1 Corinthians 10:32

1Co 10:32. Τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, to the church of God) the holy church called from among the Jews and Gentiles. The same name is found ch. 1Co 11:16; 1Co 11:22.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co_10:32. Ἀπρόσκοποι] become inoffensive (by constantly increasing completeness of Christian virtue). See on Php_1:10.

καὶ Ἰουδ. καὶ Ἕλλ. καὶ τ. ἐκκλ. τοῦ Θεοῦ] i.e. for non-Christians and for Christians. The former are spoken of under two divisions. It is a mistake to suppose, with Beza, that the reference is to Jewish and Gentile Christians, which is at variance with καὶ τῇ ἐκκλ. τοῦ Θεοῦ, since the three repetitions of καί stand on the same level. Hence also it will not do to lay all the emphasis, as Billroth does, upon τῇ ἐκκλ. τοῦ θεοῦ, although it is true that it is designated in a significant way, as in 1Co_11:22. The rule is clearly quite a general one; and it places on the same level the three classes with whom intercourse must be held without giving any occasion for moral offence.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Co_10:32

Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

Give none offense, i.e. give no occasion to sin. An offense is something over which then stumble. The exhortation is to avoid being the cause of sin to others, 1Co_8:9. Rom_14:13, Rom_14:21. They were to be thus careful with respect to all classes of men, Christians and non-Christians. The latter are divided into the two great classes, the Jews and Gentiles. The church of God, i.e. his people. Those whom God has called out of the world to be his peculiar possession. They are therefore distinguished as the κλητοί, the called, or, collectively considered, the ἐκκλησία, the church. The first great principle of Christian conduct is to promote the glory of God; the second is to avoid giving offense, or causing men to sin. In other words, love to God and love to men should govern all our conduct.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Give none offence--in things indifferent (Co1 8:13; Rom 14:13; Co2 6:3); for in all essential things affecting Christian doctrine and practice, even in the smallest detail, we must not swerve from principle, whatever offense may be the result (Co1 1:23). Giving offense is unnecessary, if our own spirit cause it; necessary, if it be caused by the truth.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 32. Give none offence, &c.] Scrupulously avoid giving any cause of offence either to the unconverted Jews or the unconverted Gentiles, so as to prejudice them against Christianity: nor to the Church of God, made up of converts from the above parties.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

32. Be not occasions of stumbling to any This is the second point, which it becomes us to have an eye to — the rule of love. A desire, then, for the glory of God, holds the first place; a regard to our neighbor holds the second He makes mention of Jews and Gentiles, not merely because the Church of God consisted of those two classes, but to teach us that we are debtors to all, even to strangers, that we may, if possible, gain them. (1 Corinthians 9:20, 21.)

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(32) Give none offence.—A practical test of whether any course of conduct is to the glory of God. If it cause any human being to offend then it is not to God’s glory. Heretofore St. Paul had spoken only of the edification of the Christian Church, and the avoidance of any offence to a Christian brother. Here the sphere of moral obligation is enlarged. Jew and Greek, as well as the Christian Church, are to be objects of our Christian solicitude.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32. Give none offence] This verse and the next explain the words, ‘I am made all things to all men,’ ch. 1Co_9:22.

neither to the Jews] This question is dealt with fully in Romans 16, where the question of eating or abstaining from meats regarded by the Jews as unclean, is decided upon precisely the same principles as those laid down in this chapter.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Even as I please all men in all things,.... The apostle sets himself as an example, though he was far from being a man pleaser, in the bad sense of that phrase; nor must these all things, in which he is said to please all men, be taken in the largest sense; but are to be understood of things indifferent, which might be done or avoided, without breaking the law of or contradicting the Gospel of Christ, or any of its rules and ordinances, to all which the apostle was inviolably attached; nor did he in these things seek to please men, but in all to act the part of a faithful servant of Christ, and steward of the mysteries of grace; see Co1 9:19. Moreover, it is not to bc thought that in fact he pleased all men; it is certain he did not; but he studied to please them; he did all that in him lay; he took the most proper methods to do it, though they were sometimes ineffectual.

Not seeking my own profit; worldly profit and advantage, riches, wealth, the emoluments of life, ease, rest, and pleasure; and chiefly he means the use of liberty in things indifferent; he was willing to forego all for the good of others:

but the profit of many, that they may be saved; he neglected his own private advantage, and the gratifying of himself in anything which was otherwise lawful, when he saw that would be an offence to others, be an hinderance of the Gospel, and deter any from embracing the Christian doctrine; that so he might be the, means of promoting the spiritual profit and edification of many souls, that they might be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; He does not say all, but many, knowing that all will not be saved, only the elect of God; and whereas he knew not who these were, nor where they lay, he behaved in this manner to all men, that he might be the instrument of the spiritual good and salvation of the chosen ones among them, by preaching the Gospel to them without offence.

Next: 1 Corinthians Chapter 11

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

Ver. 32. Give none offence] This is another end we should aim at, the edification of others. Finibus non officiis a vitiis discernuntur virtutes. (Augustine.) Two things make a good Christian: good actions and good aims.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Give none offence - Be inoffensive; that is, do not act so as to lead others into sin; see the note at Rom 14:13.

