1 Corinthians 10:23 (LSB)

Passage

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things build up.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

1 Corinthians 10:22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things build up.

1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of the other person.

1 Corinthians 10:25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "lawful", "profitable", and "build". 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 "Or do we provoke the Lord to..." into verse 24's "Let no one seek his own good...", 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.