The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof.
του γαρ κυριου η γη και το πληρωμα αυτης
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
What is sacrificed to idols is bad not by its nature, but it produces defilement through the disposition of the one who eats. Therefore he says, “asking no question... for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (1 Cor 10:25-26), and not the demons’. If the earth is His, and the fruits, and all irrational animals, then nothing is unclean. Something becomes unclean through a man’s disposition and disobedience. Therefore he not only gave permission, but also added:
It belongs to the Lord, not to demons. If the earth is the Lord’s, then the fruits, trees, and animals are also the Lord’s. If all is the Lord’s, then by nature nothing is unclean, but everything depends on each person’s thought.
The man who first rejects food as belonging to idols and then unknowingly eats it does not sin. Vegetables and fruits growing in the field belong to Him who created them.
Everything is God’s creation. Everything has been brought into being by God. Therefore buy without fear, not asking whether it was sacrificed to idols or not. For this is what the words mean: “asking no question.”
How do you eat God’s good things? With prayer and thanksgiving? You partake of God’s beneficence, but do you remember the Benefactor? Every good thing is God’s, not ours. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Ps 23:1).
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.
Another matter is eating at home whatever is sold in the market, even if something there happens to have been sacrificed to idols. There everything may be eaten without fear, by virtue of the moral and religious awareness, or conscience, that everything belongs to God and can serve for men’s benefit as His gift. One may be guided by the same awareness while at the table of unbelievers. But when someone there points to something as sacrificed to idols, one must then refrain from eating. This is not because one’s conviction changes about all things belonging to God. It is so as not to give a bad example to a weak Christian. It is also so as not to give a pagan occasion to think badly of Christian convictions and rules, thereby lowering the lofty dignity of Christianity in general. Chrysostom, as though bringing all these thoughts of the Apostle to their proper conclusion, interprets: “What do the words mean, ‘Why am I blasphemed for that for which I give thanks?’ I. He says, thank God that He has so exalted me and placed me so far above Jewish abasement, for among them there is ‘Do not touch,’ and the like, that nothing can harm me. But the pagans, not knowing my philosophy, will suspect the opposite and say: Christians desire what is ours. They are hypocrites. They revile demons and turn away from them, yet they flock to their tables. What could be more unreasonable than this? Therefore do not receive food when they tell you that it has been sacrificed to idols. Christ gave you grace, so exalted you, and placed you above every harm, not so that you might give occasion for evil report against yourself. Nor did He do this so that, by the very privileges for which you give thanks, you should so offend others that they may blaspheme.”
Everything is the Lord’s, and what belongs to the Lord is blessed. There is no need to deliberate: eat everything as a blessed gift of God.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 9 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS