The earth is the Lord’s

Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; for "The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness." – 1 Corinthians 10.25-26

It is hard to just pick out a few snippets here and there throughout this passage. Every word is packed with meaning and purpose.

At the end of the day all of the stuff that Paul has written about pales in comparison the fact that ‘the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.'

These are perhaps Paul's harshest words about legalism and man-made requirements. Paul says 'go to the meat market (I love the old word shambles here), buy what you need, don't ask any needless questions, and eat it.

Even if food has been sacrificed to idols it is still God's because 'the earth is the Lord's.'

There is nothing that God does not own and control. It reminds me of the sheet let down for Peter. It was full of unclean animals. A voice told Peter to eat and Peter said he couldn't do it because the meat was unclean. God told Peter that if He made it it was not unclean.

So that point is clear. Nothing is really unclean because it is the Lord’s.

But there is little bit of possible confusion in verse 29-30 ‘"Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?’

Here it looks like Paul says that he should not be controlled by a weaker brother’s convictions.

And I think that is exactly what he is saying – he should not be. There are times when we have to prayerfully determine if a brother is purposefully trying to control us with his conscience or not. He should not be able to control everything I do for the Lord.

But when it is all said and done, when in doubt – don’t offend. It is better to suffer some needless and unwanted control than to offend a brother. Because it is all about what the next verse says.