1 Corinthians 10:29

THE MESSAGE

But, 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!

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
I don't mean that you think it is wrong. But the other person might think it is wrong. That's the only reason not to eat it. My own freedom should not be judged by what another person thinks.

Revised Standard Version
I mean his conscience, not yours--do not eat it.) For why should my liberty be determined by another man's scruples?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Conscience I saye not thyne: but the coscieuce of that other. For why shuld my liberte be iudged of another manes conscience:

Hebrew Names Version
Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other's conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

International Standard Version
I mean, of course, his conscience, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by someone else's conscience?Romans 14:16;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
Now by "conscience" I do not mean your own, but the other person's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?

New Century Version
I don't mean you think it is wrong, but the other person might. But why, you ask, should my freedom be judged by someone else's conscience?

Update Bible Version
conscience, I say, not your own, but the other's; for why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

Webster's Bible Translation
Conscience, I say, not thy own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged by another [man's] conscience?

English Standard Version
I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience?

World English Bible
Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other's conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Conscience I say, not thy own, but that of the other: for why is my liberty judged by another's conscience?

Weymouth's New Testament
But now I mean his conscience, not your own. "Why, on what ground," you may object, "is the question of my liberty of action to be decided by a conscience not my own?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
thi conscience, but of an othere. But wherto is my fredom demed of an othere mannus conscience?

English Revised Version
conscience, I say, not thine own, but the other’s; for why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

Berean Standard Bible
the other one's conscience, I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else's conscience?

Amplified Bible
and by conscience I mean for the sake of the other man's, not yours. For why is my freedom [of choice] judged by another's conscience [another's ethics—another's sense of right and wrong]?

American Standard Version
conscience, I say, not thine own, but the other's; for why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

Bible in Basic English
Right and wrong, I say, not for you, but for the other man; for the fact that I am free is not dependent on another man's sense of right or wrong.

Complete Jewish Bible
however, I don't mean your conscience but that of the other person. You say, "Why should my freedom be determined by someone else's conscience?

Darby Translation
but conscience, I mean, not thine own, but that of the other: for why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

Etheridge Translation
but I say, the conscience, not yours, but his who told you. But why is my liberty to be ruled by the conscience of others ?

Murdock Translation
The conscience I speak of, is not your own, but his who told you. But why is my liberty judged of, by the conscience of others?

King James Version (1611)
Conscience I say, not thine owne, but of the others: for why is my libertie iudged of another mans conscience?

New Living Translation
It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks?

New Life Bible
How the other person feels is important. We are not free to do things that will hurt another person.

New Revised Standard
I mean the other's conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be subject to the judgment of someone else's conscience?

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the conscience, I say, not thine, but of that other: for why should my libertie be condemned of another mans conscience?

George Lamsa Translation
But the conscience of which I speak, is not yours, but the conscience of him who told you: for why is my liberty judged by another man''s conscience?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, conscience, I mean, not thine own, but the other's, - for why is my freedom to be judged by another's conscience?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Conscience I say, not thy own, but the other’s. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Conscience I say, not thyne, but of the other. For why is my libertie, iudged of another mans conscience?

Good News Translation
that is, not your own conscience, but the other person's conscience. "Well, then," someone asks, "why should my freedom to act be limited by another person's conscience?

Christian Standard Bible®
I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience?

King James Version
Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?

Lexham English Bible
Now I am not speaking about your own conscience, but the conscience of the other person. For why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?

Literal Translation
But I say conscience, not that of himself, but that of the other. For why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?

Young's Literal Translation
and conscience, I say, not of thyself, but of the other, for why [is it] that my liberty is judged by another's conscience?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles I speake of consciece, not thine, but of ye other. For why shulde my liberty be iudged of another mas coscience?

Mace New Testament (1729)
when I say conscience, I don't mean your own, but that of the other: for why should I expose my liberty to the censure of another man's conscience?

New English Translation
I do not mean yours but the other person's. For why is my freedom being judged by another's conscience?

New King James Version
"Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience?

Simplified Cowboy Version
You'll just be looking out for the other person when you do it like this. That's the only reason to keep from eating it. Don't freak out and worry about what everyone else is thinking about what you're doing. You know what is right and what is not.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?

Legacy Standard Bible
I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person's. For why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?

