So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whatever is sold in the butcher shop, eat, asking no question for the sake of conscience,
- KJV Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
- BSB Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
- NKJV Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake;
- NASB Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions, for the sake of conscience;
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 may freely eat meat sold in the market without anxious questions about its origin. Conscience need not be burdened over food itself.
Overview
Paul gives practical guidance: ordinary marketplace meat, even if it had been offered to idols, may be eaten freely. Since the idol is nothing and the earth belongs to God, the food itself is not defiling. This balances his warning against idol-feasts with genuine Christian liberty in everyday matters, freeing consciences from needless scruples.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Tim 4:4For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving.
- 1 Cor 8:7However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of the idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
- Titus 1:15To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
- Rom 14:14I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
- 1 Cor 10:27–29But if one of those who don’t believe invites you to a meal, and you are inclined to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of conscience.
- Rom 13:5Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
- Acts 10:15A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.”
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 10:25 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
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