The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 10:25 Explained

1 Corinthians 10:25

KJV: Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:

YLT: Whatever in the meat-market is sold eat ye, not inquiring, because of the conscience,

Darby: Everything sold in the shambles eat, making no inquiry for conscience sake.

ASV: Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, eat, asking no question for conscience'sake,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Whatsoever  is sold  in  the shambles,  [that] eat,  asking  no  question  for  conscience  sake: 

What does 1 Corinthians 10:25 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Corinthians 10:23-33 - "do All To The Glory Of God"
There seems to be a, clear distinction in the Apostle's directions between feasting in an idol temple on the one hand, and the acceptance of an invitation to a private house, as in 1 Corinthians 10:25; 1 Corinthians 10:27, on the other. The believer in Christ knew that an idol was nothing in itself, and the fact of food having been offered before a shrine did not make it better or worse. It was a common practice, and meant nothing so far as Christian disciples were concerned. But if an unbeliever were to make the meal a test of faith, by reminding believers that in partaking of such food they were implicitly partners in heathen rites, then there was no course but to refuse and abstain.
In every meal and act we must so conduct ourselves that praise and honor may redound to God. The thankful enjoyment of God's gifts of food, which constitutes the essence of a Christian meal, must always be subordinated to our consideration of the religious scruples of others; and we must avoid doing anything which would blunt and injure their faith. Though our intelligence may give us a wide liberty in regard to personal conduct, we must allow a check to be placed on it by the thoughtfulness of Christian love. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 10

1  The sacraments of the Jews are types of ours;
7  and their punishments,
11  examples for us
13  We must flee from idolatry
21  We must not make the Lord's table the table of demons;
24  and in all things we must have regard for our brothers

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 10:25

In the shambles [εν μακελλωι]
Only here in N.T. A transliterated Latin word macellum, possibly akin to μαχερια — maceria and the Hebrew word for enclosure, though occurring in Ionic and Laconian and more frequent in the Latin. It occurs in Dio Cassius and Plutarch and in the papyri and inscriptions for “the provision market.” Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East, p. 276) says: “In the Macellum at Pompeii we can imagine to ourselves the poor Christians buying their modest pound of meat in the Corinthian Macellum (1 Corinthians 10:25), with the same life-like reality with which the Diocletian maximum tariff called up the picture of the Galilean woman purchasing her five sparrows.” [source]
Asking no questions for conscience sake [μηδεν ανακρινοντες δια την συνειδησιν]
As to whether a particular piece of meat had been offered to idols before put in the market. Only a part was consumed in the sacrifices to heathen gods. The rest was sold in the market. Do not be over-scrupulous. Paul here champions liberty in the matter as he had done in 1 Corinthians 8:4. [source]
The shambles [μακέλλω]
Only here in the New Testament. It is a Latin word, which is not strange in a Roman colony like Corinth. In sacrifices usually only a part of the victim was consumed. The rest was given to the priests or to the poor, or sold again in the market. Any buyer might therefore unknowingly purchase meat offered to idols. [source]
Asking no question []
As to whether the meat had been used in idol sacrifice. See on 1 Corinthians 2:14. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 10:25

