1 Corinthians 10:23 (KJV)

Passage

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

1 Corinthians 10:22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.

1 Corinthians 10:25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "lawful", "expedient", and "edify". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "lawful", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy..." into verse 24's "Let no man seek his own but...", so "all things" and "lawful" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "all things" and "lawful" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.