1 Corinthians 10:28 Meaning and Explanation
“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:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →But if someone points out that the food was offered to idols, refrain for that person's sake and conscience.
What Does 1 Corinthians 10:28 Mean?
Paul adds the one exception. If a fellow guest says the meat 'is offered in sacrifice unto idols,' the believer should not eat it -- not because the food is defiled, but 'for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake.' The concern is the other person who has drawn attention to it.
Love now limits liberty. The believer is free to eat, yet freely sets that freedom aside so as not to trouble another or seem to endorse idol worship in his eyes. The same truth still stands that the earth is the Lord's, but love does not insist on its rights when doing so might wound a brother or confuse an onlooker. Here Paul shows that the highest use of freedom is sometimes the willingness, for love's sake, not to use it.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 10:28
What does 1 Corinthians 10:28 mean?
But if someone points out that the food was offered to idols, refrain for that person's sake and conscience.