1 Corinthians 10:31

Context

First Corinthians 8–10 addresses whether it is permissible to eat meat offered to idols. Paul states that an idol is nothing and that the meat itself is therefore not the problem, yet he insists that believers must not cause a brother who is weak in faith to stumble. Meat sold in the market may be eaten without raising questions, but if someone points out, "This is offered in sacrifice," one should abstain for the sake of that person's conscience (vv. 25–29). Verse 31 concludes this lengthy discussion, and verses 32–33 continue with the exhortation to give no offense to Jews, Greeks, or the church.

Interpretation

• As the holiness of all of daily life: This reading takes the verse to mean that even ordinary acts such as eating and drinking can be done for the glory of God. The Reformation tradition used it as a basis for the doctrine of vocation, which transcends the distinction between sacred and secular callings. It is one of the proof texts for the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism ("Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever").
• As freedom exercised for one's neighbor: Reading the verse closely in its context, this interpretation holds that God's glory is displayed not in asserting one's own freedom but in seeking the good of others (10:24, 33). On this view, the verse is a principle of communal ethics and not merely of personal piety.

Questions of Application

The verse is cited as a criterion in matters where Christian liberty and self-restraint come into tension, such as alcohol and tobacco, eating food at ancestral rites and memorial services, and participation in cultural activities. The same verse is invoked both as grounds for broadening liberty and as grounds for urging restraint.

In the Korean Church

The verse is used as a motto by church cafeterias, workplace Christian fellowships, and Christian businesses, and it is often presented alongside the Latin phrase Soli Deo Gloria, meaning "to God alone be the glory."

Related Passages

• 1 Corinthians 10:23–24
• Colossians 3:17
• Romans 14:6–8
• 1 Peter 4:11