1 Corinthians 10
10
1Now I want to explain this to you, brothers and sisters. Our forefathers lived under the cloud, and they all passed through the sea.#10:1. The cloud of God's presence, and the passage through the Red Sea. 2Symbolically then they were baptized “into Moses” in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink, for they “drank from a spiritual rock” that accompanied them. That rock was Christ. 5However, God wasn't happy with most of them, and they perished in the desert.
6Now these experiences are examples to us to show us we should not desire what is evil, as they did. 7You must not worship idols, as some of them did, as it's recorded in Scripture: “The people feasted and drank, and indulged in pagan worship.”#10:7. See Exodus 32:6. 8We must not commit sexual sins, as some of them did, and as a result 23,000 died in one day. 9Nor should we push God to the limit, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes. 10Don't complain at God, as some did, and died at the hands of the destroying angel.
11All the things that happened to them are examples to us and were written down to warn us, we who are living close to the end of time. 12So if you think you're strong enough to stay standing—be careful you don't fall! 13You won't experience any greater temptation than anyone else, and God is trustworthy. He won't allow you to be tempted more than you can bear, and when you are tempted, he will provide for you a way out so you can stay strong. 14So my good friends, stay away from idol worship.
15I'm talking to sensible people, so you decide whether I'm telling the truth. 16When we give thanks for the cup we use in the Lord's Supper, don't we share in the blood of Christ? When we break the communion bread, don't we share in the body of Christ? 17By eating from one loaf of bread, we show that even though we are many, we are one body. 18Look at the people of Israel. Don't those who eat the sacrifices made on the altar share together? 19What am I saying then? That anything sacrificed to idols means anything, or that an idol has any real existence? Of course not! 20The pagans are sacrificing to demons, and not to God. I don't want you to have anything to do with demons! 21You can't drink the Lord's cup as well as the cup of demons; you can't eat from the Lord's table as well as the table of demons. 22Are we trying to make the Lord jealous? Are we stronger than he is?
23Some say, “I'm free to do anything”—but not everything is appropriate! “I'm free to do anything”—but not everything is constructive!#10:23. See 6:12. 24You shouldn't look out for yourself, but for your neighbor. 25Eat whatever is sold in the market without asking questions because of your conscience,#10:25. This refers back to the issue of food sacrificed to idols 26for “the earth and everything in it belong to God.”#10:26. Quoting Psalms 24:1
27If a non-Christian invites you to a meal, and you feel like going, eat whatever you are served, without asking questions because of your conscience. 28But if someone tells you, “This food has been sacrificed to idols,” don't eat it for the sake of the one who mentioned it and for conscience' sake. 29His conscience I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else's conscience?#10:29. This question seems to be at odds with the previous verse. Paul is arguing for tolerance—both of the one who is offended at eating meat sacrificed to idols, and the other who sees no problem with it since the “gods” of idols do not exist. 30If I choose to eat with thankfulness, why should I be criticized for eating what I'm thankful to God for? 31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, make sure to do everything to the glory of God. 32Don't cause offense, whether it's to Jews or Greeks or the church of God— 33just as I try to please everybody in all I do. I don't think of what benefits me, but what benefits others, so that they may be saved.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
1 Corinthians 10
10
Lessons from Israel’s Idolatry
1I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters,#10:1 Greek brothers. about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.”#10:7 Exod 32:6. 8And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.
9Nor should we put Christ#10:9 Some manuscripts read the Lord. to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
12If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
14So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 15You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true. 16When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. 18Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?
19What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? 20No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. 21You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too. 22What? Do we dare to rouse the Lord’s jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is?
23You say, “I am allowed to do anything”#10:23 Greek All things are lawful; also in 10:23b.—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. 24Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
25So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience. 26For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”#10:26 Ps 24:1.
27If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience. 28(But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?
31So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles#10:32 Greek or Greeks. or the church of God. 33I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.
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