1 Corinthians 10:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do you see his great wisdom? Since one of them could say, “I am perfect, I have authority over myself, and I eat what is set before me without harm to myself,” he says: suppose you are perfect and have authority over yourself. Yet do not look at this, but at whether your conduct causes any harm or disorder. He expressed both by the words, “not all things are profitable” and “not all things edify.” He means the first about the man himself, and the second about the brother. “Not profitable” points to his own destruction, while “does not edify” points to the brother’s scandal.

Do not consider only whether you eat with a clean conscience, but also whether your action edifies your brother. In many places in his epistles he presents this as a most necessary matter. He does not forbid seeking one’s own benefit in general, but only when it harms the brother. In such a case we must place his benefit above our own and choose it.

This truly happens when someone reclines at table in a temple and satisfies his desire, while inclining the conscience of a weak brother toward temptation. Therefore one must hasten out of love for our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, by the necessity of our neighbor’s good, we deny ourselves our desires. The Apostle, the chosen vessel and spiritual physician, also says this: “not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many” (1 Cor 10:33).

Since the Apostle completely forbade eating things sacrificed to idols, while at that time the cities were full of such meats, it was necessary for him to legislate what was proper in this matter too. Some, out of respect for the apostolic law, would probably stop buying them altogether. Others, through gluttony, would disregard the law.

Seek not only whether you eat with a clean conscience, Paul says, but whether what happens is profitable for your brother.

Finally, the Apostle resolves the question that inevitably follows from what has been said: how should one deal with food, so as not to sin by eating things sacrificed to idols? “Eat whatever is sold in the market, asking no question for conscience’ sake, for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (1 Cor 10:25-26). By this rule the Apostle had to free the Corinthian Christians from difficulty. The priests, being unable to consume everything offered in sacrifice themselves, sent the surplus to the market. Or perhaps someone bought it from them and sold it. In this way things sacrificed to idols could also come to Christians (Bishop Theophan).

At that time it was impossible to avoid completely the use of what had been sacrificed to idols. Therefore the Apostle gives certain particular directions, first setting forth general rules. In all things one must seek what is profitable, and especially not one’s own personal profit, but the neighbor’s. According to Blessed Theophylact’s explanation, the Apostle is, as it were, saying to Christians: “Do not look only at the fact that you eat with a pure conscience. Look especially at whether this edifies your neighbor.” But such edification could not be expected from eating idol-sacrifices in public places. Therefore one may say that the Apostle positively forbids eating idol-sacrifices in temples.

“Do not look only at the fact that you eat with a pure conscience. Look especially at whether this edifies your neighbor. In many places St. Paul sets forth this rule as most necessary. Yet he does not simply command us not to seek our own profit, but only when this harms the brother. In such a case, what is profitable for the neighbor must be preferred to one’s own profit. One must choose the former and leave the latter” (Theophylact). The root law of Christian activity is this: love God above all, and love your neighbor as yourself. There is no need to write rules about love for oneself. It can only be limited. Love for God is chiefly an action of the heart, inward and hidden. In visible life, only love for neighbors appears as active, being kindled inwardly by love for God.