IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU

“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial.  

    “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.  

     Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.  1 Cor. 10.23

Good Morning~ 

Remember!   Many of the folks to whom Paul was writing were breaking free from the Law, and moving into freedom in Jesus Christ.  Let’s look at the setting of the recipients; in the ancient world, pagan shrines were the main supplier of meat for human consumption. Most of the meat in the butcher shops had been dedicated to idols. The gods received their portion and the rest was offered for public sale. We know Corinth was full of pagan temples. Jewish people typically had their own stores where they could buy meat, so that they could know they were not buying meat that been dedicated to an idol. So, they asked Paul “Should we eat meat offered to idols?” Paul responded by reminding them that while ‘all things may be lawful or permitted, not all things are profitable or edifying’. The only standard by which we are to make decisions cannot be solely on lawfulness--we must operate by a higher principle—that of love for others, wanting always to be a good example to a weaker brother.

Paul continues in verse 24, Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”  If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.  But 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— the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience?  If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?  1 Corinthians 10.23-30

Clearly, most of us do not have to grapple with whether or not to eat food offered to idols; but there is a larger guiding principle—we need to consider how our actions affect others . . . we need to think about how well we love others.  Loving others includes respect for their convictions and proclivities, even if it costs us something.  For instance, one evening I joined a young man for dinner who had just recently been released from jail on an alcohol-related charge.  His brief incarceration had made him realize he had an addiction to alcohol.  A third party joined us for dinner, and fully aware of our young friend’s struggle, asked for the wine list first, and proceeded to order first one and then another glass of wine.  Was there anything wrong with him having wine with his dinner?  I do not think so.  However, to put it in Paul’s words, ‘he flaunted his freedom, that which was permissible to him,’ rather than caring more about his ‘weaker brother, for whom that freedom was not constructive’ in the least.  I took it all in and ‘felt’ for the weaker brother.

I turned to Romans 13.10 in my Bible—if you have yours near, or you refer to bible.logos.com or another site, please go there now.  “Love does no harm to its neighbor . . .”  So, when considering my Christian freedom, I ask, ‘might this harm my neighbor?’  And oh, by the way, ‘Does it bring glory to God?’  Hmmm . . . a high standard for living.

This is the second time in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that he has made similar statements: “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive,” and also, “Everything is permissible for me—but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me—but I will not be mastered by anything.”     1 Cor. 6.12. 

These guidelines for our Christian behavior seem to be particularly timely, as many of us are denying ourselves something during this season of Lent—a small sacrifice, compared to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for us.  Yeah . . . so, it’s not just about us.

Christine