1 Corinthians 10:27

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Someone who is not a believer might invite you to eat with them. If you want to go, then eat anything that is put before you. Don't ask questions to see if it is something you think is wrong to eat.

Revised Standard Version
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.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Yf eny of them which beleve not bid you to a feest and yf ye be disposed to goo what soever is seet before you: eate axinge no question for conscience sake.

Hebrew Names Version
But if one of those who don't believe invites you to a meal, and you are inclined to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of conscience.

International Standard Version
If an unbeliever invites you to his house and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you, raising no question on the ground of conscience.Luke 10:7;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions, for the sake of conscience.

New Century Version
Those who are not believers may invite you to eat with them. If you want to go, eat anything that is put before you. Do not ask questions about it.

Update Bible Version
If one of those that do not believe bids you [to a feast], and you are disposed to go; whatever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake.

Webster's Bible Translation
If any of them that believe not invites you [to a feast], and ye are disposed to go; whatever is set before you, eat, asking no question on account of conscience.

English Standard Version
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.

World English Bible
But if one of those who don't believe invites you to a meal, and you are inclined to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of conscience.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And if any of the unbelievers invite you, and ye are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for conscience sake.

Weymouth's New Testament
If an unbeliever gives you an invitation and you are disposed to accept it, eat whatever is put before you, and ask no questions for conscience' sake.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If ony of hethene men clepith you to soper, and ye wole go, al thing that is set to you, ete ye, axynge no thing for conscience.

English Revised Version
If one of them that believe not biddeth you [to a feast], and ye are disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

Berean Standard Bible
If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience.

Contemporary English Version
If an unbeliever invites you to dinner, and you want to go, then go. Eat whatever you are served. Don't cause a problem for someone's conscience by asking where the food came from.

Amplified Bible
If one of the unbelievers invites you [to a meal at his home] and you want to go, eat whatever is served to you without asking questions [about its source] for the sake of your conscience.

American Standard Version
If one of them that believe not biddeth you to a feast, and ye are disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience' sake.

Bible in Basic English
If a Gentile makes a feast for you, and you are pleased to go as a guest, take whatever is put before you, without question of right or wrong.

Complete Jewish Bible
If some unbeliever invites you to a meal, and you want to go, eat whatever is put in front of you without raising questions of conscience.

Darby Translation
But if any one of the unbelievers invite you, and ye are minded to go, all that is set before you eat, making no inquiry for conscience sake.

Etheridge Translation
But if a man of the Heathens invite you, and you be willing to go, whatever is set before you eat, without inquiry on account of conscience.

Murdock Translation
And if one of the Gentiles invite you, and ye are disposed to go, eat ye whatever is set before you, without an inquiry on account of conscience.

King James Version (1611)
If any of them that beleeue not, bid you to a feast, and yee be disposed to goe, whatsoeuer is set before you, eate, asking no question for conscience sake.

New Living Translation
If someone who isn't a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience.

New Life Bible
If a person who is not a Christian wants you to eat with him, and you want to go, eat anything that is on the table. Ask no questions about the food. Then your heart will not say it is wrong.

New Revised Standard
If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

Geneva Bible (1587)
If any of them which beleeue not, call you to a feast, and if ye wil go, whatsoeuer is set before you, eate, asking no question for conscience sake.

George Lamsa Translation
If any pagan invite you, and you wish to go, whatever is set before you eat, without question for conscience sake.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If one of them who believe not invite you, and ye are disposed to go, whatsoever is set before you, eat, - asking no question, for conscience sake.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If any of them that believe not, invite you, and you be willing to go: eat of any thing that is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If any of them which beleue not, byd you [to a feast] and ye be disposed to go, whatsoeuer is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

Good News Translation
If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you decide to go, eat what is set before you, without asking any questions because of your conscience.

Christian Standard Bible®
If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions for the sake of conscience.

King James Version
If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

Lexham English Bible
If any of the unbelievers invites you, and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of the conscience.

Literal Translation
And if any of the unbelievers invite you, and you desire to go, eat everything set before you, examining nothing because of conscience.

Young's Literal Translation
and if any one of the unbelieving do call you, and ye wish to go, all that is set before you eat, nothing inquiring, because of the conscience;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf eny of the yt beleue not, byd you to a feast, and yf ye be disposed to go, what soeuer is set before you, that eate, axinge no question for conscience sake.

