1 Corinthians 10
10
Warnings against Idols
1 #
Ex 13.21–22; 14.22–29 I want you to remember, my brothers and sisters, what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. They were all under the protection of the cloud, and all passed safely through the Red Sea. 2In the cloud and in the sea they were all baptized as followers of Moses. 3#Ex 16.35All ate the same spiritual bread 4#Ex 17.6; Num 20.11and drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them; and that rock was Christ himself. 5#Num 14.29–30But even then God was not pleased with most of them, and so their dead bodies were scattered over the desert.
6 #
Num 11.4
Now, all this is an example for us, to warn us not to desire evil things, as they did, 7#Ex 32.6nor to worship idols, as some of them did. As the scripture says, “The people sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex.” 8#Num 25.1–18We must not be guilty of sexual immorality, as some of them were — and in one day 23,000 of them fell dead. 9#Num 21.5–6We must not put the Lord#10.9 the Lord; some manuscripts have Christ. to the test, as some of them did — and they were killed by snakes. 10#Num 16.41–49We must not complain, as some of them did — and they were destroyed by the Angel of Death.
11All these things happened to them as examples for others, and they were written down as a warning for us. For we live at a time when the end is about to come.
12Those who think they are standing firm had better be careful that they do not fall. 13Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.
14So then, my dear friends, keep away from the worship of idols. 15I speak to you as sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16#Mt 26.26–28; Mk 14.22–24; Lk 22.19–20The cup we use in the Lord's Supper and for which we give thanks to God: when we drink from it, we are sharing in the blood of Christ. And the bread we break: when we eat it, we are sharing in the body of Christ. 17Because there is the one loaf of bread, all of us, though many, are one body, for we all share the same loaf.
18 #
Lev 7.6
Consider the people of Israel; those who eat what is offered in sacrifice share in the altar's service to God. 19Do I imply, then, that an idol or the food offered to it really amounts to anything? 20#Deut 32.17 (LXX)No! What I am saying is that what is sacrificed on pagan altars is offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21You cannot drink from the Lord's cup and also from the cup of demons; you cannot eat at the Lord's table and also at the table of demons. 22#Deut 32.21Or do we want to make the Lord jealous? Do we think that we are stronger than he?
23 #
1 Cor 6.12
“We are allowed to do anything,” so they say. That is true, but not everything is good. “We are allowed to do anything” — but not everything is helpful. 24None of you should be looking to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
25You are free to eat anything sold in the meat market, without asking any questions because of your conscience. 26#Ps 24.1For, as the scripture says, “The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”
27If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you decide to go, eat what is set before you, without asking any questions because of your conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat that food, for the sake of the one who told you and for conscience' sake — 29that is, not your own conscience, but the other person's conscience.
“Well, then,” someone asks, “why should my freedom to act be limited by another person's conscience? 30If I thank God for my food, why should anyone criticize me about food for which I give thanks?”
31Well, whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for God's glory. 32Live in such a way as to cause no trouble either to Jews or Gentiles or to the church of God. 33Just do as I do; I try to please everyone in all that I do, not thinking of my own good, but of the good of all, so that they might be saved.
Currently Selected:
1 Corinthians 10: GNBUK
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
1 Corinthians (1 Co) 10
10
1For, brothers, I don’t want you to miss the significance of what happened to our fathers. All of them were guided by the pillar of cloud, and they all passed through the sea, 2and in connection with the cloud and with the sea they all immersed themselves into Moshe, 3also they all ate the same food from the Spirit, 4and they all drank the same drink from the Spirit — for they drank from a Spirit-sent Rock which followed them, and that Rock was the Messiah. 5Yet with the majority of them God was not pleased, so their bodies were strewn across the desert.
6Now these things took place as prefigurative historical events, warning us not to set our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Don’t be idolaters, as some of them were — as the Tanakh puts it, “The people sat down to eat and drink, then got up to indulge in revelry.” 8And let us not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did, with the consequence that 23,000 died in a single day. 9And let us not put the Messiah to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. 10And don’t grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the Destroying Angel.
11These things happened to them as prefigurative historical events, and they were written down as a warning to us who are living in the acharit-hayamim. 12Therefore, let anyone who thinks he is standing up be careful not to fall! 13No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure.
14Therefore, my dear friends, run from idolatry! 15I speak to you as sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16The “cup of blessing” over which we make the b’rakhah — isn’t it a sharing in the bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah? The bread we break, isn’t it a sharing in the body of the Messiah? 17Because there is one loaf of bread, we who are many constitute one body, since we all partake of the one loaf of bread. 18Look at physical Isra’el: don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19So, what am I saying? That food sacrificed to idols has any significance in itself? or that an idol has significance in itself? 20No, what I am saying is that the things which pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice not to God but to demons; and I don’t want you to become sharers of the demons! 21You can’t drink both a cup of the Lord and a cup of demons, you can’t partake in both a meal of the Lord and a meal of demons. 22Or are we trying to make the Lord jealous? We aren’t stronger than he is, are we?
23“Everything is permitted,” you say? Maybe, but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permitted?” Maybe, but not everything is edifying. 24No one should be looking out for his own interests, but for those of his fellow. 25Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. 27If some unbeliever invites you to a meal, and you want to go, eat whatever is put in front of you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This meat was offered as a sacrifice,” then don’t eat it, out of consideration for the person who pointed it out and also for conscience’s sake — 29however, I don’t mean your conscience but that of the other person. You say, “Why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30If I participate with thankfulness, why am I criticized over something for which I myself bless God?” 31Well, whatever you do, whether it’s eating or drinking or anything else, do it all so as to bring glory to God. 32Do not be an obstacle to anyone — not to Jews, not to Gentiles, and not to God’s Messianic Community. 33Just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not looking out for my own interests but for those of the many, so that they may be saved;
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
For more information and to purchase a hard copy of the Complete Jewish Bible,
Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible