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I. THE DETERMINATION AND PERSISTENCE OF THE APOSTLE TO KEEP HIS CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENCE. It is all in that word "exercise." The word literally means to go into training. This is what he really says, "I am not careless in this great matter; I do not live in any heedless fashion; I fight stains from my conscience as gladiators fight weakness; what my conscience cannot approve that I away with."

II. The apostle, thus exercising himself to keep a conscience void of offence toward God and man, WOULD NOT TRIFLE WITH HIS CONSCIENCE. Remember what he tells King Agrippa: "Immediately I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision."

III. This delicacy of conscience in the apostle LED HIM NECESSARILY TO A THOUGHTFUL AND GENEROUS REGARD OF THE CONSCIENCES OF OTHERS. "A man's first duty is never to trifle with his own conscience; his second duty is never to trifle with the consciences of those who, like himself, are in a world of responsibility and trial. Paul's manner of managing the matter of eating meat offered to idols (2 Corinthians 10:25-33).

IV. As conscientious as Paul was HE DID NOT BELIEVE HIS CONSCIENTIOUSNESS COULD SAVE HIM. For salvation there must be trust in the atoning Christ, and such shining conscientiousness is but the test that one has really trusted.

(Homiletic Review.)

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KJV: And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

WEB: Herein I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.