1 Corinthians 10:31Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do you see how he moved in his teaching from a particular matter to the general, and gave us the excellent rule of glorifying God in everything?

Do all things, he says, to the glory of God. By your present action God is not glorified, but rather blasphemed. A man eats and drinks to the glory of God when he scandalizes no one by it. He does it not through gluttony or love of pleasure, but so that he may fit his body for the practice of virtue. In general, a man does every deed to the glory of God when he neither harms another through scandal nor harms himself, as one does when acting from human pleasing or from some passionate thought.

The thought of God, once imprinted and as though sealed in the ruling power of the soul, may be called the praise of God, which “continually” (Ps 33:2) abides in the soul. The diligent man, according to the Apostle’s exhortation, can do all things to the glory of God. Thus every action, every word, and every exercise of the mind receives the power of praise. For “whether he eats or drinks,” the righteous man “does all to the glory of God.” In such a man the heart keeps watch even during sleep, as it is said in the Song of Songs: “I sleep, but my heart watches” (Song 5:2). For dreams in sleep are very often echoes of the thoughts that occupied us during the day.

If I give alms, I comprehend the law of the Lord. If I visit the sick, my feet comprehend the law of the Lord. If I act in this way, I do what is prescribed, for I comprehend with the body what others comprehend with the lips (Mt 25:31-40; 7:21-23).

You see that everywhere the power of God assists human efforts. No one can build without the Lord. No one can preserve without the Lord. No one can lay a beginning to anything without the Lord. Therefore, according to the Apostle’s word, “Whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31), “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Col 3:17). In two epistles the Apostle commands you to do everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, or to the glory of God. This is so that you may know that the Father and the Son have one glory and one power. The Father and the Son differ in nothing according to the divine nature, just as They are inseparable in the help given to us.

Whether one eats, drinks, or does anything else, it must be done to the glory of the Lord. That is, at the Creator’s summons, one may gladly be present at an invited meal while observing moderation. Something happens to the glory of the Lord when God is praised in a Christian’s deeds and conversations, or when hope is placed in God at the birth of children.

The Apostle beautifully gathers all this together: sitting, walking, conversing, showing compassion, and instructing. He does so in order to set one aim for himself in everything: the glory of God. So the Lord also commanded: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16). So it is said here as well.

Therefore he desires that all our deeds be done in union with Christ, or with Christ as witness. Thus we may do good for Him as the author of good, and avoid evil because of fellowship with Him. For the one who knows that Christ is with him will be ashamed to do evil. In good deeds Christ is our helper and protector from evil.

Do everything carefully, so that God may be glorified through you and no one be scandalized.

Christians must also consider that they ask food and drink from God: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Mt 6:11). They ask this not for sensual pleasure and luxury, and food is not given to them in order to please the flesh in its lusts. It is given to strengthen its weakness, so that it may serve them in carrying out the blessed labors of their calling. Thus, strengthened by food, they may labor to the glory of God and for their own benefit and their neighbor’s. This is the Christian meaning of the use of food and drink.

“But if someone says to you, ‘This has been sacrificed to idols,’ for example, a weak Christian, or else a pagan testing you, then do not eat for the sake of the one who disclosed it. In the first case, this is so as not to scandalize the weak. In the second, it is to preserve Christian dignity before the tempter. Do not eat also for the sake of the conscience of the one who told you. For, as far as your own conscience is concerned, you could eat, since ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof’” (1 Cor 10:31). This is the general guiding rule concerning food and eating. “A man eats and drinks to the glory of God when he eats and drinks without scandalizing others, not as a glutton or lover of pleasure” (Theophan).

As another and higher guiding rule, the Apostle prescribes that one should act in everything so that all actions are directed toward the glory of God. This rule was indicated by Jesus Christ Himself (Mt 5:16). In it the possibility is shown of removing all possible violations of Christian dignity in relations with unbelievers. At the same time, it teaches how Christians can act beneficently toward all, when they direct everything to the highest goal, namely, the glory of God. “Beautifully the Apostle gathers all this together, sitting, walking, conversing, and instructing, so that in everything he may set for himself one aim: the glory of God” (Theodoret).

The Apostle covers all considerations with one universal rule: “Do you see how, from a particular subject, he passed in his teaching to the general and gave us an excellent rule: to glorify God in all things?” (Chrysostom). From this it is clear that, in the Apostle’s thought, some shadow fell upon the faith itself and upon the Lord God from indiscriminate eating of idol-sacrifices. Therefore the Apostle set forth this general law: we are obliged not only to use food and drink, but also to do everything else, to the glory of God. We must allow ourselves nothing through which anyone might think something even slightly unpraiseworthy about our holy faith and about God.