Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let no one seek his own, but each one his neighbor’s good.
- BSB No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.
- NKJV Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.
- NASB No one is to seek his own advantage, but rather that of his neighbor.
- NLT Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Believers should seek their neighbor's good rather than their own interests. Love, not self-interest, governs the use of freedom.
Overview
Paul states the heart of Christian ethics in matters of liberty: pursue the good of others. This selflessness counters the Corinthians' self-centered insistence on their rights. It embodies the mind of Christ, who did not please himself but gave himself for others, and it shapes how disputable matters are handled in the church.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Rom 15:1–2We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
- Phil 2:4–5Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
- 1 Cor 10:33Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
- Phil 2:21For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
- 1 Cor 9:19–23For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
- 1 Cor 13:5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
- 2 Cor 12:14Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 10:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.