1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 - Live to Edify & Glorify

Introduction

“How many kings stepped down from their thrones? How many lords have abandoned their homes? How many greats have become the least for me?”

This is the chorus of one of the songs we’ve just sung this morning, and it speaks to the sacrificial way in which God has served guilty sinners in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The song is not explicitly doctrinal; it doesn’t tell us what this means or how God did it. But the song highlights doctrine that we might know already. And for those of us who do know what it means that the King of glory stepped down from His throne… or that the Lord of heaven came down to earth… or that the greatest great became the least… for those of us who know something of the depth and magnitude of these phrases, we may be overwhelmed by the reality that all of this is profoundly true!

The second person of the holy Trinity, God the Son, took on a human nature, lived a life of unimaginable humility, and even suffered the curse of God’s wrath against sinners… and He did all of this without receiving any benefit for Himself. God gained nothing from sinners by suffering in their place. There was nothing missing from God, no void in Him that saved sinners somehow fill. In the ions of eternity, God will never be the recipient of anything that He doesn’t already own.

All that God has done and will do in the gospel is done on the basis of His sheer grace. And there will never be a more profound example of self-sacrifice or selfless living than what we can know about Jesus Christ.

Because we are sinners, we are God’s enemies. He owes us nothing but condemnation. But through the life and death of Jesus Christ, God has brought His enemies (those who hear the gospel, who turn from their sin, and who believe or trust in Jesus) into the wonders of His blessings. Though we were His enemies, He has provided repenting and believing sinners a seat at His family table.

It is this incredible self-sacrifice that is the ideal example of what our passage today is calling us to follow or imitate. None of us will do this perfectly, but we must strive for it. Christians are called to follow Christ’s example, remembering that Christ has already served us so graciously and willingly. Christians are called to live for the good of others and so glorify God by giving up our own comforts and freedoms so that others may learn of Christ and be built up in Him.

May God help us to celebrate what Christ has done today, may He help us to marvel at God’s selfless service on our behalf, and may He give us humility and love so that we may serve others for His glory.

Let’s stand together as I read our passage for today.

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1 (ESV)

10:23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Main Idea:

Christians are to grow in freedom, act to build up others, and aim for the glory of God in all things.

Sermon

1. Live to Edify (v23-24)

Our passage this morning is full of imperatives, commands with apostolic authority about how Christians ought to live – privately, publicly, and in relationship with one another. The purpose of this section of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is that of summarizing all the teaching and commanding he’s been doing since the middle of ch. 6. Christians are to live regulated lives; they are to “glorify God” in their bodies (Paul said in 1 Cor. 6:20), which means they are to live in keeping with the way God has designed and instructed. And we see the same summary command near the end of our passage this morning (v31) – “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

But that’s not the only repetition we see in our passage today. In v23, Paul quotes himself nearly verbatim from ch. 6, v12. “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful” (v23). As we noted several weeks ago, Paul was referring to a previous letter he’d received from the church of Corinth that included various questions about what they could and could not do. And Paul is affirming that Christians are indeed quite free – “All things are lawful” (v23).

We will get into this a bit more in point # 2 (v25-27), but it is always important to remember that God’s commands are not intended to hinder our freedoms, but to enhance them. True freedom is not getting or doing or saying what you want all the time… and anyone with children can attest to that. But true freedom is living in keeping with the way God has designed and instructed. “You can use a blowtorch to remove lug nuts, but it would be a lot better to use a tire iron.” So too, you and I are free to act and speak in ways that destroy (ourselves and others), but that’s not the kind of freedom we should be defending or striving for. Rather, we are wise to consider God’s design for us and to act accordingly.

As I was saying before, Paul is quoting himself in v23, and that’s why we ought to think of this passage as a sort of bookend to the whole section between 1 Cor. 6:12 and the end of ch. 10. He’s summarizing all that he’s been teaching and commanding for four chapters… but we can also see that there’s a return here to the main theme of this whole letter – love and unity among church members.

In fact, that theme is highlighted in the way that Paul changes part of his statement here in v23 from the way he said it before. In 1 Cor. 6:12, Paul said, “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). His emphasis there was on self-control or regulated living.

