What does 1 Corinthians 10:33 mean?

Paul urged the Christians in Corinth not to use their freedom in Christ carelessly. Believers should not act in such a way as to cause others to stumble, spiritually. Paul stressed that this is how he lives his own life, attempting to please others—in this context, meaning to act for their spiritual good, not their happiness—even when it is costly to himself. His goal is to lead as many as possible to faith in Christ, and he is willing to set aside his own rights and freedoms to accomplish that.

He wrote something similar at the end of the previous chapter, describing how he becomes as a Jew to win Jews and as someone not under the law to win Gentiles. Paul's aim was to be strategic and intentional in all his choices for the benefit of those who did not yet know Christ.

In the following verse, he will urge all Christians to do the same. The transition between this verse and 1 Corinthians 11:1 is an example of where traditional chapter divisions can be confusing. The idea expressed in verse 1 of the following chapter fits more cleanly with the rest of chapter 10 than it does what follows in chapter 11.