Thirsting Souls Bible Teaching

(1 Cor 10:33)  “Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.  (1Co 11:1)  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”  I believe context proves these verses go together. Paul practiced that which was taught Him. We are to practice what the Spirit of God teaches us. God help us to seek the good of everyone we come into contact with, seeking to “love our enemies” as Jesus taught.

(1Co 10:32) “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: (33)  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”  Don’t dismiss the teaching here as for ministers. They are for each of us. Lost souls is everyone’s business. Each one of us is to live in self denial when it comes to reaching a soul.

(1Co 10:31) “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (32)  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:” Obviously we have not truly eaten to His glory if at the same time we do not care that we give offense. We are not our own, we are bought with a price.

(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.