1 Corinthians 6:12
New International Version
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything"—but I will not be mastered by anything.

New Living Translation
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.

English Standard Version
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

Berean Standard Bible
“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.

Berean Literal Bible
"All things are lawful to me," but not all things do profit. "All things are lawful to me," but I will not be mastered by anything.

King James Bible
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

New King James Version
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

New American Standard Bible
All things are permitted for me, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

NASB 1995
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

NASB 1977
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

Legacy Standard Bible
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

Amplified Bible
Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything [and brought under its power, allowing it to control me].

Christian Standard Bible
“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be brought under the control of anything. “

American Standard Version
All things are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful for me; but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Everything is legal for me, but not everything is useful for me. Everything is legal for me, but no man will have dominion over me.

Contemporary English Version
Some of you say, "We can do anything we want to." But I tell you not everything is good for us. So I refuse to let anything have power over me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

English Revised Version
All things are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful for me; but I will not be brought under the power of any.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Someone may say, "I'm allowed to do anything," but not everything is helpful. I'm allowed to do anything, but I won't allow anything to gain control over my life.

Good News Translation
Someone will say, "I am allowed to do anything." Yes; but not everything is good for you. I could say that I am allowed to do anything, but I am not going to let anything make me its slave.

International Standard Version
Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not allow anything to control me.

Literal Standard Version
All things are lawful to me, but all things are not profitable; all things are lawful to me, but I will not be under authority by any;

Majority Standard Bible
“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.

New American Bible
“Everything is lawful for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful for me,” but I will not let myself be dominated by anything.

NET Bible
"All things are lawful for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "All things are lawful for me"--but I will not be controlled by anything.

New Revised Standard Version
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

New Heart English Bible
"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are expedient. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be brought under the power of anything.

Webster's Bible Translation
All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Weymouth New Testament
Everything is allowable to me, but not everything is profitable. Everything is allowable to me, but to nothing will I become a slave.

World English Bible
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything.

Young's Literal Translation
All things are lawful to me, but all things are not profitable; all things are lawful to me, but I -- I will not be under authority by any;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Members of Christ
11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 12“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. 13“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.…

Cross References
John 5:10
so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "This is the Sabbath! It is unlawful for you to carry your mat."

1 Corinthians 10:23
"Everything is permissible," but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible," but not everything is edifying.


Treasury of Scripture

All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

things are lawful.

1 Corinthians 10:23
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Romans 14:14
I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

are not.

1 Corinthians 8:4,7-13
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one…

1 Corinthians 9:12
If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:24-33
Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth

but I.

1 Corinthians 9:27
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Romans 7:14
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Hebrews 12:15,16
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; …

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Allowable Authority Beneficial Enslaved Expedient Free Helpful Lawful Mastered Permissible Power Profit Profitable Slave Wise
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1 Corinthians 6
1. The Corinthians must take their brothers to court;
6. especially under infidels.
9. The wicked shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
15. Our bodies are the members of Christ, and temples of the Holy Spirit:
19. they must not therefore be defiled.














(12) All things are lawful unto me.--This was probably a statement which the Apostle had himself made; at all events, the freedom which it expresses was very dear to him, and it may have been misused by some as an argument for universal license. St. Paul, therefore, boldly repeats it, and proceeds to show that it is a maxim of Christian liberty, which does not refer to matters which are absolutely wrong, and that even in its application to indifferent matters it must be limited, and guarded by other Christian principles. "The eating of things sacrificed to idols (see Note on 1Corinthians 8:4), and the committing fornication," were two subjects of discussion closely connected with heathen worship; and it may seem astonishing to us now that because St. Paul had maintained the right of individual liberty concerning the former, he should perhaps have been quoted as an authority for liberty regarding the latter, yet it is a matter of fact that such a mode of reasoning was not uncommon. They were both regarded as part and parcel of heathen worship, and therefore, as it were, to stand or fall together, as being matters vital or indifferent. (See Acts 15:29, and Revelation 11:14, as illustrations of the union of the two for purposes respectively of condemnation and of improper toleration.) We must not regard the use of the singular "me" as being in any sense a limitation of the principle to the Apostle personally. "Paul often speaks in the first person singular, which has the force of a moral maxim, especially in this Epistle (1Corinthians 6:15; 1Corinthians 7:7; 1Corinthians 8:13; 1Corinthians 10:23; 1Corinthians 10:29-30; 1Corinthians 14:11)" (Bengel). The words refer to all Christians. . . . Verses 12-20. - The inexcusable sin and shame of fornication. Verse 12. - All things are lawful unto me. The abruptness with which the phrase is introduced perhaps shows that, in the letter of the Corinthians to St. Paul, they had used some such expression by way of palliating their lax tolerance of violations of the law of purity. By "all things," of course, is only meant "all things which are indifferent in themselves." They erroneously applied this maxim of Christian liberty to that which was inherently sinful, and thus were tempted to "make their liberty a cloak of viciousness." St. Paul, as Bengel observes, often, and especially in this Epistle, uses the first person generally in gnomic or semi-proverbial sentences (1 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 7:7; 1 Corinthians 10:23, 29, 30; 1 Corinthians 14:11). But. This is St. Paul's correction of too broad a formula. Are not expedient. St. Paul illustrates this in 1 Corinthians 8:8-10. We have no right to do even that which is innocent, if it be disadvantageous to the highest interests of ourselves or others. "He alone," says St. Augustine, "does not fall into unlawful things who sometimes abstains by way of caution even from lawful ones." Will not be brought under the power. The play of words in the original might be imitated by saying, "All things are in my power, but I will not be brought under the power of any." In other words, "boundless intemperance" may become a tyranny. The pretence of moral freedom may end in a moral bondage.

"Obedience is better than freedom? What's free?
The vexed foam on the wave, the tossed straw on the sea;
The ocean itself, as it rages and swells,
In the bonds of a boundless obedience dwells."
I will be master even over my liberty by keeping it under the beneficent control of law and of charity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“Everything
Πάντα (Panta)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

is permissible
ἔξεστιν (exestin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1832: It is permitted, lawful, possible.

for me,”
μοι (moi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

not
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

everything
πάντα (panta)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

is beneficial.
συμφέρει (sympherei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4851: From sun and phero; to bear together, i.e. to collect, or to conduce; especially advantage.

“Everything
Πάντα (Panta)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

is permissible
ἔξεστιν (exestin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1832: It is permitted, lawful, possible.

for me,”
μοι (moi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

I
ἐγὼ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

will not be mastered
ἐξουσιασθήσομαι (exousiasthēsomai)
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1850: To exercise (wield) power (authority), pass: To be ruled, be held under authority. From exousia; to control.

by
ὑπό (hypo)
Preposition
Strong's 5259: A primary preposition; under, i.e. of place, or with verbs; of place (underneath) or where (below) or time (when).

anything.
τινος (tinos)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 6:11
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