians), cigar
wasn’t a luxury item to be bought.
7
https://ekonomi.kompas.com/read/2019/01/03/100100626/cukai-rokok-sumbang-rp-153-triliun-
ke-kas-negara-pada-2018 accessed on 16 august 2019 at 21:34 PM.
8
https://finance.detik.com/industri/d-2872087/menperin-industri-rokok-libatkan-tenaga-kerja-61-
juta-orang accessed on 16 august 2019 at 21:40 PM.
 3. The social Context between Mark 7:19 and 1 Corinthians 8:9
The NT is not just about the “word of GOD”, in the sense of the divine principles and ideas. It
is also about the “word” of God “made flesh” as Christian leader used words, symbols, ritual—
each having meaning only because it resonated with the social and cultural context of their authors
and hearers. A good historical explanation must have both descriptive “scope” and persuasive
Force”, the power to generate unforeseen possibilities and to risk being tested by them. From the
point of view about what Jesus criticism about the daily food, Jesus were very concern about the
poverty that happen around His ministry location.9 His criticism has bought the correspondence of
old form tradition to a new generative social and religion perspective, A new approach to people,
who were hardly to living around a gnomically tradition.10
3.1 What Paul Concern about 1 Cor 8:9
Now Concerning about first Corinthians is to know what Paul intend to solving an issued that
happened between the congregation. Paul was fully aware about writing his content “this liberty
of yours” can be multi-interpreted by every reader and used as a legitimating to do a wrong or
unnecessary or an unwise thing or act.11 Clearly Paul means on 8:9 indicating a warning to idol
food, and misguided mind about are the idol-food are edible or not. The incorrect purpose of doing
or eating an idol food creating a troublesome assumption about the liberty of Christian itself. Is it
become Christian mean people can do whatever they want no matter is it valuing ethical? Even
ethical it self need to be overlaying based on the context.
The context of what readers receive the message is people who living with an idolatry religion
and culture. One of the cultures brought people to be having an offering to their gods, and secondly
after the offering ceremonies done, people were gathered to take a place, to have a banquet from
the offering to the idols. Richard Horsley said, “The tradition of a banquet meal involved whether
those who had joined the Christian movement or not, they still have to join the banquet. It is a part
of roman the most constitutive social relation of Greco roman society.”
Paul seems to be agreed at first. But then, immediately denigrates the Corinthian gnostic effect
(8:1b-3). The knowledge of up were countered by the word wise on 3:18 and to spiritual in 14:37.
With word If at the start to state, if anyone claims the understanding of the knowledge of living as
a Christian, but still tempting him self on the unwise position to eat, it wasn’t bring in a holiness
live among people, it make a vague position whether he/she is a true Christian or not. Even if
people eating an idol offering meal and make an excuse to be together in love of family, it doesn’t
directly justify. The context brought Paul to Paul means that if someone acts with love toward
others in a way that builds up the community, one is known, i.e., appreciated in the community. 12
Paul much more concern about the people who just believe (or a new converted believer to
become a Christian) about Jesus and Paul Theology among the Christian on Corinthians. Seems

9
Ian H. Henderson, Jesus, Rhetoric and Law, Leiden, New York, 1996. P 353.
10
Ibid., P 354. On the other hand, Jesus fully realize about a gnomic tradition. A model of oral
tradition, using rhetoric, laced with gnomai (Gnomai with episodic memories and narrative) is a more
probable alternative to the wild sprouting folkloric tradition. This rhetorical approach used by Jesus to make
a new and fresh perspective between the Torah law and the tradition. People are aware to the fundamental
Law of Torah, on Leviticus 11 about the food regulation. The authors wrote, Leviticus 11 about the
regulation were wrote among politics, religion and law to oppressed the behavior of the Israelite and to
create a difference between the Israelite and others cult and religion. The differences were creating to make
a contrast different perspective of life and to purifying Israelite from the stray religion.
11
Richard A. Horsley 1 Corinthians, USA, Abingdon Press, 1998, P 115.
12
Ibid., 188
like Paul trying to warn an earlier Christian need to be more careful for what he doing or what the
common tradition of roman do, and after being a Christian what people can do as a wise or not.