Neither to the Jews ... - To no one, though they are the foes of God or strangers to him. To the Jews be inoffensive, because they think that the least approach to idol worship is to be abhorred. Do not so act as to lead them to think that you connive at or approve idol worship, and so as to prejudice them the more against the Christian religion, and lead them more and more to oppose it. In other words, do not attend the feasts in honor of idols.

Nor to the Gentiles - Greek “Greeks.” To the pagans who are unconverted. They are attached to idol worship. They seek every way to justify themselves in it. Do not countenance them in it, and thus lead them into the sin of idolatry.

Nor to the church of God - To Christians. Many of them are weak. They may not be as fully instructed as you are. Your example would lead them into sin. Abstain, therefore, from things which, though they are in themselves strictly “lawful,” may yet be the occasion of leading others into sin, and endangering their salvation.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

We use to say, that men are offended when they are grieved or angered; but these offences are not here meant, (as appears by the Greek phrase, ’ Aproskopoi ginesye) but give no occasion of sin or stumbling. This care he commands us, with reference to all men; for at that time all the world fell under one of these denominations, they were either Jews, or Gentiles, ( that is, heathens), or the church of God (that is, Christians). It was always a hard matter, if not a thing impossible, for Christians to carry themselves so as not to anger those that were no Christians; but it was not impossible for them so to behave themselves, as not to be to them any just occasion of sin. Much less ought conscientious Christians to give offence to Christians, that made up the church of God, and were with them members of the same mystical body, of which Christ is the Head.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

32. None offence—No scandal.

Jews—The apostle ever avoided offence to his kinsmen after the flesh.

Gentiles—Crossing none of their prejudices where God’s law does not require it.

Church of God—Endeavouring to maintain its purity and peace by purity and peace on his own part.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Give none offence. Of course St. Paul means "give no offence in unimportant, indifferent matters". (comp. Rom_14:13) "Offence" means "occasion of stumbling." The word only occurs in Act_24:16; Php_1:16. Nor to the Gentiles; rather, nor to the Greeks.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Give no offense - If, and as far as, it is possible.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Here we have the second rule for ordering all the affairs of human life: Give no offence to any, neither to the unbelieving Jew, nor to the unconverted Gentile, nor to the weak members of the church of God; particularly, give no offence to these, by eating things offered to idols at any time, or in any place, where any may be scandalized; for the Jew will consider that you are enemies to the law and the prophets.

The Gentiles will believe that your abhorrence to idols is not real, when they see you eat things offered unto idols before their faces; and the weak Christian will be tempted by your example to revolt from the Christian faith.

Therefore do nothing that may tend to the hurt, or just offence, either of Jew, Gentile, or Christian.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32. “Be ye without offense both to Jews and Greeks and to the Church of God.”

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Give no occasion of stumbling [ Mar_9:42 ], either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God :

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

32. Give none offence. The rule just given implies this. Do nothing that would produce a scandal, or arouse prejudice, whether they be Jews, or Gentiles, or brethren.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

32. ἀπρόσκοποι … γίνεσθε. Be not a cause of stumbling. See note on ch. 1Co 8:9. This verse and the next explain the words, ‘I am made all things to all men,’ ch. 1Co 9:22.

Ἰουδαίοις. This question is dealt with fully in Romans 14, where the question of eating or abstaining from meats regarded by the Jews as unclean, is decided upon precisely the same principles as those laid down in this chapter.

1Co 11:1. This verse belongs to the former chapter, and concludes the argument, as in ch. 1Co 4:16.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32.] all offence is to be avoided (it being understood that this refers to ἀδιάφορα, for in other things, both Jews and Greeks must be offended, see ch. 1:23), whether to Jews or Heathens (both these out of the Church), or to the Church of God (their own brethren).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32. ἀπρόσκοποι γίνεσθε. ‘Behave without giving offence,’ ‘prove yourselves to be averse to causing others to stumble’; sine offensione estote (Vulg.). The term here, as in Ecclus. 32:21, is certainly transitive, ‘not making to stumble’: in Act 24:16 it is certainly intransitive, ‘without stumbling’: in Php 1:10 it may be either, but is probably intransitive. The use of the term here, in continuation of the great principle set forth in v. 31, shows that refraining from doing is much in his mind when he says εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε.

καὶ Ἰουδαίοις γ. καὶ Ἕλλησιν καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. These are three separate bodies; the third does not include the other two. Therefore unconverted Jews and unconverted Greeks are meant; they are οἱ ἔξω (v. 12), and it is an Apostolic principle that Christian conduct must be regulated with reference to those outside the Church as well as those within: ἵνα περιπατῆτε εὐσχημόνως πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω (1Th 4:12; cf. Col 4:5). An ill-advised exhibition of Christian freedom might shock Jews and an ill-advised rigour about matters indifferent might excite the derision of Greeks, and thus those who might have been won over would be alienated. In καὶ τῇ ἐκ. τοῦ Θ. (1:2, 11:16, 22, 15:9) he is again thinking of the weak brethren who have needless scruples.* See on 12:12.

καὶ Ἰουδαίοις γίνεσθε is the order in א* A B C 17, Orig. There would be obvious temptation to correct to γίνεσθε τοῖς Ἰ., as in א3 D E F G K L P; and versions follow suit.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.