But here, in ch. 10, Paul changes that last phrase to reflect a return to his emphasis on love and unity in the church. He says, at the end of v23, “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up” (v23). And that’s the major theme of our text today – building up or edifying others to the glory of God.

The first imperative or command in our passage is found in v24 – “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor [or “the good of others” (NIV) or the “well-being” of others(NKJV)].” In other words, “Christians should seek the good of others,” or, as I’m phrasing it today, we should all “live to edify.”

You know, we’ve been talking a lot (for several years now) about our responsibility as Christians to be active participants in a local church. The Christian life is not to be lived privately, and my ownChristian growth and health depends heavily on the give-and-take of discipleship. I live alongside brothers and sisters in Christ who are aiming to follow Jesus with me. We help each other, we encourage each other, we confront each other about sin and error, and we instruct each other in the right understanding and application of Scripture.

Friends, once you start to see this sort of emphasis in one part of the Bible, you’ll see it all over the place. To be a Christian disciple is to be actively following Jesus, and you can’t do that without helping others to actively follow Jesus. The Great Commission Jesus gave His disciples (which is a commission handed down to every Christian in every generation) was to “make disciples” by teaching the gospel (to those who don’t know it or don’t believe it), by “baptizing” those who repent and believe, and by “teaching” one another “all that [Christ] has commanded” until we all attain spiritual maturity (Matt. 28:18-20; cf. Eph. 4:1-32).

Christian living is not just having a quiet time, it’s not just staying away from sinners, it’s not just fighting to defend or regain a conservative culture, and it’s not just learning theology or Christian history. Christian living is living to “seek… the good of [others]” (v24)… It’s living to edify others or build them up.

2. Grow in Freedom (v25-27)

The second command is repeated twice in v25-27, and it’s one that I really like – Paul says, “eat whatever” (v25, 27). Now, this is not a justification for our over-eating, though I’m sure many of us would appreciate something like that this time of year. With Thanksgiving right behind us and Christmas feasts yet to come, we are likely eating more during this season than we typically do.

And yet, I will say that feasting is a thoroughly biblical thing to do. Throughout the Old Testament, and several times in the New, we can see that the people of God were not only allowed but even commanded to gather up their produce and animals for a time of feasting upon the bounty of God’s blessings.

As I understand it, enjoying and sharing an excess of good food, and giving thanks to God for His great provision of it, is something that Christians both can and even should do… at least on occasion. This is not to say that we should be unhealthy or undisciplined in our eating, but teaching our children and reminding ourselves that God is the giver of all good things (including great food) is easy to illustrate by pointing to a whole table full of great-tasting entrees and desserts.

As you plan for gift-giving and food-eating around Christmas time this year, don’t forget to remember that such things are meant to point us to the riches of God’s blessings upon us. Make plans to remind your children, your spouse, and your friends and family that these simple joys of life are themselves gifts from God, and these are also reminders that God is immeasurably good and generous.

But this is not the point of our passage this morning, and the section we are looking at now is about freedom of “conscience” (v25, 27), not necessarily about food at all. The word “conscience” shows up five times in our passage (v25, 27, 28, 29), and the section here is about our own “conscience.”

As I said before, the second imperative – “eat whatever” – appears twice in these verses (v25-27), once pertaining to personal or private action (v25), and the other pertaining to public action (v27). Let’s look at each on in turn.

Paul says, “Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience” (v25). In other words, “You are free to eat meat of any sort, even that which has been sacrificed in pagan temples. Your own conscience ought not be bound to abstain.”

Why? “For [or “because”] the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof” (v26). Here Paul quotes from Psalm 24, which is a psalm of praise that speaks of God as the “King of glory” (Ps. 24:7-10). The God of the Bible is not a regional deity; He’s not limited by geography or national citizenship! He owns the whole “earth” and all “who dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1). He is the God who is “strong and mighty” (Ps. 24:8), and He is “Lord Sabaoth” or “the LORD of hosts” (Ps. 24:10).

Brothers and sisters, just because a bunch of sinners abuse God’s good gifts by doing bad with them does not mean that Christians cannot enjoy God’s good gifts. Our God is the Lord over all things, and we may enjoy His blessings with gratitude or “thankfulness” (v30).

