What does “All Things Are Lawful for Me” Mean?
This expression is used twice in 1 Corinthians, in 6:12 and in 10:23.
First, it does not mean:
1. “I can do whatever I want to”. You can’t. Sin is not lawful. See 1 Cor.5-6. Saying “I am of Paul” or “I am of Apollos” and creating division was not lawful even though there had been no law that said “Thou shalt not say I am of Paul or Apollos”.(1 Cor.1:10-13). These divisions were not lawful even before Paul wrote this letter and rebuked them. People cannot do what they want to and start and maintain any denomination. Such is not lawful.
2. “I can do anything that God does not specifically forbid”. If God forbids anything at all then the statement is not really true that “all things are lawful”. Also, there was no law that specifically said a Judean cannot be a priest (Heb.7:14). There was a law about where to get fire to light the incense, but there was no law that specifically forbade getting fire from somewhere else. God killed two men for taking the attitude that “I can do anything God does not specifically forbid”(Lev.10:1-10). God rebuked David when he took that approach to God’s law. Remember that God told how to transport the ark, but he did not specifically forbid other ways of carrying the ark. David learned that when God specifies that it automatically forbids any other option.
3. “All things are literally lawful because we are under no law”. The law of the Lord went forth from Jerusalem (Isa.2:1-4 and Acts 2), and God has written His laws in our hearts (Jer.31:31f and Hebrews 8). We have laws that come to us from God and we are under law to Christ (1 Cor.9:21). We are to look into the perfect law of liberty and adjust our lives to what it says (James 1:21ff). This law of liberty requires us to “prove what is acceptable to the Lord”(Rom.12:2; Eph.5:10; 1 Thess. 5:21). We do have to “keep His commands”(1 John 2:3).
So, what does it mean?
It is probably a common argument (proverb or slogan) that some people used in that day. Sort of like people today will often say “I can do whatever I want”. Obviously, we cannot take the phrase at face value because all things are not lawful for any of us. The phrase must be qualified in some way. It is probably correct that Paul is quoting such an expression and showing that even common sense makes that idea a poor principle to live by because even supposing that it is lawful would not make everything expedient, helpful, or edifying. The following versions put it in quotation marks because it seems to be more of a quote from men rather than a truth from God.
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is constructive. NIV
1 Cor 10:23
23 “Everything is permitted,” you say? Maybe, but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permitted?” Maybe, but not everything is edifying. CJB
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 Some of you say, "We can do whatever we want to!" But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful. CEV
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 "All things are allowed," you say. But not all things are good. "All things are allowed." But some things don't help anyone. (Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version, Revised Edition)
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. ESV
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 Someone may say, "I'm allowed to do anything," but not everything is helpful. I'm allowed to do anything, but not everything encourages growth.(from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 "Everything is permissible," but not everything is helpful. "Everything is permissible," but not everything builds up.(from Holman Christian Standard Bible)
1 Cor. 10:23
23 "We are allowed to do all things," but all things are not good for us to do. "We are allowed to do all things," but not all things help others grow stronger.NCV
1 Cor. 10:23
23 "Everything is lawful," but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is lawful," but not everything builds others up.(from The NET Bible)
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 You say, “Everything is permitted.” But not everything is good for us. Again you say, “Everything is permitted.” But not everything builds us up.NIrV
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up.NRSV
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up.
RSV
1 Cor 10:23-24
23 "I have the right to do anything," you say—but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"—but not everything is constructive.TNIV
1 Cor 10:23
23 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are profitable. "All things are lawful for me," but not all things build up.WEB
It seems that the expression “all things are lawful for me” was a common proverb that people used to justify themselves. It is like the proverb of 6:12,13 where some said “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods” as a way to justify also justifying sexual intercourse with whomever they wished. Robertson comments on the Greek:
1 Corinthians 6:12 - Apparently this proverb may have been used by Paul in Corinth (repeated in 1 Cor 10:23), but not in the sense now used by Paul's opponents. The "all things" do not include such matters as those condemned in 1 Cor 5; 6:1-11. Paul limits the proverb to things not immoral, things not wrong per se. But even here liberty is not license.
(from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament)
The UBS new Testament Handbook Series remarks on this verse similarly.
1 Corinthians 6:12
Commentators agree that the clause All things are lawful to me was a slogan used in Corinth at that time. It is repeated in 1 Cor 10:23, where the Greek is the same except that the phrase for me is omitted.
TEV adds the phrases "Someone will say" and "I could say" to show that these clauses in quotes are familiar to the Christians in Corinth. Translators in other languages may find it helpful to add these phrases too.
Are lawful for me: the Greek verb means "it is allowed" and therefore does not raise the question of who gives the permission. Clearly Paul is not thinking of the Old Testament Law. Probably the people who misused this saying thought that because the body did not matter, they could do anything they liked with it. All things are lawful for me may also be expressed as "It is permissible for me to do anything" or "There is no law against anything that I want to do."
(from the UBS New Testament Handbook Series)
So, it seems to have been a proverb or slogan people used to justify anything they wanted to do. But, the slogan or proverb was not an inspired proverb or slogan. Paul repeats what Corinthians were use to hearing and then cautions against the misuse of it. Immoral things are not lawful and never are, and even in things that are not immoral there are other considerations and principles such as love and helpfulness and how to edify and build up others.
So, I think Albert Barnes is likely correct along with all of the above testimony that:
The expression, "all things are lawful," is to be understood as used by those who palliated certain indulgences, or who vindicated the vices here referred to, and Paul designs to reply to them. His reply follows. He had been reproving them for their vices, and had specified several. It is not to be supposed that they would indulge in them without some show of defense; and the declaration here has much the appearance of a proverb, or a common saying-that all things were lawful; that is, "God has formed all things for our use, and there can be no evil if we use them." By the phrase "all things" here, perhaps, may be meant MANY things; or things in general; or there is nothing in itself unlawful.
That there were many vicious persons who held this sentiment there can be no doubt; and though it cannot be supposed that there were any in the Christian church who would openly advocate it, yet the design of Paul was to "cut up" the plea altogether "wherever it might be urged," and to show that it was false and unfounded. The particular flyings which Paul here refers to, are those which have been called "adiaphoristic," or indifferent; that is, pertaining to certain meats and drinks, etc. With this Paul connects also the subject of fornication-the subject particularly under discussion. THIS was defended as "lawful," by many Greeks, and was practiced at Corinth; and was the vice to which the Corinthian Christians were particularly exposed. Paul designed to meet ALL that could be said on this subject; and to show them that these indulgences could NOT be proper for Christians, and could not in ANY way be defended-We are not to understand Paul as admitting that fornication is in any case lawful; but he designs to show that the practice cannot possibly be defended in any way, or by any of the arguments which had been or could be used.
(from Barnes' Notes).
This proverb was a bit misleading then and brought people to false conclusions then, and we are finding that it is still being used today to bring people to false conclusions. All things really are not lawful and never have been. Those found making this blanket statement are NOT in agreement with Paul in any way.
Terry W. Benton
