“But if anyone says to you, ‘This is meat sacrificed to idols,’ do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?”

Go ahead and eat food offered to you without being overly meticulous in your interrogations about it. One can drive oneself silly analyzing the history of everything on one’s plate—at some time or other it was probably handled by an unbeliever who used his profits for some nefarious purposes. Paul’s message is, “Don’t tie yourself up in knots over this! If your conscience is not bothered, then go ahead and eat it.”

However, if someone questions your enjoyment because of his or herconscience, then the issue changes. You should refrain. At this point, most people are tempted to object that this allows other people’s consciences to overrule our own, allowing others to force their legalism on us. Indeed, those are serious considerations. However, Paul is not speaking to legalizers, giving them permission to impose their over-meticulous efforts at “Christian Phariseeism.” Rather, in chapter 8, people with over-scrupulous consciences about temple food were spoken of as being weak in faith. As in that chapter, so here, Paul addresses those who are strong in their faith and know that food offered to idols is simply food that can still be enjoyed by believers.

Having said that, Paul’s point here is our own control of the situation. I should refrain from eating food offered to idols so that my freedom would not be “judged by another’s conscience.” It is within my ability to prevent others from slandering me “concerning that for which I give thanks.” How? By not eating that food in front of them.

In self-centered self-aggrandizement, I could take a more pugnacious approach, flaunting my freedom and likewise demanding that others stop judging me, but that does not bode well for unity in the body of Christ. That attitude may blind us to genuine struggles of conscience others might have. Paul calls the Corinthians to take the high road of being others-centered, rather than centered on our own personal freedom and rights.

Of course, the issue of the Corinthians’ food choices reflects the disagreements we Christians have today over many lifestyle issues. The mature Christian response restrains one’s own freedom for the sake of unity, giving wide berth to the one who has a genuine limiting conscience.

Lord, help me care more for others’ consciences than my own freedoms.