THREE SIDES OF THE EQUATION (1 CORINTHIANS 10:23-33)
A farmer wanted to breed his three sows (adult female hogs). He had a friend who owned a few boars, so they made arrangements to get the sow and boars together. One afternoon the farmer loaded the sows into his pickup truck and hauled them over to the nearby farm. While the pigs were getting very well acquainted, he asked his friend how he would know if his pigs were pregnant.
“That’s easy,” said the man. “They wallow in the grass when it (works) takes, but they wallow in the mud when it doesn’t.”
Early the next morning the farmer awoke, glanced out the window of his bedroom, and noticed all three sows wallowing in the mud. So he loaded them back into his pickup and took them for a second round with the boars. Next morning...the same result. All three were wallowing in the mud. Disappointed but determined, the farmer once again took them back, hoping the third time would be the charm.
The following morning the farmer had to be away from the farm on business, so he anxiously phoned his wife, “Are they wallowing in the grass or the mud, dear?”
“Neither,” she replied. “But two of them are in the back of your pickup and the third one’s up front honking the horn!” (Charles Swindoll, Simple Faith 184-85).
Like the farmer, good, godly Christians are so serious about changing others’ opinions, beliefs and convictions on non–essential issues that they cannot see eye to eye or have a heart to heart talk with others who differ from them. Some churches split and members leave over Bible versions, worship wars and Jesus’ coming.
One of the most contentious issues in the church at Corinth was whether to eat food sacrificed to idols. The believers there comprised of Jews and Gentiles, so their background and diet is different.
What factors govern our decision-making in differences? What is the best and greatest motivation?
Paul gives us three principles to free us to worship, serve and thrive in a church community.
Seek the Gain That Counts
23 “Everything is permissible”- but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”- but not everything is constructive. (1 Cor 10:23-24)
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?” “Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”
“Well, no,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…” “All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”
“Umm, no, on the contrary…” “So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”
“No, not really.” “Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?” (Appleseeds.com)
Why did Paul rehash the case on food sacrificed to idols? Did not the church in Jerusalem ask the Gentiles to abstain from four things upon profession of Christ - food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality? (Acts 21:25) Did Paul undermine the apostles’ teachings? The apostles and the church had previously faced and handled at least two food fights. First, on the subject of ceremonial washing of hands and feet and the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles that was part of tradition of the elders. (Mark 7:1-4) Jesus summarized, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’” (Matt 15:18-20)
Paul, too, had his hands full with the debate over eating vegetables or meat. He says in another book, Romans 14:1-3 - “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.”
This third incident concerns food sacrificed to idols. The word “permissible” (v 23) in Greek is translated as “lawful” by KJV, RSV and NASB. That was the word of choice the Pharisees used to test Jesus with a flurry of questions: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” (Matt 12:10), “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (Mark 10:2) and “Is it RIGHT to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” (Matt 22:17)
NIV’s “beneficial,” on the other hand, has three different translations in three different versions: KJV’s “expedient,” RSV’s “helpful” and NASB’s “profitable.” Most of the time, the word “beneficial” is translated elsewhere in the Bible by NIV as “good” (John 16:7, 18:14, 1 Cor 7:35, 10:33), “better” (Matt 5:29, 5:30, 18:6, 19:10, John 11:50), “best” (2 Cor 8:10, Heb 12:10) and on one occasion “helpful” (Acts 20:20) and “gained” (2 Cor 12:1). Greek time! “Sum-phero” (beneficial) is from “sum/sun” (sync/joint) and “phero” (carry, bear, see “Christopher=Christ bearer”). The word literally means “bears up.” While all things are lawful, all things do not keep up, carry over, hold together or maintain form in the long run. This is on the personal side, which there is no lasting personal benefit. From verses 23 till the end of the chapter, the word “all” occurs nine times (1 Cor 10:23, 23, 23, 23, 25, 27, 31, 33, 33). Come to think of it, that’s what the Chinese say. It’s not going to make you better, prettier, stronger, only fatter! There are always other things to eat. Food is perishable but fellowship and friendship are permanent. Crudely saying, food exits one’s body but fellowship binds hearts together.
