1 Corinthians 10
10
Church membership no guarantee of perfection
1The fact is, brethren, baptism and partaking of the bread and wine, and your membership in the Church of Christ show forth your status as the spiritually elect of God — but remember, you are not thereby perfected. There may yet come another falling away, as with those who were called in the old days in a similar manner to us. 2What though they were all under the cloud in the moment of revelation, and all passed through the sea, 3and all ate the spiritual manna 4and drank the spiritual drink which flowed from the rock. The rock is said to have followed them wherever they went. That rock means the Christ. 5Now mark and learn the lesson. Many of those original founders of our faith “were slain in the wilderness” (Num. 14:16). 6The perfect will of God was not fulfilled in them and thereby we can discern the truth about ourselves, for they are types. They teach us not to lust, as some of them “lusted” (Num. 11:4, 34). 7Yes, our fathers took part in that great piece of history, they witnessed that divine manifestation of God, and yet though part of all that, they were not all elect. There took place in their midst a corresponding reprobation and apostacy of some. They worshipped idols, and made an image to Jehovah, and made a pagan rite of his sacrifice. “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” (Exod. 32:6) 8They committed fornication, and 23,000 fell in one day. 9They tempted the Lord, and were destroyed by serpents. 10They murmured, and the destroyer fell on them. 11On us has come the fulfilment of history. What happened before is the type of that which happens now, what was written before was written for the guidance of those on whom these days have come. All that past is contained in the history that is being made. 12Therefore let us beware, beware of “lusting,” of “fornication,” of “idolatry,” of doubting and murmuring. If our eyes are not open to the significance of those warnings, we too shall fall, even though we think we stand. 13It is God alone that can save us; in Him there will always be a way of escape however hotly the temptation press in on us, for such temptation must needs come to those that are but human. 14But mark me, note what I say. 15Beware, O beware, of idolatry, of pagan feasts and rites. Study well my words. 16That cup over which we pronounce the blessing, 17and the bread which we break, assembling ourselves together for the purpose — 18have they anything to do with the rites observed by pagans, and can we who take this cup of the Lord fall into the error of idolatry? 19Certainly the image and the meat sacrificed to it are nothing — 20we know that. But the heathen sacrifice “not to God, but to devils.” (Deut. 32:17).
Pagan rites very different from the table of the Lord
21And to partake of the feasts by which these devils are worshipped is to lay yourself open to the strong influences that hang over such rites. Just as in that Israel which now bears the name of Israel after the flesh, the people who share in the sacrificial feast, share also in the Altar. Can we then, who take the cup of the Lord and partake of this feast, have anything whatever to do with the feasts of the devils? O beware of the subtle contaminating influence of idolatry! Our feast is a spiritual one; the words of blessing pronounced over the cup, and again over the bread, they mean our share in the blood of the Christ, our membership in the infinite body of the Christ, just as we all partake of the one loaf which is broken and given to all with the accompanying words of blessing, so are we all members of that one divine spiritual body. That is the meaning of our feast. Can such a feast as that have in it any taint of idolatry? Mark well the types I have spoken of, which the scriptures contain! Shall the table of the Lord (Mal. 1:7, 12) be polluted by you through intercourse with devils? 22Will you “provoke him to jealousy with strange gods?” (Deut. 32:16). What possible connection can there be between our spiritual feast and the table of devils? 23Granted — all things are lawful to those who are free and emancipated. But it does not follow that there is no danger, no destructive power lurking round things which in an absolute sense are harmless. 24Seek what serves the common good, seek what builds and edifies, seek not your own. 25You are of course at liberty to purchase whatever you please where meat is sold, and ask no questions about it. 26-27Similarly, you can dine with friends not of the faith, and eat whatever they set before you. That is our freedom. “Is not the earth the Lord’s and the fulness thereof?” (Ps. 24:1). 28But if your host inform you, “this meat was sacrificed to such and such a god,” then keep the rule of absolute abstention from idolatry. 29You may consider yourself free, and think that you partake of all things by the grace of God, 30and are able to give thanks therefore with a good conscience, but if you are really free, why should this action affect the conscience of another, and be misinterpreted? It is better not to eat of it where other people’s consciences are at stake. 31-32Seek not your own point of view, lean not to that, although you know yourself to be as free as Christ has made you in all such matters of eating and drinking, or whatever other things you may be doing, but seek the glory of the one God, seek to commend yourself to all men, whether your company be Jewish, Greek or those who are of the faith. O think not of yourselves, but of them! 33That is always my point of view, to please all in every way I can, that they may find salvation;
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Translated in 1916, published in 1937.
1 Corinthians 10
10
Warning Against Idolatry
1#Ex 14:29; Ps 66:6I would not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3#Ex 16:35; Dt 8:3all ate the same spiritual food; 4#Ex 17:6; Nu 20:11and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5#Heb 3:17; Jude 1:5But with many of them God was not well pleased, and they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6#Nu 11:4; 1Co 10:11Now these things were our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted. 7#Ex 32:19; 32:4Neither be idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to revel.”#Ex 32:6. 8#Nu 25:1–9; 1Co 6:18Neither let us commit sexual immorality as some of them committed, when twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9#Nu 21:5–6; Ex 17:2Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted and were destroyed by serpents. 10#Ex 12:23; Nu 16:41Neither murmur, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11#Ro 13:11Now all these things happened to them for examples. They are written as an admonition to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. 12#Ro 11:20Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall. 13#1Co 1:9; 2Pe 2:9No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, and He will not permit you to be tempted above what you can endure, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
14#1Co 10:7; 1Jn 5:21So, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15#1Co 8:1; 1Th 5:21I speak as to wise men. Judge for yourselves what I say. 16#Mt 26:26–28; Ac 2:42The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17#Ro 12:5; 1Co 12:12For we, being many, are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.
18#Ro 4:1Consider Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19#1Co 8:4What am I saying then, that the idol is anything or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? 20#Rev 9:20But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22#Dt 32:21; 32:16Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
Do All to the Glory of God
23#1Co 6:12; 8:9“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things edify. 24#1Co 10:33; 13:5Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.
25#1Co 8:7Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no question for the sake of conscience, 26#Ps 24:1; 50:12for “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”#Ps 24:1.
27If any of those who do not believe invite you to a feast, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for the sake of conscience. 28But if anyone says to you, “This was offered in sacrifice to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of him that mentioned it and for the sake of conscience, for “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”#Ps 24:1. 29#1Co 9:19Conscience, I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30#Ro 14:6; 1Ti 4:3–4If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
31#Col 3:17; 1Pe 4:11Therefore, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. 32#Ac 20:28; 1Co 8:13; Ro 14:13Give no offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God, 33#1Co 10:24just as I try to please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
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Military Bible Association