Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God.

“Flee evil arts; but all the more discourse in public regarding them. Speak to my sisters, that they love the Lord, and be satisfied with their husbands both in the flesh and spirit. In like manner also, exhort my brethren, in the name of Jesus Christ, that they love their wives, even as the Lord the Church. If any one can continue in a state of purity, to the honour of Him who is Lord of the flesh, let him so remain without boasting. If he begins to boast, he is undone; and if he reckon himself greater than the bishop, he is ruined. But it becomes both men and women who marry, to form their union with the approval of the bishop, that their marriage may be according to God, and not after their own lust. Let all things be done to the honour of God.”

“Nor is it suitable to eat and to drink simultaneously. For it is the very extreme of intemperance to confound the times whose uses are discordant. And "whether ye eat or drink, do all to the glory of God," aiming after true frugality, which the Lord also seems to me to have hinted at when He blessed the loaves and the cooked fishes with which He feasted the disciples, introducing a beautiful example of simple food.”

“If, moreover, it chance that we go to a place in which there are no Christians, and it be important for us to stay there a few days, let us be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves;" [Matthew 10:16] and let us "not be as the foolish, but as the wise," [Ephesians 5:15] in all the self-restraint of the fear of God, that God may be glorified in everything through our Lord Jesus Christ, through our chaste and holy behaviour. For, "whether we eat, or drink, or do anything else, let us do it as for the glory of God." [1 Corinthians 10:31]”

“Having dealt with when it is lawful to eat of things sacrificed to idols and when not, here he shows what, in both cases, they ought to intend: first with respect to God, because they ought to seek his glory; second with respect to the neighbor, because they ought to guard against his offense, at "be without offense," etc. In the first part, he first introduces a manifold act; second, he urges the due intention of the acts, at "all things in the glory of God," etc. He says therefore "whether... therefore," etc., as if to say: because these evils occur, therefore whether you eat, or drink, which are works of necessity, or do anything else, do all things to the glory of God, and with invocation of the Creator, with that intention, that God may be praised and glorified. Matthew 5:16: "thus let your light shine before men," etc. Colossians 3:17: "whatever you do, in word or deed, do all things to the glory of God." Augustine, on Psalm 34, sermon 2, at the end: "If these things are done rightly, they are praises of God. Let not therefore only your voice sound the praises of God, but let your works also agree with your voice. For when God is praised for a good work, you praise God, and when God is blasphemed for your evil work, you blaspheme God." Then when he says "be without offense," etc., he warns them to guard against the offense of others, and he urges this first by word, second by example, at "as I also in all things," etc. Where he sets himself as an example: first, of peaceable conduct; second, of fruitful action, at "not seeking what is profitable to me," etc.; third, of right intention, at "that they may be saved." Happy is he whose conduct is lovable, whose action is useful, whose intention is wholesome. He says therefore "without offense," etc., as if to say: that all things may be done to the glory of God, be without offense to the Jews, who do not worship idols, and are therefore scandalized by such eating; and to the Gentiles, who worship idols, and are therefore confirmed in error by such eating; and to the Church of God, as regards those weak in faith, who are offended by it. The Jews are under the law, but are not under faith; the Gentiles are neither under the law, nor in faith; the Church of God is both under the law and in faith. Romans 12:18: "if it be possible, as much as is in you, having peace with all men." "As I also in all things please all men," as one who conducts himself without scandal. "I," he says, "not seeking what is profitable to me only, but what is profitable to many." Behold the best way of pleasing all: if the benefit of all, not private advantage, is sought. "Charity," I say, "does not seek the things that are her own." What is profitable, I say, to many, and this not for some temporal advantage, but to this end, that they may be saved. Philippians, last chapter: "I seek not the gift, but the fruit." It should be noted that there are many things which deservedly make men pleasing. First, prudence in counsels, as an advocate pleases his client, a steward pleases his prince. Genesis 41:37: "the counsel pleased Pharaoh, and all his servants." Ecclesiasticus 20:29: "a prudent man will please the great." Second, cleanness in deeds, as a spouse pleases a spouse, an instrument pleases its user. 1 Kings 2:26: "but the child Samuel grew and advanced, pleasing both God and men." Not so the sons of Heli. Third, piety in intercessions, as a physician pleases the sick, a staff pleases the old man. Whence concerning the burial of Abner it is said, 2 Kings 3:36: "all things that David did pleased them," etc. Fourth, wisdom in words, as light pleases the traveler, greenness pleases the sight. Joshua 22:33: "the word pleased all who heard it." Ecclesiasticus 20:29: "a wise man in words will advance himself, and a prudent man will please the great." Fifth, clemency in answers, as flavor pleases the taste, melody pleases the ear. 2 Chronicles 10:7: "if you will please this people, and soothe them with clement words, they will serve you at all times." Sixth, fortitude in wars, as a boxer pleases the one who hires him, a soldier pleases his prince. 1 Kings 18:22: "the servants of Saul said to David: behold, you please the king, and all his servants love you." Seventh, generosity in benefits, as rain pleases the parched earth, as a spring pleases the thirsty. 1 Maccabees 14:4, concerning Simon: "he sought the good of his nation, and his power pleased them." Here a question is raised concerning that saying, "I would not have you be partners of demons." The Gloss: to this kind belong the things that are done by hanging or binding certain things. On the contrary: therefore the hanging of herbs around the neck, or of little papers, which is customarily done, pertains to idolatry. Response. Either the herbs have from nature a natural power toward that effect, or they do not. In the first case it does not pertain to idolatry, but in the second it does. Similarly with little scrolls: either they contain only sacred words, and are believed on this account to have power, or not. In the first case it does not pertain to idolatry, but in the second it does. Again, concerning that saying, "all things are lawful to me," the Gloss: by the power of free will, and the teaching of the natural law. On the contrary, according to the natural law many things are unlawful. I respond. Here he speaks specifically about foods. Again, in the same place, the Gloss: those things are forbidden by the precept of the Lord. I respond. Those precepts were for a time, and have been revoked. Again, "asking nothing." On the contrary, Tobit 2:21: "see lest perhaps it be stolen." I respond. It is not similar, because it is not lawful to eat stolen food in itself, but it is lawful to eat what has been sacrificed to an idol, unless on account of another's scandal. Again, "do all things to the glory of God." On the contrary: therefore no act is indifferent. I respond. This reference to the glory of God is understood either in act, or in the aptitude for being so referred, which is found not only in good things, but also in indifferent things. Again, "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness." On the contrary, the same reasoning held under the law. Therefore if all things are now clean, because they are the Lord's, they were so then too. I respond. They were called unclean by the reckoning of the law, but not by their own nature. Again, "as I in all things please all men." On the contrary, Galatians 1:10: "if I pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Again, how did he please his persecutors? I respond to the first: he wished to please men for God's sake, not for his own. To the second argument, this is understood not of all generally, but of churchmen, according to the Gloss.”

