I Corinthians 10:23-11:1: "Do All to the Glory of God"
Paul continues his discussion on using your Christian liberty and will explain in this section how our goal should be to use it to glorify God. Paul begins with the statement, "all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable". The fact that Paul has not mentioned this statement "all things are lawful" clearly point to an overuse of it within the Corinthian church. It may have been a saying or a way of life around the Corinthian church to excuse sinful behavior. Because of this Paul will use it here to show that, it is true that where there is no scripture forbidding an action that in Christ all things are now lawful, however, Paul takes it a step further to ask if it is profitable to them. We must recognize that when Paul says that "all things are lawful", this always refers to gray areas in the bible where there is no specific command against it. This is never license to sin. However, Paul wants his readers to understand that they should not be governed by the principle that if there is no scripture to forbid you from doing an action that you are free to do it. Rather, to confirm all that he has said before regarding the weaker brother, we should be governed by the principle that if an action that is not forbidden by scripture is not profitable, than it should not be partaken of. MacArthur points out, "The basic meaning of edify (oikodomeo) is 'to build a house,' and by extension, the term refers to the literal or figurative building of anything. It is often used in the New Testament to describe the spiritual growth, or upbuilding, or believers. Whatever contributes to spiritual growth constitutes what is profitable, or beneficial, helpful, advantageous, or useful". Paul's goal is to get the Corinthian's to move their standard higher to think about how their actions will affect them. It may not be sin, but is it going to build you or those around you up? Paul then repeats himself to make sure the point is made, "All things are lawful, but not all things edify". The purpose of these statements is to get them to look inside themselves and see if what they are desiring to do will edify their spiritual walk. Paul then asks them to look outside themselves and see if their actions will edify others. He writes, "Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor". It's easy to think of ourselves and how an action will affect us, but it is another thing to constantly think about how our actions are going to affect others. This goes hand-in-hand with all that Paul had previously said regarding the weaker brother. Something that may be OK for us to do, can possibly be a stumbling block for someone else, and therefore, it would be sinful. Seeking the good of others, and looking outside of ourselves is a key to a successful marriage. I was never made more aware of the importance of seeking the good of others then when I got married. Suddenly you realize every decision you make affects the life of another person. The goal is to constantly be thinking of how I can best seek the good of my wife, and that always ends up being the right decision.
If we took all that Paul has said to the extreme, only doing things that are profitable and only looking out for others good, it could be quite difficult to live a normal life. The principles are good and should be a standard that we hold ourselves to. But just like the Christian life there needs to be a balance. Paul points this out in the next couple verses. "Eat anything that is sold in the meat market, without asking questions for conscience' sake". This principle helps counterbalance what had been said in the previous verses. MacArthur points out, "The true welfare of others should be our first concern, but their standards should not rule everything we do. As much as possible we should keep from offending the weak consciences of fellow believers, but we should not go to the legalistic extreme of making great issues out of everything we do". Paul refers back to the example of food sacrificed to idols, and tells believers to eat anything that their conscience allows them. When you go to the market and you see something you want to eat, buy it. Do not ask whether it was sacrificed to idols, simply enjoy it. Paul quotes Psalm 24:1 to help enforce his point, "for the earth is the Lord's and all it contains". Meat sacrificed to idols is just like any other meat. For God created that animal and provided it for you to consume. Paul gives the same advice when we are invited to an unbeliever's house. "If one of the unbelievers invites you, and you wish to go, eat anything that is set before you, without asking questions for conscience sake". Do not ask the host if the food had been sacrificed to idols, if your conscience does not convict you, freely enjoy the meal offered to you. Do not forfeit your freedom unless it is clear that you would offend someone around you. Galatians 5:1 reads, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery". MacArthur writes, "We should not give up our liberty unless it is clearly for the upbuilding of someone else. If we refrain from doing certain questionable things, we do not do so from a sense of legalistic compulsion but from the voluntary restriction of our liberty in order to help build up someone else".
After encouraging us to exercise our liberty, Paul once again qualifies this and cautions us to remember that "if anyone should say to you, 'this is meat sacrificed to idols,' do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you". Paul continues his illustration of eating at an unbelievers house, and another believer is present. Obviously offended enough by the food sacrificed to idols to mention something about it, in this case we are to give up our Christian liberty for the sake of the weaker believer. For the sake of the weaker brother whose conscience would not allow him to eat the food, we should refrain from exercising our liberty. We do not have to modify our conscience's, but rather our behavior. For us to not be convicted by eating idol sacrificed foods is not the issue. The issue is us not exercising that liberty in front of a weaker brother. Paul continues, "I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience? We can also draw from this example that although it may be rude for us to turn away the food offered to us by the unbeliever, the edification and conscience of the believer is more important. Paul closes this illustration by remarking, "If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?" MacArthur explains, "we should not cause our freedom to be slandered by expressing it in ways that offend a weaker brother. We should give thanks for the food and for our liberty and then express our liberty by choosing not to eat the food that offends the brother. How can we be thankful to the Lord for something a Christian brother or sister is going to stumble over?"
Paul then sums up everything he has discussed regarding exercising our Christian liberty with the fundamental principle that should be followed at all times. "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God". As believers our whole goal in everything we do should be to glorify God. Paul brings up eating and drinking not only because his previous illustration was about a meal, but also that we recognize that even in the small mundane things, our focus should be to glorify God. As a Christian, we have the ability to please and glorify God in our actions, even in eating and drinking. There are numerous ways we can do this, starting with our being thankful for what He has provided for us. We ought to constantly be reminded that before we say or do something, we must think to ourselves if our testimony can be affected by it. Our goal in all things we do should be to glorify God. And it is because of this that Paul reminds us that just because we are now free in Christ, more importantly we are ambassadors for Christ and we ought not to exercise our liberty when it can affect our edification, spiritual growth, or the conscience's of others. Paul reiterates this by saying, "Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God". This is a way of saying to not give offense to anyone. MacArthur writes, "No action of ours should prevent an unbeliever, whether Jew or Gentile, from coming to Christ (cf. Acts 15:20-29), or should cause a weak brother in Christ to stumble (I Pet. 2:11-19)".
