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.
Currently Selected:
1 Corinthians 10: CEVDCI
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 10
10
Warning From History
1Brothers and sisters, I want you to know what happened to our ancestors who were with Moses. They were all under the cloud,#10:1 cloud The cloud that led and protected the people of Israel on their journey out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and through the wilderness. See Ex. 13:20-22; 14:19, 20. and they all walked through the sea. 2They were all baptized#10:2 baptized See “baptize” in the Word List. Here, Paul seems to mean that what happened to the Jews with Moses can be compared to the baptism of a believer into Christ. into 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, and that rock was Christ. 5But God was not pleased with most of those people, so they were killed in the desert.
6And these things that happened are examples for us. These examples should stop us from wanting evil things like those people did. 7Don’t worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people sat down to eat and drink and then got up to have a wild party.”#Quote from Ex. 32:6. 8We should not commit sexual sins as some of them did. In one day 23,000 of them died because of their sin. 9We should not test Christ#10:9 Christ Some Greek copies say, “the Lord.” as some of them did. Because of that, they were killed by snakes. 10And don’t complain as some of them did. Because they complained, they were killed by the angel that destroys.
11The things that happened to those people are examples. They were written to be warnings for us. We live in the time that all those past histories were pointing to. 12So anyone who thinks they are standing strong should be careful that they don’t fall. 13The only temptations that you have are the same temptations that all people have. But you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to endure it.
14So, my dear friends, stay away from worshiping idols. 15You are intelligent people. Judge for yourselves the truth of what I say now. 16The cup of blessing#10:16 cup of blessing The cup of wine that believers in Christ thank God for and drink at the Lord’s Supper. that we give thanks for is a sharing in the blood sacrifice of Christ, isn’t it? And the bread that we break is a sharing in the body of Christ, isn’t it? 17There is one loaf of bread, so we who are many are one body, because we all share in that one loaf.
18And think about what the people of Israel do. When they eat the sacrifices,#10:18 sacrifices Animals killed and offered as gifts to God. they are united by sharing what was offered on the altar. 19So, am I saying that sacrifices to idols are the same as those Jewish sacrifices? No, because an idol is nothing, and the things offered to idols are worth nothing. 20But I am saying that when food is sacrificed to idols, it is an offering to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to share anything with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and then go drink a cup that honors demons. You cannot share a meal at the Lord’s table and then go share a meal that honors demons. 22Doing that would make the Lord jealous.#10:22 make the Lord jealous See Deut. 32:16, 17. Do you really want to do that? Do you think we are stronger than he is?
Use Your Freedom for God’s Glory
23“All things are allowed,” you say. But not all things are good. “All things are allowed.” But some things don’t help anyone. 24Try to do what is good for others, not just what is good for yourselves.
25Eat any meat that is sold in the meat market. Don’t ask questions about it to see if it is something you think is wrong to eat. 26You can eat it, “because the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”#Quote from Ps. 24:1; 50:12; 89:11.
27Someone who is not a believer might invite you to eat with them. If you want to go, then eat anything that is put before you. Don’t ask questions to see if it is something you think is wrong to eat. 28But if someone tells you, “That food was offered to idols,” then don’t eat it. That’s because some people think it is wrong, and it might cause a problem for the person who told you that. 29I don’t mean that you think it is wrong. But the other person might think it is wrong. That’s the only reason not to eat it. My own freedom should not be judged by what another person thinks. 30I eat the meal with thankfulness. So I don’t 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 it for the glory of God. 32Never do anything that might make other people do wrong—Jews, non-Jews, or anyone in God’s church. 33I do the same thing. I try to please everyone in every way. I am not trying to do what is good for me. I am trying to do what is good for the most people so that they can be saved.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International