Studying the Text of 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1

1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 (ESV)

²³ “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful ” but not all things build up. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. ²⁵ Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁶ For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” ²⁷ If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—²⁹ I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? ³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ³² Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, ³³ just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. ¹ Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

What is this text saying?

Big idea in one paragraph:

Paul writes to the Corinthians with specific instructions for a specific theological issue: should a Christian eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols? His guidance is both practical for that particular situation and applicable for Christians approaching any issue of conscience. Since "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof," Christians have great freedom in taking part in the goodness of creation! And, since "the earth is the Lord's," that includes ourselves and even our own liberty. Therefore, our actions acknowledge the glory of God, made manifest in Jesus, and imitated by Paul and all who follow Christ.

How I read this text:

10:23-26 | Basis of the argument

In these verses, Paul sets the foundation of the specific guidance he will give in the verses following. The heart of this guidance is essentially a rewording of Jesus' command to love the neighbor. Paul's reminding the Corinthians of things they already know, with Psalm 24:1 as the theological foundation here. "Everything belongs to God! Therefore..."

10:27-29a | Specific Context

The Corinthians' problems were about meat markets and dinner parties. In the Corinthian culture, animals would be sacrificed for different holidays and occasions (a wedding, for instance). A portion of that meat would go to the priests as part of their salary. Or, they could serve that meat downstairs in the temple in something akin to a restaurant. Or, the would sell that meat in the city's central marketplace. Therefore, the meat in the marketplace could either have come from the temple or from just general livestock (we know from archaeology that the marketplace in Corinth had a stockyard attached).

How much should a Christian care about where their meat came from? Does it matter if it was sacrificed to an idol? Here, Paul departs from the Jewish answer, which would have been investigating its providence and making sure it was ritually pure. Paul says "Eat it! No reason for your conscience to stop you!" ...but with nuance.

"If someone says to you [where it came from]... do not eat it." This is not an encouragement for Christians to play dumb and act as if ignorance is bliss. Instead, the Corinthians are to live in service of their neighbor always! If eating the meat would cause the neighbor to get an improper perception of what Christians believe about Jesus, if a pagan would get the impression that Jesus is simply one god among the pantheon to whom this meat is sacrificed, then do not eat it! If no harm is done, then go ahead. It's God's anyways!

The a Christian is not a straightforward flowchart ("if this, then do this") but instead the Christian seeks the betterment of the neighbor.

10:29b-11:1 | Conclusions to the Whole Argument

In these verses, Paul concludes what he has now been saying for several chapters in various specific contexts. Verses 29b and 30 are a bit difficult to connect to the rest of this passage. I understand them as potential questions to Paul's argument (perhaps these were questions asked by the Corinthians in the first place but that is hard to either verify or disprove). I hear these not as hypothetical questions hanging in the middle, but as questions that Paul asks and immediately answers. "Why should I have my liberty infringed? For this reason: that whatever you do, you do it to the glory of God." That is certainly good guidance but a bit nebulous, so Paul puts meat on the bones (no pun intended). Follow Paul's example, as he too is following Christ's example.

In summary:

The Christian life is not a personal piety. It's not just about selecting the right eggs at the grocery store and feeling better about yourself. It's not just about checking the boxes and doing the "Christian thing." It's also not about a liberty to live for myself. Instead, the Christian life is holistic (the whole earth is God's) and relational (I look out for my neighbor) and redeemed (I reflect what Christ has done already).

Sometimes a preacher might fret about getting in the weeds about specific circumstances, but I think this text gives some liberty to get into specifics, so long as the foundation of the Gospel is clear. The Lutheran Confessions too give encouragement to get into the weeds sometimes; Lutheran teaching includes "teaching the performance of good works and for offering help as to how they may be done" (Augsburg Confession art. XX, emphasis added). Sometimes, this may seem overly practical and almost rudimentary to talk about in a sermon, but the Christian life is lived in vocations! Sometimes it may sound a bit boring to get into the finer details. Yet, in examining these fine details, we are not aiming to create a fully detailed rule-book to follow. Instead, we are living in recognition of the truth of Christ. This world is his. The meat at the supermarket is his. We are his.

How did I arrive at these conclusions?

My unpolished notes from a few resources.

