Following up on the first two points that Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 10:23-33, he next repeats a point he made in chapter 8, verse 9: Not everything is constructive. Here, he has in mind the other person. Not everything is beneficial for me, and neither is everything constructive for the people around me. It is very clear that that's what he's talking about because he follows by saying, "Nobody should seek his own good but the good of others." In other words, there are many things you can do that God does not condemn and many of those things would not necessarily hurt you. However, some of those things that you are otherwise free to do could hurt another person. At that point you have to ask yourself, "What am I here for?"

The word "freedom" strikes a responsive note in the human heart. In many countries freedom is celebrated nationally. Most nations that, through the course of history, have come to the point where they have been able to declare themselves free from whatever oppressive power may have been over them in the past, commemorate that day. The difficulty with freedom, of course, is that when we try to define it, we discover it is not such an easy thing to do.

There is a second truth we should learn from this section as well. It comes in this magnificent verse 13: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." This is a verse you should memorize early in the Christian life because its teaching is so important. It says temptation is common. Just because you are a Christian, you are not going to avoid temptation. But this verse tells us God provides the way of escape for Christians when the temptation comes.

This matter of baptism in verse 2 has confused a lot of people. There are those who say, "You see! They were all baptized in the sea. That’s talking about immersion." But, they overlook the fact that it was the Egyptians who were immersed, not the Israelites. It is at this point that those who do not believe in baptism by immersion have said, "No, it says they were all baptized in the cloud and in the sea. How are you baptized with a cloud? Obviously, you are baptized when it sprinkles on you. So, it’s not talking about immersion." Even if we do not understand exactly what baptism means here, it should be evident that this sort of foolish quibbling is not what it means.

We all have certain rights. In the passage we have been studying, Paul has pointed out the specific rights he has as an apostle. And yet note that he does not demand his rights. He says, "Although I have these rights, I - not everybody, but I, in my case - have willingly laid these rights aside in order that I might have the privilege of taking the Gospel to you without cost." In verse 15 and following he says he does not want anybody to misunderstand his motivations. He does not want his readers to think that he is merely complaining: "Look at how I labor, and how difficult my life is. Look at how faithful I've been as an apostle, yet you haven't paid me a single thing." Paul is not saying that at all. In fact, he considered it a great joy to be in a position in which he could labor with his hands, support himself, and have the privilege of preaching the Gospel without cost. Now, you see how this is to be applied.