“Give none offence,.... Avoid everything that may be the occasion of offence, of the stumbling and falling of others; whether things indifferent, when they are offensive to weak minds, and grieve, and wound, and stumble them; especially things sinful, which as they offend God, and are therefore called "offences", so they are offensive to the churches of Christ, and are cognizable by them; they are staggering and stumbling to weak believers, when committed by professors of religion; are the means of inducing others to sin, and of hardening profane sinners in their iniquities, and give occasion to the enemy to blaspheme: but things that are good, and are made our incumbent duty, are not to be avoided, though persons may be offended thereat; such as the pure preaching of the Gospel, the profession of it, and submission to the ordinances thereof; for an offence is either taken or given; to give offence is one thing, which we should carefully avoid; and to take it, when there is no just reason for it, is another, and not to be regarded: neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God; which may be considered as having a peculiar respect to the people of God: the two first of these, namely, Jews and Gentiles, being what constituted the first churches, and this at Corinth, so that they may be thought to be the parts, and the church the whole; and the apostle first mentions the one, and then the other, signifying, that they were not to give offence neither to single persons, nor to the whole church; and particularly in the case of eating things offered to idols, care was to be taken that neither Jews nor Gentiles were offended, being both members of the church. Or these may be considered as including all sorts of persons; for Jews and Gentiles include the whole world, and may here mean all that are without, that have no true faith in Christ, nor any spiritual knowledge of him; and "the church", all such as know him, believe in him, and profess his name: so that the apostle's sense is, that care should be taken that no offence be given to any sort of men, neither to the men of the world, of whatsoever character, nor to professors of religion, and more especially the latter; since offending one of the least of them that believe in Christ, is displeasing to him; and since he was so careful to guard against the offence of them, and will, by his angels, at the last day, gather out of his kingdom all such as offend; and has ordered his churches to mark them which cause offences and divisions; and since it is so hard a thing to reconcile an offended brother, who is harder to be won than a strong castle; though that is not his excellency, yet as it makes the case so difficult, it should be guarded against.”

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink - As no general rule can be laid down in reference to the above particulars, there is one maxim of which no Christian must lose sight - that whether he eats or drinks of this or the other kind of aliments, or whatever else he may do, he must do it so as to bring glory to God. This is a sufficient rule to regulate every man's conscience and practice in all indifferent things, where there are no express commands or prohibitions.”