BACKGROUND STUDY

1 Corinthians 10:23

1 Corinthians 10:23
1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1
Exercise your rights or freedom properly in the area of eating food offered to idols.

8:1-6

It should not be used arrogantly (which happens when one eats idol food
simply on the basis of knowledge), but for the purpose of edifying (which
happens when one eats on the basis of love).

8:7-13

It should not ruin those who do not have knowledge, because they see
you eating food offered to idols or dining in an idols temple.

9:1-23

It should win people, just like how I tried to win you by giving up my right
to receive material things from you.

9:24-27

It should be used with self-control, just like how I buffet and enslave my
body to avoid disqualification

10:1-13

It should not be used for idolatry and other evil things, just like what some
of our fathers did when they were destroyed.

10:14-22

It should not be used to dine inside an idols temple, which is idolatry and
fellowshipping with demons.

10:23-30

It should not be used to eat food offered to idols outside the temple, if it
would offend other peoples conscience.

10:31-11:1

It should give glory to God by not giving any offense to the church of God.

The Interpretation of 1 Cor 10:23

in relation to the unit main point
The phrase all things are permissible, but not all things are
profitable (1 Corinthians 10:23) belongs to unit 10:23-11:1.
In this unit, Paul gives the Corinthians freedom to eat food
offered to idols outside the temple, either purchased in the
market place [10:25], or eaten in another mans house [10:2730]. Even if eating food offered to idols in these places are
"permissible," it is not "profitable" if it offends another
brother's conscience.

Thus, the words "all things" in the phrase all things are
permissible, but not all things are profitable should be
associated with freedom to eat food offered to idols outside
(never inside) the temple.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND STUDY

ON FIRST CENTURY DINING
IN PAGAN TEMPLES
1. Preparation stage in the Abaton
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Purification by means of ceremonies

Barley grain ceremonies
Prayers
Casting the hair from the animal in the fire
Slaying and stripping the skin
Procession to the altar

2. Actual sacrifice in the Altar and Temple

a. Immolation - This is the burning of the gods portion
(uneatable parts) in the altar.
Part of the meat slain in the abaton also goes to the
priests in the temple. Since these usually exceed the
daily food requirement of the priests, a large portion is
sold in meat markets (makello).
b. Libation - This pertains to the pouring out of wine or
oil to the god.
c. Eating of the splachna (internal organs)

3. Feasting done in the dining rooms

Part of the meat slain in the abaton goes down to the worshippers and
roasted in the square tables at the center of the dining rooms. The temple
god is viewed as sharing his meal with the worshippers.
a. Roasting of the eatable portions
b. Wine again is poured out to honor the gods.
c. Music and dancing
It is highly probable that the entertainment in these festivities was sexual
in nature (i.e. fornication) due to the frequent association between eating
food sacrificed to idols and fornication in the New Testament (Acts 15:29;
Revelation 2:14; 1 Corinthians 6:9,13).

Ben Witherington, Conflict and Community in Corinth (Michigan:

Eerdmans, 1995), pp. 190-191.

market

market

Interpretation
The findings of background study seem to agree
with the results of our contextual study. The phrase
all things are permissible, but not all things are
profitable (10:23) refers to the freedom to eat food
offered to idols outside the temple (i.e. either
purchased in the market place or eaten in another
mans house), but not inside the temple premises
(10:14-22).
Even if eating food offered to idols outside the
temple is permissible, this becomes not
profitable if it will offend another brother's
conscience.

 Through a background study on 1st century dining in

pagan temples, we saw how the priests ration of
food offered to idols ended up in market places.
More importantly, we also saw why Paul prohibits
dining inside pagan temples and why he views it as
demonic.
Dining inside these temples is not only associating
with idols and gods, which he believes are nonentities, it is also fellowshipping with demons. This
is probably due to some demonic activity manifested
through fornication and other sexual entertainment
inside the temple.