of others ; secondly, regard to our own welfare. The word (o-u/x^cpct) is expedient expresses the one of these ideas, and (olKoSofxel) edijieth the other. All things are not expedient or useful to others ; and all things are not edifying to our- selves. The latter phrase might indeed have reference to others as well as to ourselves — ^but as contrasted with the former clause, it appears to be used here with this restricted application. In this view it agrees with the clause, " I will not be brought under the power of any thing," in 6, 12.
24. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's (wealth). •
That is, let every man, in the use of his liberty, have re- gard to the welfare of others. The maxim is indeed general. It is not only in the use of things indifferent, but in all other things we should act, not, in exclusive regard to our own in- terests, but also with a view to the good of others. Self, in other words, is not to be the object of our actions. The con- text, however, shows, that the apostle intended the maxim to be applied to the subject under discussion. Another's wealthy i. e. another's weal or welfare, according to the old meaning of the word wealth.
25. Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, (that) eat, asking no question for conscience' sake :
The general principle that sacrifices might be eaten under any circumstances which deprived the act of a religious char- acter, is here, and in what follows, applied to particular cases. Meat, when exposed for public sale in the market, lost its character as a sacrifice, and might be eaten with impunity. The word fiaKcXXov is a Latin word which passed into the Greek, and means a meat market.
JEat^ asking no questions for conscience* sake. This clause admits of three interpretations. 1. It may mean, *When you go to the market, buy what you want, and make no matter of conscience about the matter. You need have no conscien- tious scruples, and therefore ask no questions as to whether the meat had been offered to idols or not.' This is the sim- plest and most natural interpretation. These verses contain the conclusion of the whole discussion. An idol is nothing ; the sacrifices are nothing sacred in themselves ; but as the
198 I. CORINl^. S"S 10, 25.26.
heathen are really worshippers of evil spirits, to join in their worship by eating their sacrifices as sacrifices, is idolatry ; but to eat them as meat is a matter of indifference ; therefore do not make it a matter of conscience. This interpretation is confirmed by the following verse, which assigns the reason why we need have no scruples in the case. 2. Or, the mean- ing may be, Ask no questions, for fear of awakening scruples in your own mind. A man might eat with a good conscience of meat which he knew not was a sacrifice, when he would have serious scruples if informed that it had been offered to an idol. Therefore it was wise, for his own sake, to ask no questions. Paul, however, would not advise men to act blind fold. If a man thought it wrong to eat meat offered to idols, it would be wrong for him to run the risk of doing so by buy- ing meat in the markets where sacrifices were exposed for sale. 3. Others say the apostle means to caution the strong against instituting such inquiries, for fear of giving rise to scruples in others. In favour of this view it is urged, that throughout the whole discussion the object of the apostle is to induce the strong to respect the conscientious scruples of the weak. And in v. 29 he says expressly, that he means the conscience of others. The former of these considerations has not much weight, for we have here general directions suited to all classes. Having shown in the preceding paragraph, that it was idolatrous to eat of these 'sacrifices under certain circumstances, it was perfectly natural that he should tell both the strong and the weak when they might be eaten without scruple. As to the second argument, it is rather against than in favour of this interpretation. For if, when he means the conscience of another, he expressly says so, the inference is, that when he makes no such explanation, he means the man's own conscience. Besides, the following verse gives the reason why we need not have any scruples in the case, and not why we should regard the scruples of others.
26. For the earth (is) the Lord's, and the fuLaess thereof.
This was the common form of acknowledgment among the Jews before meals. It was the recognition of God as the pro- prietor and giver of all things, and specially of the food pro- vided for his children. The words are taken from Ps. 24, 1. The Julness of the earth is that by which it is filled ; all the