All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Co 10:23).
So here we are with another beautiful passage that will cause the gears of our mental faculties to engage. Immediately, we are confronted with a text that, taken in isolation, or grouped with other selected texts, can and does lead to a doctrine we call antinomianism. A modern incarnation of this view in the vernacular says the god of the Old Testament was mad and uptight, but Jesus is happy, loving, and a much kinder god. Jesus came as a moral chill pill, to free us from the strict guidelines of the Old Testament law. From that perspective, there is no law and, by extension, no sin! Even today, many people within the Christian faith give way to the thinking that says, “Grace kind of null and voids sin.” Have you ever thought to yourself, “I know this is a sin, but I’ll repent later? We must wonder where one gets the notion this is even a thing. Many today do not see the avoidance of sin as morally mandated; today, in many circles, “sin” is seen as a social suggestion.
One notable figure in the past credited with interpreting and popularizing this verse in connection with antinomianism is the early Christian thinker Marcion, the alleged father of this teaching (85–160 AD). Marcion was known for his belief in a radical form of antinomianism, which rejected the Old Testament and certain parts of the New Testament as having any relevance for Christians. He used passages like 1 Corinthians 10:23 to argue that Christians were free from the moral and ethical constraints of the Mosaic Law, which he saw as a separate and inferior deity compared to the God of Jesus Christ. Marcion’s antinomian views were considered heretical by mainstream Christianity, and he was eventually excommunicated from the church.
Marcion's interpretation of Paul's statements and his overall theological approach were founded upon rejecting the Old Testament and his own selective Canon (meaning he created a version of the New Testament by removing passages he deemed incompatible with his beliefs.) He eliminated the entire Old Testament and selected only portions of the New Testament, specifically those that seemed to support his antinomianism) and dualistic theology. To put it humorously, Marcion didn’t translate with a pen but a scalpel!
Even today, modern antinominalists use passages like Galatians 3:24- 25, Romans 7:6, and Colossians 2:16- 17 to justify lawlessness and immorality. Marcion and modern adherents of this view make an error in rejecting the Old Testament and only using a select portion of Paul's writings to support their theology. However, the historic faith of the apostles does not hold to Maricon’s view at all, nor does he properly understand the Apostles' view.
Paul's teachings emphasize the continuity of God's moral principles while acknowledging the fulfillment of the ceremonial and ritual aspects of the Old Testament in Christ. As did all the other apostles. When we read the writings of the apostles in their entirety, Christ's followers understand that they are called to live out these moral and ethical principles, empowered by the Holy Spirit promised to the believer! Walking with the Spirit means to walk above the moral constraints of the law, not below them, and we understand this by the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 5. Moses told you this… but I’m telling you this…
Yet, the phrase " all things are lawful for me " is repeated twice in this text, forcing us to ask ourselves what it means.
When Paul uses the phrase “all things are lawful for me,” he is not referring to the Mosaic law. The apostle's intention in this passage, or the other passages mentioned here, is not to promote antinomianism or disregard for ethical principles. Instead, in these passages, the apostle emphasizes the role of the Mosaic Law, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and the fulfillment of Jewish ceremonial laws in Christ. Moral and ethical principles remain central to Christian living and are fulfilled through faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We know this is true by taking those verses in the context of other passages he wrote, such as:
Romans 6:1-2: What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Romans 7:12: So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.
Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.
Ephesians 2:10: For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
These passages, among others, reflect Paul's teaching that while believers are justified by faith in Christ and no longer under the condemnation of the Mosaic Law, they are called to live a life of holiness, moral integrity, and ethical virtue through the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. Paul did not promote lawlessness but rather a transformed and Spirit-empowered adherence to God's moral and ethical principles in the context of faith in Jesus Christ.