And again, this passage is not necessarily about food at all; it is about the freedom of conscience, the freedom to speak and act without fear or condemnation where there is no biblical law against it. And that’s Paul’s point in giving this command to “eat whatever” (v25). The implications of this command are many, but before we go there, let’s note that the freedom of conscience in view here is not only for the private enjoyment of God’s good gifts, but also for public enjoyment.

Paul says, in v27, “If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go [or if “you want to go” (NASB) or if you “desire to go” (NKJV)], [then] eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience” (v27). The situation in view here is that of a public invitation, and just like the Christian conscience us unbound in our private activities, so too is the Christian conscience free in public.

This blows the socks off of the idea that Christians are supposed to be prudish or stuffy. We are not to walk around with the constant fear that we are going to offend someone somewhere. Our default setting is not to be “don’t, don’t, don’t,” but instead we ought to ask, “Can this be done to the glory of God?” And if the answer is, “yes,” then do “whatever you do… to the glory of God” (v31).

As I said before, there are many implications for Paul’s command here. In our day, there aren’t many pagan-sacrifice meat markets, but there are lots of ways that Christians bump into the quandary of participating in an economy and a political system and a culture that are all (at least in America) increasingly dominated by non-Christians who misuse or corrupt God’s good gifts.

Can a Christian shop for a quality product at a cheap price at Target, if that company overtly advertises destructive sin?

Can a Christian drink an expensive-but-tasty coffee from Starbucks, if those purchases fund a corporation that encourages anti-Christian values?

Can a Christian drink or sell alcohol with a clear conscience?

Can a Christian (in good conscience) ever watch an R-rated movie?

Can a Christian pragmatically vote for a political candidate who does not swear allegiance to Christ (or one who even denies Christ by words or actions)?

Can a Christian declare his or her pronouns on company emails and documents without raising a question on the ground of conscience?

Can a Christian get an education from a public school or university that promotes anti-Christian ideas and practices?

Friends, I’m not saying that Christians should do any of this. And good-hearted Christians can have thoughtful and biblical reasons why they would not do any or all of these things. But I am saying that there is no biblical imperative or command that says a Christian must not do any of this. And, brothers and sisters, Paul’s command here is that Christians ought to grow in their understanding of Christian freedom.

There is no doubt that the Bible warns us to “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). And if you want to hear me ring that bell pretty loudly, then just listen to the sermon audio from last Sunday.

But neither ought we to assume that all of our convictions are purely formed by careful Bible interpretation and application. We can’t help but pick up at least some of the cultural assumptions around us, and what we think are “Christian convictions” may turn out to be traditions that we’ve embraced out of familiarity.

Friends, we must aim to do all that we do to the glory of God, and we must live in the world as it is (not as we ideally want it to be). And we must learn that these two can be done at the same time. The present world is full of sin and evil, and we still sin too, but Christians should be the one sort of people in the world who can enjoy the good gifts of God in it… with our consciences free from condemnation, since the God we serve is the Lord over all.

3. Act to Build Up (v28-30)

“But,” says v28… Paul’s command to grow in Christian freedom is not unlimited. We’ve already noted that Christian freedom is limitedby the qualifier “do all to the glory of God” (v31). If it cannotbe done to the glory of God, then we should absolutely not do it! But that’s not the only qualifier we see here.

In fact, in this section (v28-30), we are reminded that there is a counterbalance to the idea that “all things are lawful” (v23). Paul has already said as much in v23 – “not all things are helpful… [and] not all things build up.” And here, in v28, Paul seems to return to a hypothetical situation he used previously in the letter – the sort of situation that can “become a stumbling block” to the Christian brother or sister whose “conscience” is “weak” (1 Cor. 8:9-13).[i]

In verses 28 and 29, Paul gives the third command of our passage, and it is (in a sense) the exact opposite of the second command. Remember the first was “live to edify” or “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor” (v24). And the second was “grow in freedom” or “eat whatever” (v25, 27), whether you’re eating from the “market” (v25) or from the table set “before you” (v27). But the third command is “do not eat… for the sake” of someone with a weak conscience who has “informed you” (v28)… or as I’m phrasing it here, “act to build up.” This third command is a limitation on the second, which is based on the motiveof the first… but we will probably be helped by a little explanation.

