I Corinthians 10:28
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But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience—
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
if any man--a weak Christian at table, wishing to warn his brother. offered in sacrifice unto idols--The oldest manuscripts omit "unto idols." At a heathen's table the expression, offensive to him, would naturally be avoided. for conscience' sake--not to cause a stumbling-block to the conscience of thy weak brother (Co1 8:10-12). for the earth is the Lord's, &c.--not in the oldest manuscripts.
Open source ↗In this chapter the apostle prosecutes the argument at the close of the last, and, I. Warns the Corinthians against security, by the example of the Jews, who, notwithstanding their profession and privileges, were terribly punished of God for their many sins, their history being left upon record for the admonition of Christians (Co1 10:1-14). II. He resumes his former argument (Co1 8:1-13), about eating things offered to idols; and shows that it was utterly inconsistent with true Christianity, that it was downright gross idolatry, to eat them as things offered to idols; it is having fellowship with devils, which cannot consist with having fellowship with God (Co1 10:15-22). III. He lets them yet know that though they must not eat of things sacrificed to idols as such, and out of any regard to the idol, yet they might buy such flesh in the markets, or eat it at the table of heathen acquaintances, without asking any questions; for that the heathens' abuse of them did not render the creatures of God unfit to be the food of his servants. Yet liberty of this kind must be used with a due regard to weak consciences, and no offence given by it t Jew nor Gentile, nor to the church of God (Co1 10:23 to the end).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.
But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.
for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth He has given to mankind.
The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.
Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, and the earth and everything in it.
Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.