1 Corinthians 10:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In this consists freedom, foreign to Jewish slavery. The sense of his words is this: God created me free and placed me above every harm. But the pagan does not know how to judge my philosophy or understand the generosity of my Master. He will condemn me and say to himself: the teaching of Christians is a fable. They withdraw from idols and avoid demons, yet they do not refuse what is offered to them. Great is their gluttony. What harm is there for us, you ask, if he judges so unjustly? But is it not much better to give him no occasion for condemnation at all? If you abstain, he will not say even this. How, you say, will he not say it? Seeing that I inquire about nothing and use everything both in the market and at a feast, how will he not condemn me for using everything indifferently? Certainly he will not. For you use it not as an idol-sacrifice, but as pure. By not inquiring, you show that you do not fear what is offered. Therefore, whether you enter a pagan’s house or come to the market, I do not permit you to inquire. This is so that you may not be anxious and timid, and may not draw needless cares upon yourself.

Therefore, to the rule concerning eating, the Apostle immediately joins this also: “Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the Church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved” (1 Cor 10:32-33). “Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1).

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.”

They speak because they consider an idol-sacrifice to be something. But you abstain, not for that reason. Abstain to show them that, having left idol worship, you do not wish to enter into contact with it in any way. Show that you loathe it and turn away from it. “For why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience?” He gives the reason why his word must be understood as referring to another’s conscience and not one’s own. He speaks as though saying: another’s conscience is not law for me. I must follow my own conviction, not someone else’s. According to my own conviction I have complete freedom regarding every kind of food. Others judge otherwise. My conscience and my freedom are not bound by their judgment. I could eat without disturbance, even despite the indication that what is offered has been sacrificed to idols. But I abstain, not because of this word. It does not bind me. Even in its presence I remain free as before. Another law binds me, the law of my own conscience, not another’s. Chrysostom develops another thought: if I eat according to my freedom, the pagans, not understanding why I do so, will condemn this freedom. I do not want to allow that to happen, because condemnation of my freedom is condemnation of Christian freedom in general. I do not want to be the cause of this. He says: “By freedom he means not being obliged to observe and not being subject to prohibition regarding food. The sense of his words is this: God created me free, or recreated me in Christ for freedom, and placed me above every harm. But the pagan does not know how to judge my philosophy or understand the generosity of my Master. He will condemn me and say to himself: the teaching of Christians is a fable. They withdraw from idols and avoid demons, yet they do not refuse what is offered to them. Great is their gluttony. What harm is there for us, you ask, if he judges so unjustly? But is it not much better to give him no occasion for condemnation at all? Judgment from one person passes into condemnation of the faith. If you abstain, he will not say even this. How will he not say it? Seeing that I inquire about nothing and use everything both in the market and at a feast, how will he not condemn me for using everything indifferently? Certainly he will not. For you use it not as an idol-sacrifice, but as pure. By not inquiring, you show that you do not fear what is offered. Therefore, whether you enter a pagan’s house or come to the market, I do not permit you to inquire. This is so that you may not be anxious and timid, and may not draw needless cares upon yourself.”