1 Corinthians 10:23 (YLT)

Passage

All things to me are lawful, but all things are not profitable; all things to me are lawful, but all things do not build up;

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye are not able the cup of the Lord to drink, and the cup of demons; ye are not able of the table of the Lord to partake, and of the table of demons;

1 Corinthians 10:22 do we arouse the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He?

1 Corinthians 10:23 All things to me are lawful, but all things are not profitable; all things to me are lawful, but all things do not build up;

1 Corinthians 10:24 let no one seek his own--but each another's.

1 Corinthians 10:25 Whatever in the meat-market is sold eat ye, not inquiring, because of the conscience,

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 "do we arouse the Lord to jealousy..." into verse 24's "let no one seek his own--but each...", 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.