EXPEDIENCY (es-pe'df-en-sk), EXPEDI ENT (Gr. eviloepw, soom-fer'o, to advantage).
Expedient is never found in A. V. in the sense of 'expeditious' as so often in Shakespeare. On the other hand, it never means merely 'conven ient' (opposed to what is rigidly right), as in modern English. In 2 Cor. xii :1 the word means profitable as the A. V. and R. V. translate the term elsewhere except in Matt. xviii :6, "it were better" and in xix :to, A. V. it is not good." R. V. "it is not expedient." Coverdale translates Jer. xxvi :14, 'Now as for me: I am in your handes, do with me as ye thinke expedient and good,' though his spirit is the opposite. (Hast ings' Bib. Diet.) In the case of the declaration of St. Paul, "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world tandeth, lest I make my brother rto offend" (t Cor. viii :13),—a true rule of expediency is laid down. "It is impossible to state more strongly than does the apostle the obligation to refrain from indulging in things indifferent when the use of them is an occasion of sin to others. Yet it is
never to be forgotten that this, by its very nature, is a principle the application of which must be left to every man's conscience in the sight of God. No rule of conduct founded on expediency can be enforced by church discipline. It was right in Paul to refuse to cat flesh for fear of causing others to offend, but he could not justly be sub jected to censure had he seen fit to eat. The same principle is illustrated in reference to cir cumcision. The apostle utterly refused to cir cumcise Titus, and yet he circumcised Timothy, in both cases acting wisely and conscientiously. Whenever a thing is right or wrong, according to circumstances, every man must have the right to judge of those circumstances. Otherwise he is judge of another man's conscience, a new rule of duty is introduced, and the catalogue of adiophora (i. c., things indifferent or nonessen tial), which has existed in every system of ethics from the beginning, is simply abolished" (T. \V. Chambers, D. D., in Meyer's Com, on t Cor. viii.)