SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:12
¶ Todas las cosas me son lícitas, mas no todas convienen; todas las cosas me son lícitas, mas yo no me meter debajo de la potestad de ninguna.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 6:12
Verse 12. All things are lawful unto me] It is likely that some of the Corinthians had pleaded that the offense of the man who had his father's wife, as well as the eating the things offered to idols, was not contrary to the law, as it then stood. To this the apostle answers: Though such a thing be lawful, yet the case of fornication, mentioned chap. v. 1, is not expedient, ou sumferei-it is not agreeable to propriety, decency, order, and purity. It is contrary to the established usages of the best and most enlightened nations, and should not be tolerated in the Church of Christ. They might also be led to argue in favour of their eating things offered to idols, and attending idol feasts, thus:- that an idol was nothing in the world; and as food was provided by the bounty of God, a man might partake of it any where without defiling his conscience, or committing sin against the Creator. This excuse also the apostle refers to. All these things are lawful, taken up merely in the light that none of your laws is against the first; and that, on the ground that an idol is nothing in the world, there can be no reason against the last; But I will not be brought under the power of any.] Allowing that they are all lawful, or at least that there is no law against them, yet they are not expedient; there is no necessity for them; and some of them are abominable, and forbidden by the law of God and nature, whether forbidden by yours or not; while others, such as eating meats offered to idols, will almost necessarily lead to bad moral consequences: and who, that is a Christian, would obey his appetite so far as to do these things for the sake of gratification? A man is brought under the power of any thing which he cannot give up. He is the slave of that thing, whatsoever it be, which he cannot relinquish; and then, to him, it is sin.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. All things are lawful unto me , etc.] That is, which are of an indifferent nature; otherwise everything is not lawful to be done: but all things are not expedient ; when the doing of them destroys the peace, comfort, and edification of others; when it stumbles and grieves weak minds, and causes offence to them; (see 1 Corinthians 10:23) all things are lawful for me ; which is repeated for the sake of saying the following words: but I will not be brought under the power of any ; which would be very inexpedient, should any by the use of liberty in things indifferent, on the one hand, offend his brethren, and, on the other, bring himself into bondage to those very things he has the free use of; and therefore the apostle determines, that these shall not have the mastery over him, that he will use them, or not use them, at his pleasure. It is somewhat difficult to know what in particular he has respect unto, whether to what he had been treating of before, concerning going to law before unbelievers; and his sense be, that however lawful this might be in itself, yet it was not expedient, since it was exposing of themselves to ungodly persons, and a putting themselves under their power to judge and determine as they pleased; or whether to the use of meats forbidden under the law, or offered to idols; which though in themselves lawful to be eaten, every creature of God being good, and not to be refused and accounted common and unclean; yet it was not expedient to use this liberty, if a weak brother should be grieved, or a man himself become a slave to his appetite.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-20 - Some among the Corinthians seem to have been ready to say, All thing are lawful for me. This dangerous conceit St. Paul opposes. There is liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, in which we must stand fast But surely a Christian would never put himself into the power of an bodily appetite. The body is for the Lord; is to be an instrument of righteousness to holiness, therefore is never to be made an instrumen of sin. It is an honour to the body, that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead; and it will be an honour to our bodies, that they will be raised. The hope of a resurrection to glory, should keep Christian from dishonouring their bodies by fleshly lusts. And if the soul be united to Christ by faith, the whole man is become a member of his spiritual body. Other vices may be conquered in fight; that her cautioned against, only by flight. And vast multitudes are cut off by this vice in its various forms and consequences. Its effects fall no only directly upon the body, but often upon the mind. Our bodies have been redeemed from deserved condemnation and hopeless slavery by the atoning sacrifice of Christ. We are to be clean, as vessels fitted for our Master's use. Being united to Christ as one spirit, and bought with a price of unspeakable value, the believer should consider himself a wholly the Lord's, by the strongest ties. May we make it our business to the latest day and hour of our lives, to glorify God with ou bodies, and with our spirits which are his __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
παντα 3956 A-NPN μοι 3427 P-1DS εξεστιν 1832 5904 V-PQI-3S αλλ 235 CONJ ου 3756 PRT-N παντα 3956 A-NPN συμφερει 4851 5719 V-PAI-3S παντα 3956 A-NPN μοι 3427 P-1DS εξεστιν 1832 5904 V-PQI-3S αλλ 235 CONJ ουκ 3756 PRT-N εγω 1473 P-1NS εξουσιασθησομαι 1850 5701 V-FPI-1S υπο 5259 PREP τινος 5100 X-GSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Are lawful (exestin). There is a play between this word and ejxousiasqhsomai be brought under the power, which can hardly be accurately conveyed to the English reader. The nearest approach to it is:"all things are in my power, but I shall not be brought under the power of any."
Will - be brought under the power (exousiasqhsomai). From ejxousia power of choice, permissive authority. See on Mark ii. 10. This in turn is derived from exesti it is permitted. See above on are lawful. This kinship of the two words explains the play upon them.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:12 {Lawful} (exestin). Apparently this proverb may have been used by Paul in Corinth (repeated in #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 chapter #1Co 5; 6:1-11. Paul limits the proverb to things not immoral, things not wrong _per se_. But even here liberty is not license. {But not all things are expedient} (all' ou panta sumferei). Old word sumferei, bears together for good and so worthwhile. Many things, harmless in themselves in the abstract, do harm to others in the concrete. We live in a world of social relations that circumscribe personal rights and liberties. {But I will not be brought under the power of any} (all ouk egw exousiasqesomai hupo tinos). Perhaps a conscious play on the verb exestin for exousiazw is from exousia and that from exestin. Verb from Aristotle on, though not common (Dion. of Hal., LXX and inscriptions). In N.T. only here, #7:4; Lu 22:25. Paul is determined not to be a slave to anything harmless in itself. He will maintain his self-control. He gives a wholesome hint to those who talk so much about personal liberty.