The next line repeats the first line except for the last word - “constructive” (oikodomeo), or “edify” in KJV and NASB but “build up” in RSV. While “beneficial” is for the long term, “constructive is from the bottom up. The word is the same word for the construction of a house; to be a house-builder. The Bible tells us only two things builds up: love (1 Cor 8:1) and faith (1 Tim 1:4). Nobody becomes more spiritual over food. They merely have more religious opinions but they do not help a person grow spiritually.
Seek the Good of Others
24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 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- 29 the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? (1 Cor 10:24-30)
According to an ancient fable, there was a Persian king who wanted to discourage his four sons from making rash judgments. At his command, the eldest son made a winter journey to see a mango tree across the valley. When spring came, the next oldest was sent on the same journey. Summer followed and the third son was sent. After the youngest made his visit to the mango tree in the autumn, the king called them together and asked each son to describe the tree.
The first son said it looked like an old stump. The second disagreed, describing it as lovely—large and green. The third son declared its blossoms were as beautiful as roses. The fourth son said that they were all wrong. To him it was a tree filled with fruit—luscious, juicy fruit, like a pear.
“Well, each of you is right,” the old king said. Seeing the puzzled look in their eyes, the king went on to explain. “You see, each of you saw the mango tree in a different season, thus you all correctly described what you saw. The lesson,” said the king, “is to withhold your judgment until you have seen the tree in all its seasons.” (Appleseeds.com, Source: “Sower’s Seeds That Nurture Family Values, # 30”)
Verse 24 is plain and short in Greek: “Seek none oneself but another (heteros, as in heterodox).”
What are believers to do if unbelievers invite them for dinner? Did Paul shortly before not advise believers to stop eating in an idol’s temple (1 Cor 8:10) and participating in fellowship with demons? (1 Cor 10:20) What has changed? In this instance, the believer is invited and the occasion is a home. Paul says do not fuss or fret unless the owners fuss and frown. This is different from Paul’s argument in chapter 8 concerning eating in an idol’s temple (1 Cor 8:10), which is strictly forbidden.
Why is food not the issue? Because the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it (v 26). The full quotation taken from Psalms Ps 24:1-2 is: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” All the land and sea creatures are His creation, which He deemed good. (Gen 1:21, 25)
The biblical teaching on food or meat in itself is two-fold: (1) All food is “clean or “katharos” (Rom 14:20) – the reverse is “no food is unclean in itself” - and (2) everything God created is “good” (kalos) and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Tim 4:4-5) The truth, as Paul eloquently states it is “Food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.”
(1 Cor 8:8)
The litmus test in a non-biblical issue - not unbiblical issue - is shifted to one’s conscience, stated five times in the chapter (1 Cor 10:25, 27 , 28, 29, 29). The conscience is a stern judge, a merciless critic and a terrible nag. The verb “judge” (v 29) is to scrutinize, investigate, interrogate - asking questions to no end. The exhaustive translations for this word are examine (Luke 23:14), call to account (Acts 4:9), cross-examine (Acts 12:19), examine (Acts 17:11), discern (1 Cor 2:14), make judgments (1 Cor 2:15), judge (1 Cor 4:3), sit in judgment (1 Cor 9:3) and raise questions (1 Cor 10:25). The Greek word for “raising questions” (v 25) or “judging” is bound up with a prefix “ana,” (ana-krino) for repetition and intensity.
The conscience is an amazing thing; it is qualified by different adjectives. There are people with weak (strengthless in Greek) conscience (1 Cor 8:10), good conscience (Acts 23:1), clear (katharos) conscience (1 Tim 3:9), corrupted conscience (Titus 1:15), guilty (evil in Greek) conscience (Heb 10:22). The worst is not in the Bible – no conscience, which is a myth: there is good/clear, weak or bad/corrupted, but not no conscience.
Paul says, “But if anyone regards (peitho –persuaded) something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.” (Rom 14:14) Food is food; it is neutral, but to a weaker brother, its cultural, religious and psychological value matters more than its nutritious value. It’s been said, “A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.” Conscience is the awareness of what is right or wrong. The Greek word is sun-eidesis or joint knowledge, co-perception, not ignorance or unawareness.
