1 Corinthians 10
10
Don’t Be Like the Jews
1Brothers, I want you to know what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. They were all under the cloud, and they all went through the sea. 2They were all baptized as followers of Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food. 4And they all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from that spiritual rock that was with them. That rock was Christ. 5But God was not pleased with most of them. They died in the desert.
6And these things that happened are examples for us. They should stop us from wanting evil things as those people did. 7Do not worship idols, as some of them did. It is written in the Scriptures: “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up and had wild parties.”# Quotation from Exodus 32:6. 8We should not take part in sexual sin, as some of them did. In one day 23,000 of them died because of their sins. 9We should not test the Lord as some of them did. They were killed by snakes. 10And do not complain as some of them did. They were killed by the angel that destroys.
11The things that happened to those people are examples. And they were written down to be warnings for us. For we live in a time when all these things of the past have reached their goal. 12So anyone who thinks he is standing strong should be careful not to fall. 13The only temptations that you have are the temptations that all people have. But you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to stand it.
14So, my dear friends, stay away from worshiping idols. 15I am speaking to you, as to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16We give thanks for the cup of blessing.# The cup of the fruit of the vine that Christians thank God for and drink at the Lord’s Supper. It is a sharing in the blood of Christ’s death. And the bread that we break is a sharing in the body of Christ. 17There is one loaf of bread. And we are many people. But we all share from that one loaf. So we are really one body.
18Think about the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices share in the altar? 19I do not mean that the food sacrificed to an idol is something important. And I do not mean that an idol is anything at all. 20But I say that what is sacrificed to idols is offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to share anything with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, too. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons, too. 22Do we want to make the Lord jealous? We are not stronger than he is, are we?
How to Use Christian Freedom
23“We are allowed to do all things.” Yes. But not all things are good for us to do. “We are allowed to do all things.” Yes. But not all things help others grow stronger. 24No one should try to do what will help only himself. He should try to do what is good for others.
25Eat any meat that is sold in the meat market. Do not ask questions about the meat to see if it is something you think is wrong to eat. 26You can eat it, “because the earth and everything on it belong to the Lord.”# Quotation from Psalms 24:1; 50:12; 89:11.
27Someone who is not a believer may invite you to eat with him. If you want to go, eat anything that is put before you. Do not ask questions about it. 28But if anyone says to you, “That food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it. Do not eat it because of that person who told you and because eating it would be something that might be thought wrong. 29I don’t mean that you think it is wrong. But the other person might think it is wrong. My own freedom should not be judged by what someone else thinks. 30I eat the meal with thankfulness. And I do not want to be criticized because of something I thank God for.
31So if you eat, or if you drink, or if you do anything, do everything for the glory of God. 32Never do anything that might make others do wrong—Jews, Greeks, or God’s church. 33I do the same thing. I try to please everybody in every way. I am not trying to do what is good for me. I try to do what is good for the most people. I do this so that they can be saved.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
1 Corinthians 10
10
Don't Worship Idols
1 #
Ex 13.21,22;
Ex 14.22-29. Friends, I want to remind you that all our ancestors walked under the cloud and went through the sea. 2This was like being baptized and becoming followers of Moses. 3#Ex 16.35,36. All of them also ate the same spiritual food 4#Ex 17.6; Nu 20.11. and drank the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the spiritual rock that followed them. That rock was Christ. 5#Nu 14.29,30. But most of them did not please God. So they died, and their bodies were scattered all over the desert.
6What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things. 7#Ex 32.6. They worshiped idols, just as the Scriptures say, “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance around.” So don't worship idols. 8#Nu 25.1-18. Some of those people did shameful things, and in a single day about 23,000 died. Don't do shameful things as they did. 9#Nu 21.5,6. And don't try to test Christ,#10.9 Christ: Some manuscripts have “the Lord.” as some of them did and were later bitten by poisonous snakes. 10#Nu 16.41-49. Don't even grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel. 11These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days.
12Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be careful not to fall. 13#Jdt 8.25-27; Si 15.11-20. You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.
14My friends, you must keep away from idols. 15I am speaking to you as people who have enough sense to know what I am talking about. 16#Mt 26.26-28; Mk 14.22-24; Lk 22.19,20. When we drink from the cup we ask God to bless, isn't that sharing in the blood of Christ? When we eat the bread we break, isn't that sharing in the body of Christ? 17By sharing in the same loaf of bread, we become one body, even though there are many of us.
18 #
Lv 7.6. #4 Macc 5.2. Aren't the people of Israel sharing in the worship when they gather around the altar and eat the sacrifices offered there? 19Am I saying that either the idols or the food sacrificed to them is anything at all? 20#Dt 32.17 (LXX). No, I am not! This food is really sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don't want you to have anything to do with demons. 21You cannot drink from the cup of demons and still drink from the Lord's cup. You cannot eat at the table of demons and still eat at the Lord's table. 22#Dt 32.21. We would make the Lord jealous if we did this. And we are not stronger than the Lord.
Always Honor God
23 #
1 Co 6.12. Some of you say, “We can do whatever we want to!” But I tell you not everything may be good or helpful. 24We should think about others and not about ourselves. 25However, when you buy meat in the market, go ahead and eat it. Keep your conscience clear by not asking where the meat came from. 26#Ps 24.1. The Scriptures say, “The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”
27If an unbeliever invites you to dinner, and you want to go, then go. Eat whatever you are served. Don't cause a problem for someone's conscience by asking where the food came from. 28-29But if you are told it has been sacrificed to idols, don't cause a problem by eating it. I don't mean a problem for yourself, but for the one who told you. Why should my freedom be limited by someone else's conscience? 30If I give thanks for what I eat, why should anyone accuse me of doing wrong?
31When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. 32Don't cause problems for Jews or Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. 33I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.