UBS Handbook

Paul Ellingworth, Howard Hatton, and Paul Ellingworth, A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1995)

10:23

"all things are lawful" is probably a saying used in Corinth

Lawful could mean "is proper" but the word does often used in regards to Jewish rules and regulations

10:25

This issue of food sacrificed to idols was first brought up in 1 Corinthians 8

"But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." (1 Cor. 8:9)

Paul's instructions about behavior in a meat market are in contrast to the Jewish practice of asking if foods had been prepared properly, up to Kosher standards, and ritually pure

10:26

A quotation of Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein."

This verse is the reason behind what was just stated in verse 25

10:37

Christians very probably received invitations in Corinth to dine with non-believers

"Conscience"

"in the New Testament, the conscience usually has the negative function of signaling when something is wrong. Later ideas of conscience as an inner guiding light, or even something divine in humans, should not influence the translator" (pg. 90).

10:28-29a

Relation of v. 28-29a and the rest of the context is uncertain. The simplest solution is to understand these verses as a parenthetical, which would then make 29b follow naturally from verse 27. However, Paul makes reference to 28-29a in verses 31-32, which would suggest that they are not a mere parenthetical.

10:29b

"For suggests a logical connection with something that proceeds, probably with Paul's main line of thought expressed in verse 27" (236).

Some suggest that Paul is quoting an objector. UBS says there is a weakness of this argument in that Paul does not reply directly to this objection and it would be an unusual use of the word "for" in the Greek.

NOTE: As I see it, this is the key interpretative question of this text. If 29b is Paul speaking in support of his own point, then his main point here is the liberty of Christian freedom, and v. 28-29a ought to be understood as a parenthetical. If 29b is a quotation of an objector, then 28-29a are central points and the main point of this text is that Christian freedom has specific limits. That second option makes most sense to me (though it's disagreeing with UBS) especially with the opening of this section being a limit on "all things are lawful" and that it closes with "giving no offense" in v. 32

10:30

There's some wordplay here playing with the practice of blessing a meal which one eats. "Why should I be spoken evil of for what I bless?" This verse does not end with a question mark in the Greek text, so could possibly be translated as a strong negative statement: "There is no reason why anyone should criticize me..."

10:31

The "So" suggests that Paul begins to summarize the entire argument since the beginning of chapter 8.

"Glory of God" is often a phrase used without understanding the meaning. Perhaps something like "do everything in such a way that God will be honored"

10:32

"Give no offense" is the opposite of causing harm by causing someone to stumble over something. Not causing moral or spiritual damage to anyone else

10:33

The verse is linked grammatically with v. 32, but UBS wants to separate it as a different thought. The language and thought sound like what was in verses 23 and 24--not seeking one's own good but being helpful for the neighbor. "Many" is implicitly contrasted with "one" or "few," meaning "I seek the advantage not of myself or only a few but of much more than that."

11:1

"Imitate" is a genuine "example" or "model" not in the sense of "only an imitation" (like a knock-off).

Early Christian Commentators

Robert Louis Wilken and Judith L. Kovacs, eds., 1 Corinthians: Interpreted by Early Christian Commentators, trans. Judith L. Kovacs, The Church’s Bible (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005), iii.

Clement of Alexandria

Interprets this primarily in terms of "luxourious foods" which was maybe more of the problem at his time.

"We must partake of what is set before us, as is fitting for a Christian, showing respect for our host by our innocent and moderate participation in the social gathering, but being indifferent toward the luxuriousness of what is provided and disdaining the delicacies that will soon perish" (172).

Theodoret

"Just as I try to please all men in everything I do. But this is characteristic of flatterers. What Paul goes on to say, however, does not describe a flatterer: not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Flatterers do not seek the advantage of the other person, but their own advantage. Or, rather, they do not actually seek their own advantage, for they mistreat themselves even more than they do other people. But the divine apostle did not seek his own advantage; instead he labored for the salvation of others, and by saving them he stored up for himself imperishable wealth" (173).

