What does Paul really mean by not seeking your own but every man another's in 1 Corinthians 10:24?
Paul does not mean trying to acquire what another person owns, since that contradicts his teaching. He means believers should stop constantly asking what is in it for themselves and instead consider what their actions will do for their neighbor, seeking to enhance the other person's situation rather than their own advantage.
Les explains that the word "wealth" is italicized in most translations and should perhaps have been left blank. Paul is not saying you should try to get what the next man has, because that flies in the face of everything he teaches. What Paul is really saying is that we are not to constantly look for what is in it for number one—the cliche, "What's in it for me?" Instead, don't be concerned about what you do for yourself, but be concerned about what it will do for your neighbor and how it will enhance his situation. The following verse about "whatsoever is sold in the shambles," the open market, illustrates this in everyday matters, even meat that had been offered to a pagan idol and then sold.
Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
More Questions
Does 1 Corinthians 10:24 mean Christians should try to get what other people have?
In 1 Corinthians 10:24 Paul is not telling believers to try to get what the next man has, because that would fly in the face of everything else Paul teaches.