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.
1 Corinthians 10
10
Warning Against Idolatry
1For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,#10:1 Or brothers and sisters that our fathers were all under #See Ex. 13:21 the cloud, and all #See Ex. 14:22passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and #Ex. 16:15, 35; Deut. 8:3; Neh. 9:15, 20; Ps. 78:24 all ate the same #Ps. 78:25; 105:40; John 6:31spiritual food, 4and #See Ex. 17:6all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for #Num. 14:29, 37; 26:64, 65; Ps. 106:26; Heb. 3:17; Jude 5they were overthrown#10:5 Or were laid low in the wilderness.
6Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as #Num. 11:4, 33, 34; Ps. 78:18; 106:14they did. 7#ver. 14 Do not be idolaters #Ex. 32:4 as some of them were; as it is written, #Cited from Ex. 32:6“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8#See ch. 6:18; Acts 15:20 We must not indulge in sexual immorality #Num. 25:1 as some of them did, and #[Num. 25:9; Ps. 106:29]twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ#10:9 Some manuscripts the Lord to the test, #Num. 21:5; [Ex. 17:2, 7]; See Ps. 78:18 as some of them did and #See Num. 21:6were destroyed by serpents, 10nor grumble, #See Num. 14:2 as some of them did and #Num. 14:29-37 were destroyed by #Ex. 12:23; 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:15; Ps. 78:49the Destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, but #See Rom. 4:23 they were written down for our instruction, #See Rom. 13:11on whom the end of the ages has come. 12Therefore #Rom. 11:20; [2 Pet. 3:17]let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. #See ch. 1:9 God is faithful, and #[Dan. 3:17]; See 2 Pet. 2:9he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
14Therefore, my beloved, #ver. 7flee from idolatry. 15I speak #[ch. 8:1]as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16#ch. 11:25; Matt. 26:27, 28 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? #ch. 11:23, 24; Matt. 26:26; See Acts 2:42; 20:7The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are #ch. 12:12, 13, 20; Rom. 12:5; Eph. 4:4, 16; Col. 3:15one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18Consider #Rom. 1:3; 4:1; 9:5; 2 Cor. 11:18 the people of Israel:#10:18 Greek Consider Israel according to the flesh #Lev. 3:3; 7:15; [Heb. 13:10]are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that #See ch. 8:4an idol is anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice #Deut. 32:17they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21#[2 Cor. 6:15, 16] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and #[Deut. 32:38] the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and #[Isa. 65:11]the table of demons. 22#Deut. 32:21 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? #Eccles. 6:10; Ezek. 22:14Are we stronger than he?
Do All to the Glory of God
23 # ch. 6:12; See ch. 8:9 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24#ver. 33; ch. 13:5; Phil. 2:21; [ch. 9:23; 2 Cor. 12:14]; See Rom. 15:1Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25#ch. 8:7Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26For #Cited from Ps. 24:1; [Ex. 9:29; 19:5; Deut. 10:14; Job 41:11; Ps. 50:12]“the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, #Luke 10:8eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29I do not mean #[ch. 8:9-12] your conscience, but his. For #[ch. 9:19; Rom. 14:16]why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that #Rom. 14:6; 1 Tim. 4:3, 4for which I give thanks?
31So, whether you eat or drink, or #Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32#ch. 8:13; Rom. 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:3 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to #[ch. 11:16]; See Acts 20:28the church of God, 33just as #ch. 9:22; [Gal. 1:10] I try to please everyone in everything I do, #See ver. 24not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
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