I Corinthians 10:23  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
24  Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
25  Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
26  For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
27  If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
28  But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:
29  Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?
30  For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
32  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
33  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

As we have mentioned before, context is always important in studying God’s Word. Verse 23 is not a verse in isolation. It is a verse that is written in the context of what has been stated before and what is written after. The context is in relation to meat offered to idols. Eating meat is lawful. I know our governments are trying to turn people away from eating meat. They believe that cows cause “climate change” and we need to stop raising cattle. They are fools and wise people reject their foolishness.
God told Noah that he could eat meat. God has never changed that fact. Thus in our text, it is not sin to eat meat. However, meat offered to idols is a different issue. It is not expedient to eat meat offered to idols for several reasons. We covered them before. The second part of this verse talks about edification or building up. Again, eating meat offered to idols does not build up the faith of the weak brother.
In verse 24 we are reminded that true saints do not live for themselves. We are saved to serve God. As saints we are motivated by the love of God within us, to help others to know God and to serve Him faithfully as well. Thus we are looking out for the well being of a new believer as well as that of a saint that has been saved for a longer period of time.
Verse 25 tells us this is the context. Meat that is sold in the “shambles”, which is simply the market, was safe to purchase. The saints did not need to ask where it came from. If the meat was labelled that it had been sacrificed to idols, that would be a different story. The person did not need to feel guilty for buying the meat because they did not know where it came from. A saved person would soon figure out if an idolater was trying to push his meat in a subtle manner. God is talking about simply going to a market and shopping for food items.
In verse 26 God gave the justification for not asking questions of origins regarding the meat. The earth is the Lord’s. God made the animals that were butchered. Someone might want to use that meat for wicked purposes, but God made the meat. The purchaser does not need to feel guilty for purchasing the meat innocently, because God made the meat. He gave it to man to sustain health and strength. God does not want His children to be crippled by wickedness. In a wicked world, we are often surrounded by wickedness. This is again why the local true church is so important. We can find refuge in that place. Lost people are welcome in a true church. They do not set the agenda. The Word of God is supreme in a true church. In a Christian home, the Word of God would also be supreme. God provides safety in the midst of the destructive nature of the devil.
In verse 27 the same principle applies to being invited to a feast. Most people have been to a wedding or two in their lifetime. If there is a wedding you can go to with a clear conscience, then you do not need to ask where they got their meat from. You can have a clear conscience in eating at that feast without having to talk to the host about where the meat came from.
In verse 28 we are reminded that if the host or the salesperson tells you the meat was offered to an idol, don’t eat it. Why not? You care about that weaker brother who is still affected by his past teaching in idolatry. You may not be affected by it, but he is. You want him to be able to grow in the Lord, not fall back. A saved person cannot lose their salvation, but they can be hindered in their walk with the Lord.
In verse 29 we see that we need to think about more than just ourselves. Christians are to be a light to others. The stronger brother is supposed to be able to help the weaker brother to grow stronger. God does not say we should harass the weaker brother. He says we should show respect for him or her.
Keep in mind again here, that God is not making an open statement and telling us we can insert anything we want to into this teaching. It is specific to the context of idolatry. He is also talking of things that are lawful. There are many things going on in the majority of churches today that are not lawful. Spin doctors are trying to make them lawful, but the conscience tells the person they are not lawful. That is why so many professing Christians stay away from a good church. They are brought under conviction and they do not want to deal with that.
Paul was directed to address the matter of our liberty in Christ. He has already stated that he would be at liberty according to God’s law to eat meat. However, the fact that he was saved and a servant of God means that his liberty cannot be used to hinder some other saint from growing in the Lord.
In verse 30 we see that praying over the meat does not take away from the need to guard against being a stumblingblock to the weaker brother. It is more important to keep a good testimony, than to hinder a newer believer from growing.
In verse 31 we are reminded of what the bottom line is. Whatever a saint does, it must be done for the glory of God. You cannot sin to the glory of God. True saints know this and they want to please their heavenly Father.
In verse 32 we are reminded that we are not to give offence to the Jews or to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. Paul addressed the unsaved as well as the saved. We, those who are saved, do not want to have people wasting time debating this matter rather than hearing the Gospel. It is far more important to leave the door open to teach people the truth, than to stubbornly hold to a liberty that I have that is a hindrance to a newer believer.
In verse 33 we are again reminded that we cannot live selfish lives if we are saved. Life is not about me. It is about God. It is about giving the lost person every opportunity to be saved. True saints want others to be saved. We want to live in such a way that we can have opportunity to speak to others about the truth, wherever possible. Some people will want to pick on anything. We saw that in the life of Christ. The Pharisees were constantly trying to trip Him up. They had no interest in truth. Jesus often answered their failed attempts and He exposed their hypocrisy.
Today is the Lord’s Day. It is the day that the Lord has given us to stop our busyness and go to a good church where we can learn the truth and be encouraged in the truth. Don’t miss out on this important opportunity that God has provided for you.
Pastor Bartel