everything

Everything is permitted, but everything isn’t beneficial. Everything is permitted, but everything doesn’t build others up. No one should look out for their own advantage, but they should look out for each other. Eat everything that is sold in the marketplace, without asking questions about it because of your conscience. The earth and all that is in it belong to the Lord. If an unbeliever invites you to eat with them and you want to go, eat whatever is served, without asking questions because of your conscience. But if someone says to you, “This meat was sacrificed in a temple,” then don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. Now when I say “conscience” I don’t mean yours but the other person’s. Why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? If I participate with gratitude, why should I be blamed for food I thank God for? So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you should do it all for God’s glory. Don’t offend either Jews or Greeks, or God’s church. This is the same thing that I do. I please everyone in everything I do. I don’t look out for my own advantage, but I look out for many people so that they can be saved. Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s. (1 Corinthians 10:23—11:1, CEB)

The first three sentences here say a great deal.

Everything is permitted. You can do whatever you want. However, just because you can does not mean you should, and it does not mean that it is beneficial to all. It may be of great benefit to you and great harm to others, and so you can do it; however, maybe you should think about it and reconsider.

Everything is permitted. Again, you can do whatever you want. However, as above the thing you do might build up your life and detract from others. What we do should build up others, not just us. In building up others’ lives, we are in turn building up our own.

In everything we do we should be looking out for the other.

Love like Jesus and do what brings the greater good for all.