Acts 15:20 Pollutions [ἀλισγημάτων]
A word not found in classical Greek, and only here in the New Testament. The kindred verb ἀλισγεῖν , to pollute, occurs in the Septuagint, Malachi 1:7, and both times in the sense of defiling by food. Here the word is defined by things sacrificed to idols (Acts href="/desk/?q=ac+15:29&sr=1">Acts 15:29); the flesh of idol sacrifices, of which whatever was not eaten by the worshippers at the feasts in the temples, or given to the priests, was sold in the markets and eaten at home. See 1 Corinthians 10:25-28; and Exodus 34:15. [source]
Romans 2:15 Written in their hearts [γραπτον εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων]
Verbal adjective of γραπω — graphō to write. When their conduct corresponds on any point with the Mosaic law they practise the unwritten law in their hearts. Their conscience bearing witness therewith (συνμαρτυρουσης αυτων της συνειδησεως — sunmarturousēs autōn tēs suneidēseōs). On conscience (συνειδησις — suneidēsis) see note on 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 10:25.; 2 Corinthians 1:12. Genitive absolute here with present active participle συνμαρτυρουσης — sunmarturousēs as in Romans 9:1. The word συνειδησις — suneidēsis means Corinthians-knowledge by the side of the original consciousness of the act. This second knowledge is personified as confronting the first (Sanday and Headlam). The Stoics used the word a great deal and Paul has it twenty times. It is not in the O.T., but first in this sense in Wisdom 17:10. All men have this faculty of passing judgment on their actions. It can be over-scrupulous (1 Corinthians 10:25) or “seared” by abuse (1 Timothy 4:12). It acts according to the light it has. Their thoughts one with another accusing or also excusing them Genitive absolute again showing the alternative action of the conscience, now accusing, now excusing. Paul does not say that a heathen‘s conscience always commends everything that he thinks, says, or does. In order for one to be set right with God by his own life he must always act in accord with his conscience and never have its disapproval. That, of course, is impossible else Christ died for naught (Galatians 2:21). Jesus alone lived a sinless life. For one to be saved without Christ he must also live a sinless life. [source]
Romans 2:15 Their conscience bearing witness therewith [συνμαρτυρουσης αυτων της συνειδησεως]
On conscience The Stoics used the word a great deal and Paul has it twenty times. It is not in the O.T., but first in this sense in Wisdom 17:10. All men have this faculty of passing judgment on their actions. It can be over-scrupulous (1 Corinthians 10:25) or “seared” by abuse (1 Timothy 4:12). It acts according to the light it has. [source]
1 Corinthians 2:14 Discerned [ἀνακρίνεται]
Rev., judged. Used only by Luke and Paul, and by the latter in this epistle only. By Luke, mostly of judicial examination: Luke 23:14; Acts 4:9; Acts 12:19; Acts 24:8; Acts 28:18. Of examining the Scriptures, Acts 17:11, but with the sense of proving or coming to a judgment on. The fundamental idea of the word is examination, scrutiny, following up ( ἀνά ) a series of objects or particulars in order to distinguish ( κρίνω ). This is its almost universal meaning in classical Greek. At Athens it was used technically in two senses: to examine magistrates with a view to proving their qualifications; and to examine persons concerned in a suit, so as to prepare the matter for trial, as a grand jury. The meaning judged is, at best, inferential, and the Rev. inserts examined in the margin. Bishop Lightfoot says: “ Ανακρίνειν is neither to judge nor to discern; but to examine, investigate, inquire into, question, as it is rightly translated, 1 Corinthians 9:3; 1 Corinthians 10:25, 1 Corinthians 10:27. The apostle condemns all these impatient human praejudicia which anticipate the final judgment, reserving his case for the great tribunal, where at length all the evidence will be forthcoming and a satisfactory verdict can be given. Meanwhile the process of gathering evidence has begun; an ἀνάκρισις investigationis indeed being held, not, however, by these self-appointed magistrates, but by one who alone has the authority to institute the inquiry, and the ability to sift the facts” (“On a Fresh Revision of the New Testament”). See, further, on 1 Corinthians 4:3, 1 Corinthians 4:4. [source]
1 Corinthians 10:25 In the shambles [εν μακελλωι]
Only here in N.T. A transliterated Latin word macellum, possibly akin to μαχερια — maceria and the Hebrew word for enclosure, though occurring in Ionic and Laconian and more frequent in the Latin. It occurs in Dio Cassius and Plutarch and in the papyri and inscriptions for “the provision market.” Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East, p. 276) says: “In the Macellum at Pompeii we can imagine to ourselves the poor Christians buying their modest pound of meat in the Corinthian Macellum (1 Corinthians 10:25), with the same life-like reality with which the Diocletian maximum tariff called up the picture of the Galilean woman purchasing her five sparrows.” [source]
1 Timothy 4:4 Refused [ἀπὸβλητον]
Lit. thrown away. N.T.oIn ecclesiastical writings, excommunicated. On the whole verse, comp. Acts href="/desk/?q=ac+10:15&sr=1">Acts 10:15; Romans 11:15; 1 Corinthians 10:25, 1 Corinthians 10:26, 1 Corinthians 10:30, 1 Corinthians 10:31. [source]
1 Timothy 4:3 To abstain from meats [απεχεσται βρωματων]
Infinitive dependent, not on κωλυοντων — kōluontōn but on the positive idea κελευοντων — keleuontōn (implied, not expressed). Ablative case of βρωματων — brōmatōn after απεχεσται — apechesthai (present direct middle, to hold oneself away from). See 1 Corinthians 8-10; Romans 14; 15 for disputes about “meats offered to idols” and 1 Corinthians 1:22. for the Gnostic asceticism. Which God created (α ο τεος εκτισεν — ha ho theos ektisen). First active indicative of κτιζω — ktizō (Corinthians 1 Corinthians 1:16). Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:25. To be received “For reception.” Old word, only here in N.T. By them that believe and know (τοις πιστοις και επεγνωκοσι — tois pistois kai epegnōkosi). Dative case, “for the believers and those who (one article unites closely) have known fully” (perfect active participle of επιγινωσκω — epiginōskō), a Pauline use of the word (Colossians 1:6). [source]
1 Timothy 4:3 Which God created [α ο τεος εκτισεν]
First active indicative of κτιζω — ktizō (Corinthians 1 Corinthians 1:16). Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:25. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 10:25 mean?

Everything - in the meat market being sold eat nothing inquiring on account of - conscience
Πᾶν τὸ ἐν μακέλλῳ πωλούμενον ἐσθίετε μηδὲν ἀνακρίνοντες διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν

Πᾶν  Everything 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
μακέλλῳ  the  meat  market 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: μάκελλον  
Sense: a place where meat and other articles of food are sold, meat market.
πωλούμενον  being  sold 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πωλέω  
Sense: to barter, to sell.
ἐσθίετε  eat 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἐσθίω 
Sense: to eat.
μηδὲν  nothing 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: μηδείς 
Sense: nobody, no one, nothing.
ἀνακρίνοντες  inquiring 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀνακρίνω  
Sense: examine or judge.
διὰ  on  account  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
τὴν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
συνείδησιν  conscience 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: συνείδησις  
Sense: the consciousness of anything.