Live for the Glory of God and the Good of Others
1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1
Truth Taught- Our Christian freedoms should be exercised with the glory of God and the good of others in mind
Paul has finished his teaching on eatingmeals in the pagan temples. He has taught that Christians should not do this because it is idolatry. It is idol worship and the Christian should flee from idols. These pagan gatherings should not include Christians because worshipping idols and Christ is incompatible.
The Corinthians who were Doing this were trying to minimize this act. They were seeking to move their pagan meals to the category of non-essentials where they claimed they had certain freedoms to do this.
They tried to make it an issue of knowledge and rights and Paul was out to show them that it must be an issue of love and freedom. Knowledge and rights lead to pride while love and freedom lead to the edification of others. Their acts were tearing others down and Paul wanted them to begin self-control and live with love so to build up not tear down.
The Apostle begin be helping the Corinthians discern between essentials and non-essentials then he will set up two examples of this time not eating a meal at the pagan temple but simply purchasing meat in the marketplace that was used as a sacrifice in the pagan temple. The first was the purchase of meat to be consumed in one’s home and the second example is when someone invites you to their home for dinner and serves meat from the pagan temple.
Then, he’s going to give us a very good proverb to live by as Christians.
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.
11 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
1. The Corinthian Slogan Redirected (10:23-24)
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.
Their mentality and thinking were ultra-rights as a Christian. If they had the right to do something then they should do it. They went way too far and in the pursuit of their rights, as with the pagan temples, their erring on freedom had led them into the sin of worshipping demons. Unchecked freedoms and rights will lead us into sin. With freedom and rights also must come the discernment to not always demand them nor exercise them.
Here in these two verses, we are shown that there are qualifiers when it came to their slogan, All things are lawful. Yeah, but not all things are helpful nor do all things build up others. Just because you can do something does not mean you always should. There must be discernment involved.
He then gives them a better slogan:
Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
God’s new slogan…when you exercise your freedoms, use the guideline, am I seeking my own good or am I seeking the good of others?
So, we must conclude that freedom does not mean seek my own good, it means to be free in Christ to seek the good of others. The good of others is seen as the criteria in which their decisions are to be made. Its freedom coupled with benefit and edification of others. This is what Jesus has done for us…this is exactly His example.
Romans 15:1–3 (ESV)
15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
Philippians 2:4–8 (ESV)
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus had all the freedom in the universe and cared for us. He did not exercise His rights as God but for a time made Himself lower and did not exercise His rights but used His freedom for the good of others.
So, the universal truth is to look to Jesus as our example and follow Him.
2. Eating Without Raising Questions (10:25-26)
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.”
Here is an example of meat that originally came from the pagan temple but has been sold at the market. Here there is no connection now to the idol or the pagan temple. It’s Okay to eat discounted meat no matter where it came from.
Paul’s goal here is to help free the conscience of anyone who may be deemed the weaker brother. Here, it’s the brother coming out of paganism.
Freedom in Christ means that a new believer who came out of paganism does not have to nervously examine every cut of meat and be worried that if it should come from the temple that he is guilty of idol worship. He can be free to eat.
The Christians in Corinth were free to purchase and eat any meat they chose even the meat that had been used in those pagan temples.
Here’s their new God given slogan…
26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
Here’s Paul’s point. It can be interpreted like this…
God created the earth and all its fullness. It is His and everything in it including the food you just purchased from the market. As God’s Apostle, I speak for Him in this matter and tell you that God says it’s fine to eat it because it belongs to Him.
You can eat whatever is sold in the marketplace without asking about it. The weaker brother is to be released from their troubled conscience.
So, whatever has passed through the pagan temple is still part of God’s creation and He reigns sovereign over it. Because God told them it was alright that they did not have to inquire with and anxious sprit but because it is God’s they can purchase and eat with thanksgiving because God, not the idol provided it to them for food.
Don’t worry and don’t ask. It’s okay.
3. The Freedom to Give Up Your Liberty for the Sake of Another (10:27-30)
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?
Here, the translation into English loses a little meaning. So, I want to look at it in the original.
In verse 27 the you is really plural. We don’t say it but us good northeners should learn from our Southern friends to say you all. We don’t really have a word or phrase for second person plural. You all is the original.
So, the scenario is that a pagan friend has invited a few Christians over for dinner. The best meat is the meat sacrificed to idols. We are not at the temple but in his house now. The Christians are told that the meat is sacrificed and came from the temple. There is a weaker brother has said, this meat has been offered to an idol. So, the weaker brother who’s present and who is still struggling with this. So, the stronger Christian decides it’s best not to exercise his freedom to eat the meat but simply eats the veggies and the salad instead for the sake of the weaker brother’s conscience.
Freedom in Christ is a wonderful privilege not to be forfeited unless it could hurt someone else.
Galatians 5:1 (ESV)
5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
The flip side of the coin here is that while the mature believer may choose not to exercise his Christian freedom for the sake of his brother’s conscience, he should also seek to help the weaker brother learn and be equipped not to stay in that weaker brother mode forever.
In edifying the weaker brother we are also called to help them enjoy all the liberties Jesus has purchased for us. We are not under the Law but under Grace.
4. The Purpose of Christian Freedom: To Glorify God (10:31-11:1)
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.
11 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Here, the context is eating and drinking things offered to idols but the command and exhortation goes further and broader than just that. It’s an exhortation to do all things and exercise all Christian freedoms for God’s glory.
For them, their freedoms could be used to either get what they wanted or to use them to build up the weaker brother and bring glory to God.
Here in these closing verses, we see two imperatives. When viewed correctly, both accomplish the same thing.
A. All things should be done to glorify God
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Here, the Christian life is lived for the purpose of honoring and glorifying God. This is to value God so highly that it changes how you live. You are no longer the most important entity nor are you the center of the universe. God is viewed with love and infinite value. You do the hard things you normally would not do in order to obey and please Him.
John 13:31–35 (ESV)
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
We live for the good of others. So that they too may experience the salvation of God through Jesus Christ.
B. All things should be done for the good of others
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.
Make sure that you’re not offensive concerning the living out of your Christian freedoms.
Here, the Apostle tells us that he has freedoms but he is not overly zealous in their exercise but weighs them out in any given situation. Will they glorify God and will they build others up? Will they lead to the salvation of others?
11 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Here it’s imitate Paul as he imitates Christ. Take Paul’s example as he takes Jesus’ example.
Christ gave Himself up for others and it brought the salvation of many.
Paul’s conclusion is that as he does the same, we too must also live with the good of others in mind.
Resources Used
1 Corinthians by Anthony C. Thiselton
1 Corinthians by Gordon Fee
1 Corinthians by Um
1 Corinthians by John MacArthur
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