Meat Sacrificed to Idols: Freedom, Conscience, and the Gospel. In the first-century world, meat often had a backstory. Much of it had been offered in pagan temples before showing up in the marketplace. The question was not merely culinary but spiritual: Could a Christian eat meat sacrificed to idols? The early church faced this head-on, and the way they answered still helps believers navigate moral gray areas today—issues where law and freedom intersect.