1 Corinthians 10:22-33

(1 Corinthians 10:22-33)

Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.  Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.  Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:  For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.  If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.  But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:  Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?  For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

 

This is Paul's concluding exhortation on the meat offered to idols. 『All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. 』 Throughout Chapter 8, Paul said that eating an idol's offering is nothing. It meant that there would be nothing wrong with it because all food was essentially God's Creator. Accordingly, it was possible for Christians to eat meat offered to idols.

 

However, on the one hand, there was something that Christians who would enjoy such freedom had to keep in mind. It was whether their actions were well connected with the part that builds virtue, that is, the part that builds up the faith community beautifully. At that time, their free actions sometimes acted as an obstacle to the growth of the faith of weak Christians. Therefore, in the conclusion, Paul once again reminds us that the freedom granted to Christians should be for the benefit of others, not for their own.

 

Christian freedom is a big difference from the freedom people think of. The freedom of the world's people only rushes to satisfy their desires. Therefore, there are no standards and no boundaries. They don't even care about others. Eventually they turn to indulgence. In contrast, however, the freedom conferred upon Christians has a clear premise and purpose. It is that we have to build our community beautifully and benefit others.

 

For him, it is the freedom of Christ that includes the freedom to give up my interests, because believers are people who have been freed from the bondage of sin and death and gained the freedom of eternal life through the renunciation of the right of Jesus as Christ and Jesus as God. . The life of giving up on me and my interests for the will of the Lord is rather a channel through which we can experience the true freedom that has been granted to us Christians in the Lord. Furthermore, such an image of a Christian becomes an indicator of a true free person.

 

Paul presents Christian behavior in more specific situations: Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. 』
At that time, there was a mixture of meat caught for food and meat dedicated to idols. Regarding him, Paul recommends that when buying meat, buy and eat meat without asking where it came from. Because whatever meat it is, it has no effect on your relationship with God. In addition, if they ask for the source of the meat and find out that the meat was offered to an idol, it could cause a feeling of resentment in their conscience.

 

The second is the expected behavior. 『If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: 』 Even when a believer is invited to a meal by an unbeliever, Paul recommends that the meat be eaten without asking about the source of the meat. This is because, as an invited Christian guest, it is the consideration of the unbeliever master.

 

However, if one of the invited guests is a Christian and tells you that the meat was offered to an idol, it is recommended not to eat it. For nonetheless, if meat is eaten, the Christian who has made it known, the weak Christian who is still contemplating whether or not to eat the meat offered to idols, can be hurt or stumbled.
A mature Christian is a person who knows how to wisely enjoy the freedom given in the Lord. Furthermore, a mature Christian is a person who approaches the other person with words and actions appropriate to the spiritual level of the other person.

 

In meeting with unbelievers, it is the mature Christian who behaves at the level of their eyes, and in the relationship with the weak members of the faith, the person who acts at the level of their faith. The reason why Christians are asked to consider the interests of others first is called “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 』. This is because the daily life of Christians, as well as the problem of eating and drinking, is related to the glory of God. Through the image of Christians, the people of the world recall and embody the image of Jesus that the saints believe and follow. The Christian life is by no means the life of the saints alone.