In the same way the children of God has glorious freedom (v 29, Rom 8:21), for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor 3:17), but the reverse side of freedom is denouncement (blasphemeo) (v 30), offense and vilification.
Seek the Glory of God
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God- 33 even 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. (1 Cor 10:31-33)
Charles Colson shared about receiving a phone call from Jack Eckerd, the founder of the Eckerd Drug chain, the second largest drug chain in America. Jack Eckerd invited him to Florida on the founder’s Lear jet to discuss Florida’s prison reform. While he was there Colson talked to Jack Eckerd about Jesus and gave him some books to read. Years went by but Colson witnessed to Jack Eckerd without success. One day Jack Eckerd called him up to say he believed in the resurrection. Charles Colson prayed with him to accept Christ.
The first thing Eckerd did was to walk into one of his drugstores and walked down through the book shelves, but this time he reacted differently when he saw Playboy and Penthouse magazines in the stores. And he’d seen it there many times before, but it never bothered him before. Now he saw them with new eyes. He’d become a Christian. He went back to his office. He called in his president. He said, “Take Playboy and Penthouse out of my stores.” The president said, “You can’t mean that, Mr. Eckerd. We make three million dollars a year on those books.” Eckerd said, “Take ‘em out of my stores.” By one man’s decision, those magazines were removed from the shelves of 1,700 stores across America, forsaking three million dollars a year in revenue. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited)
Paul provides the Corinthians believers a different and superior way to think. This time, not bound to conscience and feelings, right and freedom, brothers or sisters, but to God’s glory. Conscience as motivation has its ups and downs, highs and lows, peaks and pits, but doing things for God’s glory is the greatest and ageless motivation in life. Doing things for God’s glory is the greatest freedom in life. Paul did not limit the principle to eating food sacrificed to idols, but that whatever they do, to do it all for the glory of God (v 31). If eating causes a weak brother to stumble, not just merely disagree, then I can choose to eat it another day or in another company. “Stumble” (v 32) in Greek has the meaning of striking, beating and tripping. It means that if others are beaten up over my eating in their presence, then I will pass. It doesn’t mean one is a hypocrite for eating somewhere. The word “stumble” occurs three times only in the Bible, the other two translations are “clear” (Acts 24:16) and “blameless.” (Phil 1:10) Note that Paul is not saying not to eat at all, but not in the presence of the weak brother, who will blame himself or you for his stumbling.
“Please” is “aresko,” which is taken from the word “airo” - to lift up (others). Pleasing everybody is an impossible task and a losing proposition. That’s why Paul qualifies it to mean for the greater good, not his own (v 33). The ultimate is to open and not close the door to witnessing. Why is eating or not more important than the gospel? In another passage unrelated to eating, Paul says “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Cor 9:22-23) Pleasing all and becoming all is not a virtue in today’s society. It is frowned upon and interpreted as a sign of weakness, not strength. The foremost reason is that we do not want others to take advantage of us. Paul is not saying the believer has to “be all,” not a state or character, which does not change – just “becoming” all, that others may be saved. It is a salvation issue, not a sanctification issue. He is stating that he is responding to the weaker brother, not just someone claiming he is weak, but that he is weak.
Conclusion: Do you do all things for the glory of God? Is your testimony pleasing to Him? Do you find ways and time to witness for Him?
1. Study the three words permissible, beneficial, and constructive.
Using entertainment (e.g. watching movies) as a topic, can you give an example of each (i.e. permissible, beneficial, and constructive)?
Using hobbies as a topic, can you give an example of each?
Using food as a topic, can you give an example of each?
Using friendship with unbelievers as a topic, can you give an example of each?
Identify some other choices you are discerning in your personal life (study or work life) and ponder.
2. In this text, what is our responsibility to our non-believing friends (in school or work settings) when we participate in activities with them?
3. Using the examples you come up with in #1, can you include your conscience and “the other man” (your unbeliever friend)’s conscience in examining the activities
4. What is the fundamental guideline or principle for all we do? (v.31) Apply it to the examples you have selected in #1. Does it change anything?
5. What does Paul’s effort to “please everybody in everyway” mean? What should the purpose be? As Christians, are we trying to “please” everybody?