In order to understand this third command and what we might do with it, it seems to me that there are at least three important features to note in these three verses: (1) the situation in view is a group meal with at least one conscience-bound Christian, (2) neither eating nor not eating is actually sinful, and (3) the purpose of the third command is to build up – not tear down – a weaker brother or sister.

First, the situation Paul is describing here begins in v27, and v28 adds another character to the scene. In v27, Paul said that an “unbeliever” might “invite” you to “dinner,” and you are free to “eat whatever… without raising any question… of conscience [i.e., your conscience].” “But,” v28, “if someone [else at that same dinner] says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice,’ then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you… for the sake of [his] conscience… not… yours” (v28-29).

The picture we might see is a group meal with various food items spread about on a table. As happens with a meal like this even today, larger dishes are handed around, and everyone takes a bit for their own plate. But when the sausage dish comes to you, your Christian friend sitting next to you says, “That’s tainted food!” And whether you knew it or not before, you now realize that your Christian friend has a conscience that is boundin a way that yours is not. From his or her perspective, based on his or her convictions, that food is off-limits to Christians.

It's important for us to note this situation for what it is, because Paul is not saying that Christians must avoid offending the conscience of every other Christian in any circumstance. This is not a situation where a weaker brother somehow stumbles onto the freedom of another Christian. It’s more tightly defined than that.

Now, in our day, we should be careful not to carelessly advertise our potentially controversial Christian freedoms (like a Facebook post about how glad you are that it’s “wine o’clock” on a Friday evening), and we must also refrain from expecting other Christians to share our freedoms (again, I’m thinking of a kind of social media post where someone says it’s stupid for Christians not to shop at Target or that it’s immature for Christians to not watch R-rated movies).

As a general rule, I think it would be best if we all just kept arguments about Christian freedom off of social media. That forum is a terrible substitute for real dialogue, and these conversations should be handled with care.

But it’s also important to note that our passage is notempowering all the persnickety and conscience-bound Christians to be the morality police… which leads us into that second feature of our passage I mentioned… Neither eating nor not eating is actually sin. And this is very important for us to recognize.

Paul could not be clearer in these three verses. He says, in v28, “do not eat… for the sake of conscience.” And then in v29, he says, “I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty [or “freedom” (NASB, NIV)] be determined [or “judged” (KJV)] by someone else’s conscience?” And then Paul keeps on going in v30, “If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced [or “evil spoken of” (KJV) or “slandered” (NASB); literally “blasphemed”] because of that for which I give thanks?”

Paul is adamant that the act (in itself) of eating or not eating… neither one is sin. So, Paul’s command is nota concession to the conscience of the weaker brother. In other words, Paul is not saying that because the weaker brother thinksit is sin, it now becomes sin for others as well. Rather, what Paul is saying is that it is better for the weak brother or sister if the freer Christian sets aside his or her liberty for the moment in orderto act in such a way that builds up.

This, then, is the third feature of the situation described here… the purpose of Paul’s command is to build up – not tear down – a weaker brother or sister. Remember the way our whole passage begins: “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up” (v23). Therefore, “let no one seekhis own good, but the good of [others]” (v24).

In short, Christians are to enjoy their freedom in Christ, butthey are to keep in mind that not all Christians understand or enjoy the same freedoms. Some Christians have convictions that make them feel guilty for seeing or doing or saying things that other Christians do not feel guilty about. In some cases, immature Christians need to be corrected for presuming upon God’s grace (which was the major theme of the sermon from last Sunday). We might feelfree when in fact we are not free at all to speak or act the way we do.

But the emphasis in our passage this Sunday is on the opposite end of that spectrum. In some cases, mature Christians need to be patient and loving with their immature brothers and sisters whose consciences are more sensitive and feel guilt over words or deeds that are not actually prohibited in Scripture. When a fellow Christian raises a point of concern on the ground of conscience, then we must be willing (at least in some circumstances) to set aside our freedom for the sake of others… because our desire for their good overrides our desire to flex our freedom.

Friends, the sort of instruction we are considering today leads to messy and difficult and uncomfortable situations. It requires love and patience and humility… and everyone (both the conscious objector and the conscious actor) must be willing to engage one another lovingly, patiently, and humbly.