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

not: 1 Corinthians 10:32, 1 Corinthians 8:9-13, Romans 14:15-21

why: Romans 14:16, 2 Corinthians 8:21, 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Reciprocal: Romans 14:3 - judge Romans 15:8 - I say 1 Corinthians 8:7 - with 1 Corinthians 8:10 - shall not

Cross-References

1 Samuel 15:7
Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.

1 Kings 22:48
Jehoshaphat built ocean-going ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But they never made it; they shipwrecked at Ezion Geber. During that time Ahaziah son of Ahab proposed a joint shipping venture, but Jehoshaphat wouldn't go in with him.

1 Chronicles 9:10
From the company of priests there were Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin; Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, who was in charge of taking care of the house of God; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah; also Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer. The priests, all of them heads of families, numbered 1,760, skilled and seasoned servants in the work of worshiping God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Conscience I say, not thine own,.... Which is well informed about these things, and is fully persuaded that an idol is nothing, and that things sacrificed to idols are nothing; and as they cannot profit a man, or help forward his comfort, peace, and happiness, so they cannot hinder them:

but of the others; either the weak brother, or the unbelieving master of the feast; it is for the sake of their consciences such food must not be eaten, lest either the one should be grieved, or the other reproach:

for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? this is not an objection of the Corinthians, setting forth the unreasonableness of being condemned, for the use of their Christian liberty by another's conscience, be he who he will, believer or unbeliever, when they had an undoubted right to such an use, and their own consciences did not condemn them: but they are the words of the apostle, expressing his own sense, that it was not right and fitting that he should make use of his liberty, and eat under such a circumstance as here pointed out, and so his liberty should be condemned as sinful by another man's conscience; since the weak believer would be apt to censure, judge, and condemn him as a libertine, and the unbeliever as an atheist, or one that had no regard to any religion at all; and therefore he reasons, that it was best to abstain from eating, rather than expose his liberty to such a censure and condemnation.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Conscience, I say, not thine own - I know that you may have no scruples on the subject. I do not mean that with you this need be a matter of conscience. I do not put it on that; ground, as if an idol were anything, or as if it were in itself wrong, or as if the quality of the meat so offered had been changed; but I put it on the ground of not wounding the feelings of those who are scrupulous, or of leading them into sin.

For why is my liberty ... - There is much difficulty in this clause; for as it now stands, it seems to be entirely contradictory to what the apostle had been saying. He had been urging them to have respect to other people’s consciences, and in some sense to give up their liberty to their opinions and feelings. Macknight and some others understand it as an objection: “Perhaps you will say, But why is my liberty to be ruled by another man’s conscience?” Doddridge supposes that this and 1 Corinthians 10:30 come in as a kind of parenthesis, to prevent their extending his former caution beyond what he designed. “I speak only of acts obvious to human observation: for as to what immediately lies between God and my own soul, why is my liberty to be judged, arraigned, condemned at the bar of another man’s conscience?” But it is probable that this is not an objection. The sense may be thus expressed: “I am free; I have “liberty” to partake of that food, if I please; there is no law against it, and it is not morally wrong: but if I do, when it is pointed out to me as having been sacrificed to idols, my liberty - the right which I exercise - will be “misconstrued, misjudged, condemned” (for so the word κρίνεται krinetai seems to be used here) by others. The weak and scrupulous believer will censure, judge, condemn me as regardless of what is proper, and as disposed to fall in with the customs of idolaters; and will suppose that I cannot have a good conscience. Under these circumstances, why should I act so as to expose myself to this censure and condemnation? It is better for me to abstain, and not to use this liberty in the case, but to deny myself for the sake of others.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 29. 30. For why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? c.] Though in the case of flesh offered to idols, and other matters connected with idolatry, (on which it appears there was much of a tender conscience among some of the Corinthians,) it was necessary to sacrifice something to an over-scrupulous conscience, yet the Gospel of Christ did not lay any man under this general burthen, that he must do nothing at which any weak brother might feel hurt or be stumbled for the liberty of the Gospel must not take for its rule the scrupulosity of any conscience for if a man, by grace-by the allowance or authority of the Gospel, partake of any thing that God's bounty has sent, and which the Gospel has not forbidden, and give thanks to God for the blessing, no man has right or authority to condemn such a person. This seems to be the meaning of these two verses; and they read a lesson of caution to rash judges, and to those who are apt to take offence.