John Chrysostom

"in fact the brother may take offense, and the Jew, even more, will hate and condemn you, and the Greek likewise will deride you as a glutton and a hypocrite. You must not only avoid shocking your brothers in the faith, but as far as possible even those outside. For if we are light (Matt 5:14) and leaven (Matt 13:33) and lights (Phil 2:15) and salt (Matt 5:13), we ought to shine and not be dark, to bind together and not break apart, to win the unbelievers over to ourselves, not drive them away. Why, then, are you chasing away those you should be drawing to yourself?" (173).

"No achievement can be very great if it does not benefit others. This is shown by the servant who returned the talent safe and sound and then was severely punished because he had not increased it (Matt 25:24–30). Accordingly, you too, my brother—even if you fast continuously, sleep on the ground, eat ashes, constantly lament your sins—if you help no one else, you will not accomplish very much" (174).

Chrysostom lists OT examples of selfless love: Moses, David, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and Paul.

"Let us then not seek our own advantage, so that we might find it. We must realize that neither voluntary poverty nor martyrdom nor any other such thing can commend us if we do not have perfect love (1 Cor 13:3). So let us practice this love before everything else, in order that through it we might obtain the other blessings as well, both those available now and those promised for the future" (175–176).

Lectionary at Lunch with Dr. Jeff Kloha

https://scholar.csl.edu/lal1cor/11/

The problem at Corinth is that some of the Corinthians were involving themselves in situations in which some of the meat might have been sacrificed to an idol

In ch. 8, it's the temple dining room

In ch. 10, it's eating in the temple itself

In 10:25, it's the meat market

In 10:27, it's an unbeliever's home

Paul's main emphasis is "how does your eating or drinking affect a neighbor?" and also "how does your eating and drinking affect you?"

Recommends Anthony Thiselton's commentary

The problem is not that the idol isn't real. There's a logical objection to Paul that would say, "it doesn't matter if I eat this stuff because the idols aren't real anyways." But, Paul says that co-participating in that worship is the problem. The Corinthians ought not have koinonia with worship of "demons" (verse 19ff). But you are not able to have a share of the table of the Lord and the table of demons (v. 21).

"Is it good for you? Is it good for your neighbor?" Paul is asking and answering both questions. 10:23ff is mostly thinking about neighbor

When we look at our actions and our behaviors, our actions are not judged by what I think I ought to be able to do, but instead it's love your neighbor as yourself. How do my actions build up others?

Verse 24 is essentially a re-wording of "love your neighbor as yourself"

And the main point of 23-11:1

Some historical context:

When a sacrifice happened, for instance a wedding sacrifice, the right shoulder of the meat would go to the temple. The priests of the temple could eat the meat as part of their salary, or they could serve the meat in the downstairs of the temple (functionally like a restaurant in modern terms), or they could sell it in the marketplace.

So the meat in the marketplace might have come from the temple, but we also know from archaeology that the marketplace in Corinth had a stock yard attached. So there was a mix of meat from the temple and from the stockyard.

The jewish answer is "you must always ask!"

Paul's answer is not the Jewish answer, but is the "first article answer" ("everything is the Lord's" v.26)

Conscience in the NT is your moral perspective that causes you to not do certain things

God has given all of creation for our good, and we are to enjoy this creation as his people.

Verse 27 gets into a second situation. If an unbeliever invites you and you wish to go, here is the advice.

Do not eat the meat for the sake of that guy's sake and his conscience. He considers it an actual sacrifice to an idol. When he indicates that it's from the temple, he's indicating a sort of prayerful participation in the religious ceremony of the gods. If you eat it, you are acknowledging that his god is real.

Kloha says that verses 29b and 30 are Corinthian objections. "Why should my freedom be bound by another? What if I say my own Come lord jesus prayer while my friend says his pagan prayer?"

Do everything according to the glory of God. All actions and behavior are framed by this. Living a part of his kingdom. His kingdom is real, it has come, therefore participate in it!

Colossians 3 is a parallel point

MY NOTE: there's an implied point. All is the Lord's, and that includes your freedom! It too serves God and his Kingdom.

Pay attention to those who live according the the pattern Christ gave. The sacrifice of Christ defines life in the community. Because Christ has sacrificed himself, this new kingdom has begun. Now I know what life looks like in this kingdom; it means loving your neighbor as yourself.

Your freedom does not give you a right to destroy others (a non-believer or a brother in Christ).

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Sermon on 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 | 2025-11-23 (by Joel Werner) — Semble

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