(1Co 10:30) “For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?” WITH  (Verse 32) “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:”  I may freely eat of that which I have seen as provision from God and therefore humbly thanked Him.Yet, that same freedom can be sin if I do it in such a way as to cause another to be offended.

(1Co 10:29) “Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?” The answer comes from the context, what has been previously states: “We must be careful of that which we allow ourselves to do, lest we keep a lost soul from salvation.” We are not to be self-willed, but Spirit-led.

(1Co 10:28) “But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof: (29)  Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other:…”  The Lord is saying, “Food is food” (for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof).  But if a person believes in the false God and you eat; they think you are eating unto that God.”  We hold the Lord up in truth: He is the one and only God.

(1Co 10:27) “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.”  Once again the importance of the souls of others is to be our concern. It is their conscience we are utmost concerned about if ours allows us to eat. So, we are being taught to conduct ourselves with the souls of others uttermost in our minds.

(1Co 10:25) “Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: (26)  For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.”  (1Co 10:29) “Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other:”  Yes, your own conscience is important, needing to be kept pure. Yet, we are to care enough about the souls of others that we are willing to forsake what might influence them towards sin before God.

(1Co 10:24) “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”  “Wealth” is added to the text for clarification. Perhaps the context would be “good” instead of “wealth”. We are to seek the good of others, even of our enemies. Normal attitude: “What I do is nobody’s business.” It is God’s business Who says to His blood-bought child, “Look after the good of everyone.”

(1Co 10:23) “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”  Although I am not under Old Testament Law, I am under the Law of Love (Rom 13:8). My actions can cause another to never get saved. They, their souls, are my responsibility of action – of public life.

(1Co 10:21) “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. (22)  Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?”  “Provoke the Lord to jealousy”: He deserves our wholehearted love and devotion, coming before self with all its lust and desires. How often do we without due consideration provoke Him to jealousy, paying a price we are not spiritual enough to perceive?

(1Co 10:19) “What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? (20)  But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”  Just as when one partakes of the Lord’s Supper, they fellowship with God, so when one takes part in eating something offered to an idol, they are fellowshipping with devils. Context: speaks of  eating with the knowledge of why it had been prepared. They are not gods, but they are devils.

(1Co 10:18) “Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?”  The altar and its many sacrifices was given to them directly from God, just as the communion service was given directly through the Spirit of God. To eat is to acknowledge Him. We have lost in our day the fact that these are not simply rituals, but acts to honor Him. Glory to His Name!