1Cor 10:27, 29 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 27. If any of them that believe not . That are not Christians; that are still heathens. Bid you to a feast. Evidently not a feast in the temple of an idol, but at his own house. If he ask you to partake of his hospitality. And ye be disposed to go . Greek, "And you will to go." It is evidently implied here that it would be not improper to go. The Saviour accepted such invitations to dine with the Pharisees, ( ;) and Christianity is not designed to abolish the courtesies of social life; or to break the bonds of intercourse; or to make men misanthropes or hermits. It allows and cultivates, under proper Christian restraints, the intercourse in society which will promote the comfort of men, and especially that which may extend the usefulness of Christians. It does not require, therefore, that we should withdraw from social life, or regard as improper the courtesies of society. . Whatsoever is set before you , etc. Whether it has been offered in sacrifice or not; for so the connexion requires us to understand it. Eat . This should be interpreted strictly. The apostle says " eat ," not " drink ;" and the principle will not authorize us to drink whatever is set before us, asking no questions for conscience sake; for while it was a matter of indifference in regard to eating, whether the meat had been sacrificed to idols or not, it is not a matter of indifference whether a man may drink intoxicating liquor. That is a point on which the conscience should have much to do; and on which its honest decisions, and the will of the Lord, should be faithfully and honestly regarded. (*) "bid" "ask" (c) "is set"

1 Corinthians 10:27

Verse 27. If any of them that believe not. That are not Christians; that are still heathens.

Bid you to a feast. Evidently not a feast in the temple of an idol, but at his own house. If he ask you to partake of his hospitality.

And ye be disposed to go. Greek, "And you will to go." It is evidently implied here that it would be not improper to go. The Saviour accepted such invitations to dine with the Pharisees, (Lk 11:37;) and Christianity is not designed to abolish the courtesies of social life; or to break the bonds of intercourse; or to make men misanthropes or hermits. It allows and cultivates, under proper Christian restraints, the intercourse in society which will promote the comfort of men, and especially that which may extend the usefulness of Christians. It does not require, therefore, that we should withdraw from social life, or regard as improper the courtesies of society. 1Cor 5:10.

Whatsoever is set before you, etc. Whether it has been offered in sacrifice or not; for so the connexion requires us to understand it.

Eat. This should be interpreted strictly. The apostle says "eat," not "drink;" and the principle will not authorize us to drink whatever is set before us, asking no questions for conscience sake; for while it was a matter of indifference in regard to eating, whether the meat had been sacrificed to idols or not, it is not a matter of indifference whether a man may drink intoxicating liquor. That is a point on which the conscience should have much to do; and on which its honest decisions, and the will of the Lord, should be faithfully and honestly regarded.

(*) "bid" "ask" (c) "is set" Lk 10:7

1 Corinthians 10:29

Verse 29. Conscience, I say, not thine own. I know that you may have no scruples on the subject. I do not mean, that with you this need be a matter of conscience. I do not put it on that ground, as if an idol were anything, or as if it were in itself wrong, or as if the quality of the meat so offered had been changed; but I put it on the ground of not wounding the feelings of those who are scrupulous, or of leading them into sin.

For why is my liberty, etc. There is much difficulty in this clause; for as it now stands, it seems to be entirely contradictory to what the apostle had been saying: He had been urging them to have respect to other men's consciences, and in some sense to give up their liberty to their opinions and feelings. Macknight and some others understand it as an objection: "Perhaps you will say, But why is my liberty to be ruled by another man's conscience?" Doddridge supposes that this and 1Cor 10:30 come in as a kind of parenthesis, to prevent their extending his former caution beyond what he designed. "I speak only of acts obvious to human observation; for as to what immediately lies between God and my own soul, why is my liberty to be judged, arraigned, condemned at the bar of another man's conscience?" But it is probable that this is not an objection. The sense may be thus expressed: "I am free; I have liberty to partake of that food, if I please; there is no law against it, and it is not morally wrong: but if I do, when it is pointed out to me as having been sacrificed to idols, my liberty--the right which I exercise--will be misconstrued, misjudged, condemned (for so the word κρινεται seems to be used here) by others. The weak and scrupulous believer will censure, judge, condemn me as regardless of what is proper, and as disposed to fall in with the customs of idolaters; and will suppose that I cannot have a good conscience. Under these circumstances, why should I act so as to expose myself to this censure and condemnation? It is better for me to abstain, and not to use this liberty in the case, but to deny myself for the sake of others."