Paul wraps up this section reminding them of his example. He does not say this to brag, but rather to point out why he had not exercised his Christian freedom, just as we ought to do. "Just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved". As Paul had previously written in chapter 9 regarding his christian right to ask for financial support, he had declined to use that right for the sake that he might, "win the more". Paul understood that by not exercising his Christian liberty, his motives in preaching the gospel could not be misunderstood, and more might be saved under his ministry. Therefore, Paul writes, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ". MacArthur finishes with these words, "The reason Paul was so confident and successful in his Christian living in general, and in the responsible use of his Christian liberty in particular, was that he was an imitator of Christ, the supreme example of One who set aside His rights for the sake of others, the One who 'emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant' and 'humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death' (Phil. 2:7-8)".
If we took all that Paul has said to the extreme, only doing things that are profitable and only looking out for others good, it could be quite difficult to live a normal life. The principles are good and should be a standard that we hold ourselves to. But just like the Christian life there needs to be a balance. Paul points this out in the next couple verses. "Eat anything that is sold in the meat market, without asking questions for conscience' sake". This principle helps counterbalance what had been said in the previous verses. MacArthur points out, "The true welfare of others should be our first concern, but their standards should not rule everything we do. As much as possible we should keep from offending the weak consciences of fellow believers, but we should not go to the legalistic extreme of making great issues out of everything we do". Paul refers back to the example of food sacrificed to idols, and tells believers to eat anything that their conscience allows them. When you go to the market and you see something you want to eat, buy it. Do not ask whether it was sacrificed to idols, simply enjoy it. Paul quotes Psalm 24:1 to help enforce his point, "for the earth is the Lord's and all it contains". Meat sacrificed to idols is just like any other meat. For God created that animal and provided it for you to consume. Paul gives the same advice when we are invited to an unbeliever's house. "If one of the unbelievers invites you, and you wish to go, eat anything that is set before you, without asking questions for conscience sake". Do not ask the host if the food had been sacrificed to idols, if your conscience does not convict you, freely enjoy the meal offered to you. Do not forfeit your freedom unless it is clear that you would offend someone around you. Galatians 5:1 reads, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery". MacArthur writes, "We should not give up our liberty unless it is clearly for the upbuilding of someone else. If we refrain from doing certain questionable things, we do not do so from a sense of legalistic compulsion but from the voluntary restriction of our liberty in order to help build up someone else".
After encouraging us to exercise our liberty, Paul once again qualifies this and cautions us to remember that "if anyone should say to you, 'this is meat sacrificed to idols,' do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you". Paul continues his illustration of eating at an unbelievers house, and another believer is present. Obviously offended enough by the food sacrificed to idols to mention something about it, in this case we are to give up our Christian liberty for the sake of the weaker believer. For the sake of the weaker brother whose conscience would not allow him to eat the food, we should refrain from exercising our liberty. We do not have to modify our conscience's, but rather our behavior. For us to not be convicted by eating idol sacrificed foods is not the issue. The issue is us not exercising that liberty in front of a weaker brother. Paul continues, "I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience? We can also draw from this example that although it may be rude for us to turn away the food offered to us by the unbeliever, the edification and conscience of the believer is more important. Paul closes this illustration by remarking, "If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?" MacArthur explains, "we should not cause our freedom to be slandered by expressing it in ways that offend a weaker brother. We should give thanks for the food and for our liberty and then express our liberty by choosing not to eat the food that offends the brother. How can we be thankful to the Lord for something a Christian brother or sister is going to stumble over?"
Paul then sums up everything he has discussed regarding exercising our Christian liberty with the fundamental principle that should be followed at all times. "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God". As believers our whole goal in everything we do should be to glorify God. Paul brings up eating and drinking not only because his previous illustration was about a meal, but also that we recognize that even in the small mundane things, our focus should be to glorify God. As a Christian, we have the ability to please and glorify God in our actions, even in eating and drinking. There are numerous ways we can do this, starting with our being thankful for what He has provided for us. We ought to constantly be reminded that before we say or do something, we must think to ourselves if our testimony can be affected by it. Our goal in all things we do should be to glorify God. And it is because of this that Paul reminds us that just because we are now free in Christ, more importantly we are ambassadors for Christ and we ought not to exercise our liberty when it can affect our edification, spiritual growth, or the conscience's of others. Paul reiterates this by saying, "Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God". This is a way of saying to not give offense to anyone. MacArthur writes, "No action of ours should prevent an unbeliever, whether Jew or Gentile, from coming to Christ (cf. Acts 15:20-29), or should cause a weak brother in Christ to stumble (I Pet. 2:11-19)".
Paul wraps up this section reminding them of his example. He does not say this to brag, but rather to point out why he had not exercised his Christian freedom, just as we ought to do. "Just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved". As Paul had previously written in chapter 9 regarding his christian right to ask for financial support, he had declined to use that right for the sake that he might, "win the more". Paul understood that by not exercising his Christian liberty, his motives in preaching the gospel could not be misunderstood, and more might be saved under his ministry. Therefore, Paul writes, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ". MacArthur finishes with these words, "The reason Paul was so confident and successful in his Christian living in general, and in the responsible use of his Christian liberty in particular, was that he was an imitator of Christ, the supreme example of One who set aside His rights for the sake of others, the One who 'emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant' and 'humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death' (Phil. 2:7-8)".
posted by amesfam | 7:14 AM
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