What does 1 Corinthians 10:26 mean?

Paul is delivering his final verdict on the question of when a Christian should and should not eat meat in idol-saturated Corinth. He will make clear that he is not concerned about the meat itself, but that all of them be motivated by doing what is best for each other. The first guideline, described in the previous verse, was that they should eat whatever meat they buy in the market freely and openly and with a clear conscience. Some of the meat sold in the market had very likely been offered to an idol. Paul told them not to worry about that, and presumably not even to ask.

Now he explains why eating the meat they buy in the market is not a cause for concern: The earth belongs to the Lord. By using this quote from Psalm 24:1, Paul is saying that meat is just meat, whether offered to an idol or not. It comes from God, ultimately, and it should be enjoyed as something created and given by Him. This follows Paul's agreement that meat is just meat (1 Corinthians 8:4–7) and his other statements that there is a positive use for all things God has created (1 Timothy 4:4).

The next guideline will show that the question of eating such meat only becomes an issue when a Christian knows it has been offered to an idol. This is in keeping with Paul's insistence that just because a Christian has a "right" to something does not mean that indulging in it is always a good idea (1 Corinthians 9:24–27; 10:23–24).