Original Meaning

AT LAST PAUL RETURNS to where he began this discussion of idol meat. Apart from the unique instance of eating during pagan worship, believers have the freedom to partake so long as it is for God’s glory and others’ well-being. Verse 23 restates 6:12 almost verbatim (“Everything is permissible …”), except that here Paul substitutes “but not everything is constructive” at the end. Now he is thinking more of the corporate than of the individual effects of exercising freedom in Christ. Still, his “Yes, but” approach to the Corinthian slogans remains unchanged. Verse 24 amplifies the qualification. Christians are free to serve others above self. Verses 25–30 apply Paul’s principles to the two specific contexts of purchasing and consuming meat sold in the Corinthian marketplace (vv. 25–26) and eating it in a friends’ home (vv. 27–30). In each instance, the likelihood was great that the meat would have been sacrificed to idols.

In the case of marketplace food, Paul’s command is unqualified: feel free to buy it and eat it. Food and drink are part of God’s good creation (Ps. 24:1) and have been given to his people to be enjoyed (vv. 25–26). No food is unclean in itself (cf. Rom. 14:14). In the case of a friend’s home, even that of an unbeliever not likely to have any scruples about what is eaten, Paul is only slightly less enthusiastic. His general affirmation is equally sweeping—go if you like, eat, and don’t ask any questions (v. 27). Only if someone else present makes an issue of the food having been sacrificed to idols should abstention even be considered (v. 28a). Presumably this person is a “weaker” fellow-Christian (recall 8:7), since unbelievers would not likely have any scruples about eating idol meat.1 In this situation, one might decide to refrain so as not to risk leading the other person into sin or confusing his or her conscience (vv. 28b–29a).

Verses 28–29a should probably be punctuated as a parenthesis, as in the old RSV. Verses 29–30 then resume Paul’s primary line of thought. He defends his freedom to partake of food for which he is grateful to God and not to be paranoid about what the unspoken thoughts of others present might be.2

First Corinthians 10:31–11:1 restates the twin principles of freedom and restraint one last time, now in the context of God’s glory—that which conforms to his standards and priorities (v. 31). Paul tries to lead as few into sin as possible, both outside and inside the church, but his most basic underlying motive is the salvation of as many as possible (vv. 32–33; recall 9:19–23). And he has included this somewhat lengthy discussion of his actions and motives precisely so that the Corinthians might imitate him carefully, at least to the extent that he successfully models Christ-like behavior (11:1).

Bridging Contexts

MOST OF THE PRINCIPLES behind 10:23–11:1 have been discussed under chapter 8. Clearly the two fundamental principles remain unaltered. Christians have essential freedom in morally neutral matters, but their behavior must be tempered with concern for others. The twin emphases of the summary paragraph (10:31–11:1) call to mind Jesus’ twofold summary of the Law: love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37–40). Only here Paul phrases it in terms of giving God the glory and trying to please fellow human beings. As before, the permission implied in verses 25–26 may not be generalized to inherently immoral or destructive actions.

The major new item in this section is Paul’s tipping of the scales in verses 25–30 in favor of freedom over abstinence.3 God has created the material world for human enjoyment, though we must not abuse it (Gen. 1:28). All creation remains under his sovereignty, with potentially useful purposes for believers (v. 26). Above all else, Paul wants as many men and women as possible to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus (v. 33b). There are stumbling-blocks in the gospel message that dare not be removed, most centrally the cross of Christ (1:18–2:5). But the path must be cleared of all unnecessary obstacles, and a legalistic lifestyle that depicts Christianity as submission to a long list of dos and don’ts has been one of the major hindrances to faith for unbelievers in most periods of church history.

Ideally, Paul will never offend anyone (v. 33a), but Abraham Lincoln would correctly remark centuries later that “you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”4 So if someone will be offended no matter what Paul does, he would rather it be a fellow Christian, already secure in his or her Savior’s hand, than an unbeliever who might turn away from Christ for entirely the wrong reasons. This preference is completely consistent with Paul’s tirades elsewhere against more severe forms of legalism (Gal. 2; Phil. 3) and with the lifestyle of Jesus himself, who consistently mingled with “tax-collectors and sinners” in ways that angered the conservative religious establishment.

First Corinthians 11:1 also offers a challenging model, which we addressed in connection with 4:16. It is as if Paul says, “Do you want to know what it means to live a consistent Christian life, properly balancing freedom and restraint? Then watch me, follow me, and live with me. I may not be perfect, but I try to imitate the selfless life Christ lived, and to the extent that I succeed, you should do the same.” Little wonder that ancient Christian behavior often stood out among the pagans of the day. Early believers often drew from 10:32 the concept that in Christ one was no longer Jewish or Gentile but a member of a “third race,” qualitatively distinct from the other two.

Contemporary Significance

AGAIN I WOULD refer readers to the applications of chapter 8. But a little more can be said here. Verse 25 contains implications for ecology and stewardship of the environment that go beyond the original issue of acceptable food to eat. As with biblical teaching on the subject more generally, Paul recognizes that the created world is categorically distinct from humanity, which alone was fashioned in God’s image. So we have the right and the responsibility to use creation for good purposes (Gen. 1:28). Mandating vegetarianism or elevating animal rights to the level of human rights blurs this distinction between humanity and the rest of creation, but the more common modern malady of a cavalier rape of the environment proves even more heinous in God’s eyes.5

More central to this section is Paul’s preference for freedom over restraint when commending the gospel to unbelievers. Non-Christian stereotypes of conservative Christianity consistently characterize us as dour, legalistic joy-killers. And at least part of this caricature is deserved. Evangelicals often do argue over where to draw the boundaries in morally gray areas. Fee correctly observes that “conservatives on these issues simply fail to reckon with how ‘liberal’ Paul’s own view really is. Hence Paul is seldom heard for the sake of traditional regulations.”6

Pleasant exceptions to this trend often occur in creative church youth groups and parachurch campus ministries that defy the stereotype, organize lots of fun activities, usually attract good crowds, bring many to genuine faith, and weather the criticisms of the “professional weaker brothers” in their communities. Unfortunately, there are not as many models of similar exuberance, creativity, and freedom among older adults either inside or outside the church. Service projects and “target group ministries”7 may prove effective alternate approaches to reaching adults from a wide variety of walks of life. Our outreach can be even more effective if we adopt attitudes and lifestyles that are quicker to affirm the truth and goodness that appear in unbelievers’ lives than to condemn their sins.8

Once again, modeling at all levels is clearly needed. Happily, some Christians are bucking the prevailing trends of individualism and isolationism. There are families who open their homes to guests or renters, leaders who take younger Christians along with them in their ministry, teachers and counselors who make generous amounts of time available for their students and clients during off-hours, and business people who practice ethical behavior in the workplace and at home. But such people remain in a minority. Many more mentors and spiritual directors are needed throughout the Christian world.9