ASV using a Word,” Stumbling Block”, to directing the reader what would you be if people not
notice his action among the Christian. People will be questioning the difference between Christian
and Roman Gnostic in term of what a wiser action to do as a Christian if nothing wrong with the
tradition.
The unwise act of eating an offering to idol, and witnessed by the weak, will make an
accusation about Jesus done, is nothing different between other religion. There will be a
contradicting of faith about a monotheistic concept about God. Serving one lord, nor another, will
be a boomerang directly to a Roman Christian who living on Corinthians. A wise consciousness
would be much easier to be understand to paralleling with the weak, and the strong. A weak
consciousness world view creates a form of eating the idol offering same as an opening ourselves
to the worshiping idol itself. Bu for a strong conciseness person, the faith To God, will not shaking
nor changing for the Christian eating the offering to the idol. It is no different from eating a daily
food. But the way Paul told the Corinthian is to make a bridge between the two understanding and
consciousness about the weak and the strong to met a one conclusion it is far better not to eat it,
nor to tempt self to eat it.
Everything is liberated for Christian to use or consuming, but not everything bringing a
goodness to people around. It can lead people to misunderstand or misinterpret the reason people
who have the liberty of Christ living a “unwise decision” among people.
3.2 A Mismatch Text Argument 7:19 to Indonesian Smoking Behavior
Many people using the state of Mark 7:19, or Matthew 15:11 as the legitimation to smoking. in
that case, if the smoker consciousness told him to smoking can bringing a goodness and worshiping
God in a correct, way, All of Christian should agreed to the way people worshiping God. But we
do know exact thing about smoking totally harmful for human bodies. And based on human
psychology, an addiction creates a sensation of unstoppable feeling to having a smoke, anxiety
attack of not having smoke or not enough of it. It became a drag to people who caught on an
addiction of smoking and a chain of addiction is similar to idolize a smoke as a part of life that
cannot be parted from smokers.
4. The Correlation Between 1 Cor 8:9 to Christian Indonesian People
It is better to using another world view to see smoking behavior isn’t profitable at all—for the
active user nor the nation. Based on Paul concern about what the liberty it is, every people were
having his/her on choice to do what they like. Even human right noted every people have a same
right to choose or deciding a decision about their life due the responsible become personal. This
align can create atmosphere to do everything neither will be a stumbled stone or not for people
either for ourselves. This sense of thinking is happening and correlated to Indonesian smoker,
especially, Christian smoker.
Still to counting the profit due smoking behavior, it still harmful for self-healthiness or people
around that exposed to smoke of the thing. People will be harmed too and what kind of goodness
if we fully realize smoking affect others too in a negative way? It would be a common thing in
Indonesia to saw an adult smoke while carrying his children, and kids—the weak are exposed to
negativity of smoke and learning a negative behavior from their own parents. And that’s create a
loophole of smoking culture in Indonesia. The strong—adult was fully consciousness about the
harm thing of smoking but still continuing the behavior and that’s what we say unwise.
Counting based on economy effect, it will be spend a lot of money to satisfying the smoking
behavior with buying a cigar, and it will be much more then spending 20.000-50.000 to treat the
harmful residue of smoke, but it will pressing down the economy of family to the limit to preserve
the rest of healthiness left. It is not kind of wise liberty and act of goodness will appear, it will
nullify all the best of salvation we received, to nothingness besides illness, and economy collapses.
5. Conclusion
A wise liberty in Christ is not only about a liberty of sin. It is talk about liberty of the corrupt
worldview to the enlightenment way of living. Smoking behavior isn’t a good thing to do. Much
further, it is a time bomb already at the first smoking. Indonesian government are still trying to
create a much more persuasive way to stopping a hundred years tradition and culture of smoking.
even thou government still having a hard time to deal with it. But, as a Christian and a liberated
people from sins, living a healthiness life will be a wises choice to choose compared to living ill
and standing on the edge of bankruptcy due to treat a mega expensive medical treatment for
smoking effect. No need to legitimating smoking behavior, because nothing good came from it,
nor the state revenue will be solved by allowing and selling cigar. Only a deficit loophole come
and more and more people stuck on this unwise addicted smoking behavior.