Mace New Testament (1729)
if any of the unbelievers invite you to an entertainment, and you are disposed to go; whatever is set before you, eat, without asking any question out of a scruple of conscience.

New English Translation
If an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is served without asking questions of conscience.

New King James Version
If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake.

Simplified Cowboy Version
An outsider might invite you over for sup one night. Don't worry about what you are served. You can eat it with a clean conscience. Don't question where it came from.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience' sake.

Legacy Standard Bible
If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience' sake.

Contextual Overview

²³Looking at it one way, you could say, "Anything goes. Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster." But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well. ²⁵With that as a base to work from, common sense can take you the rest of the way. Eat anything sold at the butcher shop, for instance; you don't have to run an "idolatry test" on every item. "The earth," after all, "is God's, and everything in it." That "everything" certainly includes the leg of lamb in the butcher shop. If a nonbeliever invites you to dinner and you feel like going, go ahead and enjoy yourself; eat everything placed before you. It would be both bad manners and bad spirituality to cross-examine your host on the ethical purity of each course as it is served. On the other hand, if he goes out of his way to tell you that this or that was sacrificed to god or goddess so-and-so, you should pass. Even though you may be indifferent as to where it came from, he isn't, and you don't want to send mixed messages to him about who you are worshiping. ²⁹But, except for these special cases, I'm not going to walk around on eggshells worrying about what small-minded people might say; I'm going to stride free and easy, knowing what our large-minded Master has already said. If I eat what is served to me, grateful to God for what is on the table, how can I worry about what someone will say? I thanked God for it and he blessed it! ³¹So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you—you're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God's glory. At the same time, don't be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren't as free as you are. I try my best to be considerate of everyone's feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be, too.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bid: 1 Corinthians 5:9-11, Luke 5:29, Luke 5:30, Luke 15:23, Luke 19:7

whatsoever: Luke 10:7

for: 1 Corinthians 10:25, 2 Corinthians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 4:2, 2 Corinthians 5:11

Reciprocal: Exodus 34:15 - call thee Numbers 25:2 - they called Psalms 141:4 - and let me Luke 10:8 - eat 1 Corinthians 5:10 - altogether

Cross-References

Genesis 10:20
These are the descendants of Ham by family, language, country, and nation.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If any of them that believe not,.... In Christ, and make no profession of faith in him; but are infidels to his person, office, grace, righteousness, Gospel, and ordinances, as there were many such at Corinth: "bid you" to a feast; invite you to dine or sup with them in their own houses:

and ye be disposed to go; the apostle does not lay any commands upon them to go, or not go, but leaves them to their own will, inclination, and discretion; for as circumstances might be, it might be either proper or improper to listen to an invitation from such a quarter; but if they were inclined, and did think fit to go, which they might without sin; for as it is lawful to trade, so to eat and drink with unbelievers; then his advice is,

whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no questions for conscience sake; that is, as before, as whether it is offered to idols or not; lest either their own, or another's conscience should be hurt thereby.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If any of them that believe not - That are not Christians; that are still pagans.

Bid you to a feast - Evidently not a feast in the temple of an idol, but at his own house. If he asks you to partake of his hospitality.

And ye be disposed to go - Greek, “And you will to go.” It is evidently implied here that it would be not improper to go. The Saviour accepted such invitations to dine with the Pharisees (see the note at Luke 11:37); and Christianity is not designed to abolish the courtesies of social life; or to break the bonds of contact; or to make people misanthropes or hermits. It allows and cultivates, under proper Christian restraints, the contact in society which will promote the comfort of people, and especially that which may extend the usefulness of Christians. It does not require, therefore, that we should withdraw from social life, or regard as improper the courtesies of society; see the note at 1 Corinthians 5:10.

Whatsoever is set before you ... - Whether it has been offered in sacrifice or not; for so the connection requires us to understand it.

Eat - This should be interpreted strictly. The apostle says “eat,” not “drink;” and the principle will not authorize us to “drink” whatever is set before us, asking no questions for conscience sake; for while it was matter of indifference in regard to eating, whether the meat had been sacrificed to idols or not, it is not a matter of indifference whether a man may drink intoxicating liquor. That is a point on which the “conscience” should have much to do; and on which its honest decisions, and the will of the Lord, should be faithfully and honestly regarded.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 27. If any - bid you to a feast] The apostle means any common meal, not an idol festival; for to such no Christian could lawfully go.

Whatsoever is set before you, eat — Do not act as the Jews generally do, torturing both themselves and others with questions, such as those mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:26.