1 Corinthians 10:23-33
The Believer's Freedom
23"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."[a]
27If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake[b]— 29the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? 30If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Paul is using a popular phrase the Corinthians used when he says everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial for me...He also used this expression in chapter six verse twelve...St. Paul knew that God gives us free choice and free will...We, as well as the Corinthians, have/had the freedom to make any choice they want to do today, tomorrow, and the next throughout one's life...Just because everything is permissible, we must be careful and think how our everyday daily decisions affect relationship with God and with others...Paul wants us to be cautious when we make these permissible decisions everyday...He teaches us to make constructive decisions...
St. Paul tells us to make our daily decisions and free will choices with our neighbors in mind...Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others...
Food and eating is a universal thing...Everyone must eat...God provides our daily bread...We must be thankful for the food God provides us...Eating together should bring us together not only physically, but also in a fellowship way, and in a holy way...When we eat, we should remember and thank Jesus for dying for us and saving us...Jesus talks about remembering Him, when we eat, in His Last Supper with His Twelve disciples...Since all of must eat we can have fellowship when we dine and eat with others...But eating can be controversial...The Jewish law allowed some foods to be eaten and others could not be eaten...St. Paul wants us to think of others when we eat if someone's faith is hindered or affected by the type or types of food we eat...We must be thankful for the food God gives us to eat and give honor to Him in everything we do, including our eating and drinking...While keeping this in mind, if we can avoid or not have a certain food for one or two meals and help us get closer to our neighbor, that is what we should do...
St. Paul tells us if we are invited to have a meal with an unbeliever we should eat what he has laid out for us...However, if he he has offered a food for a sacrifice, then we cannot eat it, because our God does not permit idols and idol worship...We cannot give glory to God if we are worshipping an idol which our Father denounces in His second commandment...
St. Paul is trying to bring all people closer to God...Food could and can be a stumbling block because certain food is kosher to the Jew...Many Gentiles ate all types of food (both kosher and non-kosher), and some people had other gods and idols and sacrificed some foods for their idols...
We must be thankful to God for the food we eat...We also should try to bring other people closer to God...We must be aware of the decisions we make everyday, including what we eat and drink, and how it affects others and how it affects our providing Father...This controversy over food is discussed when St. Peter goes to a Gentiles house in Acts 10:9-48...St. Paul mentions more eating controversy in Galatians 2:11-13...We must watch out for food and other things becoming stumbling blocks in our faith...
St. Paul then turns back to the church and tells us whether Jew or Gentile, he is not seeking his own good, but the good of many, so that they and we may be saved...