and the same Lord that was provoked thereby to jealousy. Here, again, the relation in which Christians stand to Christ, is said to be analogous to that in which the Israelites stood to Jehovah. Christ is therefore our Jehovah. He is our hus- band, to whom our supreme affection is due, and who loves us as a husband loves his wife. " Thy maker is thy husband, Jehovah is his name," Is. 54, 5 ; see Eph. 5, 25-31.
Under what circumstances it was lawful to eat meat offered to idols. Vs. 23-33.
The apostle having, in the preceding paragraph, proved that eating of the sacrifices offered to idols under circum- stances which gave a religious character to the act, was idol- atry, comes to state the circumstances imder which those sacrifices might be eaten without scruple. He begins by re- verting to the general law of Christian liberty stated with the same limitations as in ch. 6, 12. The right to use things offered to idols, as well as other things in themselves indiffer- ent, is limited by expediency. We should be governed in this matter by a regard to the good of others, and to our own edification, vs. 23. 24. If the meat of sacrifices be sold in the market, v. 25, or found at private tables, it may be eaten with- out any hesitation, v. 27. But if any one at a private table, from scruples on the subject, should apprise us that a certain dish contained part of a sacrifice, for his sake, and not for our own, we ought to abstain, v. 28. We should not make such a use of our liberty as to cause our good to be evil spoken of, V. 29. The general rule of action, not only as to meats and drinks, but as to all other things is, first, to act with a regard to the glory of God, v. 31 ; and secondly, so as to avoid giv- ing offence (i. e. occasion for sin) to any class of men, v. 32. In this matter Paul presents himself as an example to his fellow-believers, v. 33.
23. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient : aU things are lawful for me, but aU things edify not.
The apostle had already, in ch. 6, 12, and in ch. 8, con- ceded that eating of the sacrifices offered to idols, was, in itself, a matter of indifference. But the use of things indiffer- ent is limited by two principles ; first, a regard to the welfare