When you see or hear a brother or sister doing or saying something that you think is out of bounds, don’t assume the worst, don’t immediately condemn, and don’t go talking about it behind their backs. Instead, you might begin by searching the Scripture to find out if the thing is actually sin. And if you are convinced that it is sin (and not just unwise), then you might try to have a conversation about it with them. And when we discuss matters that good Christians can disagree about, we should aim to build up one another, and not just to win the argument.

So much more could be said on this point, but the real application will be in the messy and awkward conversations that we have with each other as we try to help each other grow as Christian disciples. May God help us to have just such conversations, and may God grant us love and patience with one another as we do.

4. Live to Glorify (10:31-11:1)

In these last four verses of our text today, we see three more imperatives or commands. And all three of them are (in a sense) the culmination of the three commands we’ve discussed so far. How can a Christian “grow in freedom”? He or she must “do all to the glory of God” (v31). How are Christians to “live” in such a way so as to “edify” others? They are to “give no offense” (v32) and “try to please[or “satisfy” or “conciliate”] everyone” (v33). And how can a Christian know what it looks like to “act” with the aim “to build up others”? He or she must look to and imitate those who do it well… in this case, “be imitators” of Paul, as he is an imitator “of Christ” (11:1).

Friends, our passage today calls us to live entirely differently than the world around us. Our non-Christian friends and family often decide between “right” and “wrong” based on a pragmatic or circumstantialevaluation. “Does this thing feel good?” “Is this what I want right now?” “Do most people think this is right?” And we are prone to make decisions in this same way.

Our non-Christian friends and family often prioritize their own good over that of others. “Will this help me get ahead?” “Does this benefit me?” “What do I want out of this relationship, this experience, or this investment of time?” And, again, we are prone to think just the same.

Our non-Christian friends and family also often look up to others in the world who appear successful or powerful or famous, and they become increasingly like those people they admire. And, brothers and sisters, we do this too.

But here, the Scripture is calling us to an other-worldly kind of living, a life that is marked by a growing effort to glorify God with our time and treasure and talent. God is reminding us here that the life worth living is not primarily focused on getting ourselves ahead, but on being a benefit to others and helping them grow in the joy of knowing and following Christ.

And this passage of Scripture is teaching us to pick our heroes differently than most of the people in the world do. We aren’t to idolize or follow after the celebrities or heroes of worldly acclaim, but rather we are to consider self-sacrifice and humility as those qualities most worth imitating in those who demonstrate them so well.

I’ve said already that this sort of theme and concept is found all over the Bible, but there is one passage that rises above others in my mind. Philippians 2 speaks of the same sorts of things we’ve been talking about this morning, and it holds up Christ as the perfect example.

Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, saying, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:1-4).

And then Paul points to Christ, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).

And finally, Paul points to the same end or ultimate purpose in that passage as he does in our passage today. “Therefore,” the Scripture says, “God has highly exalted him [Christ] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11).

May God help us all to imitate Christ’s example. And may He help us to imitate those around us who follow Christ in this same way.

May God help us act to build up others, setting aside our freedoms for the sake of love.

And may God help us increasingly live in freedom from condemnation and fear, so that we might grow in our enjoyment of God’s good gifts.

And may He help us to direct more and more of our lives to His glory in all things.

Endnotes

[i] It is possible that Paul is referring to a non-Christian “someone” at the table (1 Cor. 10:28, cf. v27). One might conceive of a rationale whereby an “unbeliever” or non-Christian (1 Cor. 10:27) would assume a particular scruple for Christians and wrongly “denounce” (1 Cor. 10:30) a Christian for failing to act in keeping with it. John Chrysostom seems to take this view. John Chrysostom. “Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the First Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians.” In Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians, edited by Philip Schaff, translated by Hubert Kestell Cornish, John Medley, and Talbot B. Chambers, Vol. 12. A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series. New York: Christian Literature Company, 1889. However, it seems more likely that Paul is referring here to a fellow Christian “someone” at the table (1 Cor. 10:28). The “weak” Christian from Paul’s earlier teaching (1 Cor. 8:7-13) aligns perfectly with Paul’s teaching here. Furthermore, because this passage (1 Cor. 10:23-11:1) is particularly designed by the author as a summary of the teaching from the previous four chapters, it seems strongly to support the interpretation that Paul has in view here the same sort of “brother” with a “weak” conscience as before.

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