Paul means he was no longer under the law, but that liberty was not permission to be enslaved by sin or to do what was not profitable or edifying.
In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul says all things are lawful because he is not under the law, but he immediately adds that he will not be brought under the power of anything. Les Feldick makes clear this is not license to sin, steal, or commit adultery; rather, the Holy Spirit controls the believer's life, and the believer must consider his neighbor's good.
1 Corinthians 6:12 — Paul states that all things are lawful but not all are expedient, and that he will not be brought under the power of any.
1 Corinthians 10:23 — Paul repeats the lawful-versus-expedient principle and adds that all things edify not.
In 1 Corinthians 6:12 Paul writes, "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." The verse itself connects "not expedient" with refusing to be brought under the power of anything. In 1 Corinthians 10:23 Paul repeats the idea and says, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." Scripture therefore presents two tests for what is lawful: the believer must not be mastered by it, and it must edify.
Les Feldick teaches that when Paul says all things are lawful, Paul is not speaking of moral license. "Is Paul saying, I can go ahead and steal? Is Paul saying, I can go ahead and commit adultery?" Les asks; "No" (Clip 1). The point is that Paul is no longer under the burden of the law; he is free from it. But he will not take advantage of that freedom and make license of it, because the Holy Spirit is controlling every facet of his life (Clip 2). Paul's own words, "I will not be brought under the power of any," mean he will not be brought under the power of anything the law forbids (Clip 2).
No. Les makes plain that Paul is not saying he can steal, commit adultery, or covet. All things are lawful because he is not under the law, but he will not take advantage of it and make license of it. Les puts it simply: liberty is not license.
Paul was not under the burden of the law; he was free from it. Les says, "All things are lawful for me, because I'm not under the law." Believers should stand fast in the liberty Christ gave and not be entangled again with legalism. When someone says you have to do something to be a child of God, that is false teaching.
The verse itself says Paul will not be brought under the power of any thing. Les explains that this means he will not be brought under the power of anything the law forbids. This is the difference between grace and law: law demanded death by stoning for Sabbath violation, but grace trusts the believer's response and lovingly disciplines when he fails.
Les says God has given believers guidelines in His Word, and the Holy Spirit gives guidance for what to do or not to do. It is not based on what the neighbor thinks, but believers still take into consideration the neighbor's attitude, lest they cause him never to become a believer. Likewise, a believer cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; that would be mixing fellowship Christ has forbidden.
The Lord's Table and Demons
Les connects the expedience principle to fellowship: a believer cannot drink the Lord's cup and the cup of demons without violating the separation Christ requires.
Paul Does Not Grant License
Les quotes 1 Corinthians 6:12 and immediately clarifies that Paul is not saying he can steal, commit adultery, or covet.
Not Under Law, Not Under Sin's Power
Paul is free from the law but will not turn that liberty into license; the Holy Spirit controls his life, so he will not be brought under the power of anything the law forbids.
Lawful Because We Are Dead to the Law
Les ties 'all things are lawful' to Romans 7, showing that freedom comes from being delivered from the law.
Liberty, Not Legalism
Les says believers are free, not free to do as they please, and legalistic demands to perform for salvation are false teaching.
Liberty Is Not License
Les defines authentic Christianity as liberty, and he consistently insists that liberty is not license.
Grace Deals With Failure in Love
Under grace, sin does not bring stoning; God lovingly disciplines believers, so the believer is expected to use intense liberty responsibly.
Considering the Neighbor's Good
The Holy Spirit guides each believer's liberty, but a believer should also consider how his actions affect a neighbor, lest that neighbor never become a believer.
1 Corinthians 6:12: 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.
This is the central verse that asks whether everything lawful is also expedient or beneficial.
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.
Paul repeats the same principle and adds that not all things build up or edify.
1 Corinthians 10:21: Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
This shows the boundary of fellowship that a believer must not cross.
Romans 7:5-6: For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Paul explains the believer's deliverance from the law, which is the basis for saying all things are lawful.
Galatians 5:1: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Les uses this to show that true Christianity is liberty, not legalism.
No. Les Feldick says Paul is not saying he can steal, commit adultery, or covet. The believer is free from the law, but that freedom is not license to sin. Liberty is not license.
Because the believer is not under the law. Les explains that Paul was free from the burden of the law, so all things were lawful for him. But he would not be brought under the power of anything the law forbids.
From the Scripture Les highlights, something is not expedient if it brings you under its power or does not edify. Practically, Les teaches that believers should let the Holy Spirit guide their liberty and consider their neighbor's attitude so they do not hinder that person's faith.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About the Lord's Table — 1 Corinthians 10:16