1 Corinthians 10:32

Contextual Overview

²³ "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. ²³ All things are lawfull for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawfull for me, but all things edifie not. ²³“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. ²³ "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are profitable. "All things are lawful for me," but not all things build up. ²³ All things are lawful, but all are not profitable; all things are lawful, but all do not edify. ²³ "All things are allowed," you say. But not all things are good. "All things are allowed." But some things don't help anyone. ²³All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. ²³ All things are lawful; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful; but not all things edify. ²³"Everything is permissible," but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible," but not everything is edifying. ²³ Some of you say, "We can do whatever we want to!" But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

none: 1 Corinthians 10:33, 1 Corinthians 8:13, Romans 14:13, 2 Corinthians 6:3, Philippians 1:10

Gentiles: or, Greeks

the church: 1 Corinthians 11:22, Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 3:5, 1 Timothy 3:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 47:16 - Give your cattle Leviticus 19:14 - not curse Deuteronomy 22:8 - then thou shalt Ruth 3:14 - Let it not 2 Kings 5:16 - I will receive Isaiah 57:14 - take Matthew 15:12 - Knowest Matthew 17:27 - lest Matthew 18:6 - offend Mark 9:42 - offend Luke 17:1 - It is Acts 19:37 - which Romans 14:20 - but 1 Corinthians 8:9 - a stumblingblock 1 Corinthians 8:10 - shall not 1 Corinthians 10:29 - not Philippians 2:4 - General Philippians 3:17 - be 1 Timothy 3:7 - lest 1 Timothy 6:1 - that the

Cross-References

Genesis 9:1
And God blessed Noah and his sonnes, and said to them, Bring foorth fruite, and multiplie, and replenish the earth.

Genesis 9:1
AND God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noach and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the eretz.

Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth with your people.

Genesis 9:1
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

Genesis 9:1
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Genesis 9:1
And God gave his blessing to Noah and his sons, and said, Be fertile, and have increase, and make the earth full.

Genesis 9:1
God said to Noah and his sons: I am giving you my blessing. Have a lot of children and grandchildren, so people will live everywhere on this earth.

Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noach and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.

Genesis 9:1
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Give none offence,.... Avoid everything that may be the occasion of offence, of the stumbling and falling of others; whether things indifferent, when they are offensive to weak minds, and grieve, and wound, and stumble them; especially things sinful, which as they offend God, and are therefore called "offences", so they are offensive to the churches of Christ, and are cognizable by them; they are staggering and stumbling to weak believers, when committed by professors of religion; are the means of inducing others to sin, and of hardening profane sinners in their iniquities, and give occasion to the enemy to blaspheme: but things that are good, and are made our incumbent duty, are not to be avoided, though persons may be offended thereat; such as the pure preaching of the Gospel, the profession of it, and submission to the ordinances thereof; for an offence is either taken or given; to give offence is one thing, which we should carefully avoid; and to take it, when there is no just reason for it, is another, and not to be regarded:

neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God; which may be considered as having a peculiar respect to the people of God: the two first of these, namely, Jews and Gentiles, being what constituted the first churches, and this at Corinth, so that they may be thought to be the parts, and the church the whole; and the apostle first mentions the one, and then the other, signifying, that they were not to give offence neither to single persons, nor to the whole church; and particularly in the case of eating things offered to idols, care was to be taken that neither Jews nor Gentiles were offended, being both members of the church. Or these may be considered as including all sorts of persons; for Jews and Gentiles include the whole world, and may here mean all that are without, that have no true faith in Christ, nor any spiritual knowledge of him; and "the church", all such as know him, believe in him, and profess his name: so that the apostle's sense is, that care should be taken that no offence be given to any sort of men, neither to the men of the world, of whatsoever character, nor to professors of religion, and more especially the latter; since offending one of the least of them that believe in Christ, is displeasing to him; and since he was so careful to guard against the offence of them, and will, by his angels, at the last day, gather out of his kingdom all such as offend; and has ordered his churches to mark them which cause offences and divisions; and since it is so hard a thing to reconcile an offended brother, who is harder to be won than a strong castle; though that is not his excellency, yet as it makes the case so difficult, it should be guarded against.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Give none offence - Be inoffensive; that is, do not act so as to lead others into sin; see the note at Romans 14:13.

Neither to the Jews ... - To no one, though they are the foes of God or strangers to him. To the Jews be inoffensive, because they think that the least approach to idol worship is to be abhorred. Do not so act as to lead them to think that you connive at or approve idol worship, and so as to prejudice them the more against the Christian religion, and lead them more and more to oppose it. In other words, do not attend the feasts in honor of idols.

Nor to the Gentiles - Greek “Greeks.” To the pagans who are unconverted. They are attached to idol worship. They seek every way to justify themselves in it. Do not countenance them in it, and thus lead them into the sin of idolatry.

Nor to the church of God - To Christians. Many of them are weak. They may not be as fully instructed as you are. Your example would lead them into sin. Abstain, therefore, from things which, though they are in themselves strictly “lawful,” may yet be the occasion of leading others into sin, and endangering their salvation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 32. Give none offence, &c.] Scrupulously avoid giving any cause of offence either to the unconverted Jews or the unconverted Gentiles, so as to prejudice them against Christianity: nor to the Church of God, made up of converts from the above parties.