NOTES for Co1 10:23-28

As is evident, already in the early Christian era there were people in the Church who were sure that Christians "may do anything." And the apostle, arguing with this widespread view of spiritual life, responds: "anything is permitted," yes, but not everything is beneficial. "Anything is permitted," of course, but not everything serves upbuilding. The corresponding Greek word literally means building or constructing a house, and it is assumed that the matter is not walls alone. "Anything is permitted" sounds like a slogan of complete liberation from everything that binds and limits a person in the untransformed world. It appears that the people who advanced it understood and remembered only one thing: the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of freedom. They had not reflected much, apparently, on what this freedom is filled with.

Perhaps the situation was aggravated by the peculiar "charismatic" views of some new converts who, having experienced the reality of the Kingdom for the first time and having felt what grace is, decided that they were now free from sin and could do anything whatever without any spiritual harm to themselves: after all, as they were probably convinced, the untransformed world with all its evil no longer had power over them. Paul reminds them, however, that everything is not as rosy as it may appear in the first days after conversion or in moments of spiritual uplift. Ahead lies a long path, the path of inner, spiritual upbuilding, that ordering of inner and outer life which the concept of the inner Torah presupposed.

And on this path the struggle with sin is inevitable, for the path into the Kingdom is not yet finished; it is only beginning. And the very upbuilding of the Kingdom, that same upbuilding of which the apostle says that not everything is beneficial for it, was also only just beginning then, for the matter concerns, in essence, the first two generations of Christians. And the path of each individual Christian is finally completed only on the day of the complete transformation of the world, the day of the Savior's return and the triumph of the Kingdom. And the apostle does not tire of reminding people that Christianity is not "grace-filled" relaxation, but intense spiritual work and the upbuilding of the Kingdom, without which Christian life loses all meaning.

As seen, already in the early Christians era, there were in the Church people sure, that for Christians "all things are lawful ". And the apostle, in his polemic with this widely spread opinion on the spiritual life, answers: "all things are lawful" - yes; but all things are not expedient. "All things are lawful" – of course; but all things are not of use to the edification. The Greek corresponding word means exactly edification or the construction of the house, and it is supposed that it is not only about walls. "All things are lawful" rings as a slogan of a complete liberation of all which connects and limits man in the not transformed world. It appears, people who moved it forward understood and retained only one thing: the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of the freedom. On what this freedom is filled, they probably did not think much.

Maybe, the situation deteriorated by a sort of "charismatic" views of some converts, who having experienced for the first time the reality of the Kingdom and having felt what is grace, decided that they are now free from sin and can do whatever pleases them, without any spiritual damage for them: because as they were probably persuaded, the world not transformed with all its evil does not have anymore power on them. Paul reminds them that everything is not as rosy as it can seem in the first days after the conversion, or at the moments of spiritual uplift. Forward the way is long, the way of the internal, spiritual edification, this construction of the internal and external life, which implies the notion of the internal Torah. And on this way the fight with sin is inevitable: because the way to the Kingdom is not finished yet, it is only beginning.

And the very edification of the Kingdom (the same edification, of which the apostle says that for it not all things are expedient) still began also only: because it is in fact about the first two generations of Christians. Indeed, the path of every Christian ends definitively only the day of the complete transfiguration of the world, the day of the return of the Savior and the triumph of the Kingdom. And the apostle does not get tired to remind that Christianity is not a relaxed “grace”, but an intense spiritual work and edification of the Kingdom, without which Christian life has no meaning.

The apostle's practical advice concerning food sacrificed to idols is fairly simple. If no one points out to you the fact that the food offered to you is dedicated to some pagan god or spirit, eat calmly: there is no need to be hypervigilant and calculate every possible chance of being defiled by food sacrificed to idols.

This is understandable: Paul understands perfectly well that, in essence, all the gods and spirits of the Gentiles are nothing for a Christian, because even though they may be entirely real created (and sometimes fallen) spirits, they cannot stand against the power of the Kingdom and its breath. Christians have nothing to fear from any harm caused by these spiritual beings in themselves. The problem is not in them, but in people and in witness.

All things are lawful; one may even eat food sacrificed to idols. But will such conduct become a counter-witness? In some cases it plainly will. For example, when you come to the house of a pagan (in those days, essentially, simply to the house of a secular person), and he offers you food while mentioning that what is offered has been dedicated to one of the pagan gods. By sharing such a meal, you involuntarily share your table companion's attitude toward his god as well, and here there is already an actual betrayal of Christ, and in the sight of someone who may have wanted to see in you an example of faithfulness to Him, not indifference.

In any case, such indifference certainly will not become a witness. It is another matter if the host simply offers to share a meal with him, saying nothing at all about any gods. In that case, of course, one could begin a vigorous interrogation of the host about whether the food he has offered happens in some way to be food sacrificed to idols. Perhaps he himself knows nothing of the sort, but if one thinks and remembers... in short, in such a case the meal would most likely end before it began.

And the master of the house, an ordinary secular person, would be convinced that Christians are people somehow "hung up" on religious prohibitions, people with whom it is impossible to sit at one table: they will torment everyone with their careful investigation of everything on the table for religious purity. Such a "witness" can hardly be considered Christian. This is Paul's starting point: if one's own conscience does not condemn, then one must think about how one's behavior can serve the witness to Christ and to the Kingdom, and act accordingly.

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” That is curious. Can God really be glorified by lunch or dinner? But if we take one step back and recall the preceding verse, which was not included in today’s reading—“If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?”—much can be explained. Everything depends precisely on our attitude toward every event in our life. If we receive everything as a gift from God, then even scrambled eggs can truly prove to be God’s gift (what if you were starving to death?). And this is precisely what Paul proposes: gratitude.