1 Corinthians 10
10
A History Lesson from Israel
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all went through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5But God was not pleased with the majority of them, for they were struck down in the desert.
6Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we should not be desirers of evil things, just as those also desired them, 7and not become idolaters, as some of them did, just as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play,”#A quotation from Exod 32:6 8nor commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed sexual immorality, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day, 9nor put Christ to the test, as some of them tested him, and were destroyed by snakes, 10nor grumble, just as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11Now these things happened to those people as an example, but are written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12Therefore, the one who thinks that he stands must watch out lest he fall. 13Temptation has not come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make a way out together with the temptation, so that you may be able to endure it.
Warning Against Idolatry
14Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15I am speaking as to sensible people; you judge what I am saying. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share from the one bread. 18Consider Israel according to the flesh: are not the ones who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? 19Therefore, what am I saying? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but that the things which they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become sharers with demons. 21You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to share the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22Or are we attempting to provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than he is, are we?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here
Freedom in Christ
23All things are permitted, but not all things are profitable. All things are permitted, but not all things build up. 24Let no one seek his own good#Literally “the - of himself”; “good” is implied but the good of the other. 25Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions#Literally “questioning nothing” for the sake of the conscience, 26for “the earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness.”#A quotation from Ps 24:1, and an allusion to Ps 50:12; 89:11 27If any of the unbelievers invites you, and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, asking no questions#Literally “questioning nothing” for the sake of the conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This is offered to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of that one who informed you and the conscience. 29Now I am not speaking about your own conscience, but the conscience of the other person. For why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? 30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
31Therefore, whether you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God. 32Give no offense#Literally “be blameless” both to Jews and to Greeks and to the church of God, 33just as I also please all people in all things, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of the many, in order that they may be saved.
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1 Corinthians 10
10
Don't worship idols
1Friends, I want to remind you that all our ancestors walked under the cloud and went through the sea.#Ex 13.21,22; Ex 14.22-29. 2This was like being baptized and becoming followers of Moses. 3All of them also ate the same spiritual food#Ex 16.35. 4and drank the same spiritual drink, which flowed from the spiritual rock that followed them. That rock was Christ.#Ex 17.6; Nu 20.11. 5But most of them did not please God. So they died, and their bodies were scattered all over the desert.#Nu 14.29,30.
6What happened to them is a warning to keep us from wanting to do the same evil things.#Nu 11.4. 7They worshipped 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.#Ex 32.6. 8Some of those people did shameful things, and in a single day about twenty-three thousand of them died. Don't do shameful things as they did.#Nu 25.1-18. 9And 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.#Nu 21.5,6. 10Don't even grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel.#Nu 16.41-49. 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. 13You 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. 16When we drink from the cup that we ask God to bless, isn't that sharing in the blood of Christ? When we eat the bread that we break, isn't that sharing in the body of Christ?#Mt 26.26-28; Mk 14.22-24; Lk 22.19,20. 17By sharing in the same loaf of bread, we become one body, even though there are many of us.
18Aren't the people of Israel sharing in the worship when they gather around the altar and eat the sacrifices offered there?#Lv 7.6. 19Am I saying that either the idols or the food sacrificed to them is anything at all? 20No, I am not! That food is really sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don't want you to have anything to do with demons.#Dt 32.17 (LXX). 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. 22We would make the Lord jealous if we did that. And we are not stronger than the Lord.#Dt 32.21.
Always honour God
23Some of you say, “We can do whatever we want to!” But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful.#1 Co 6.12. 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. 26The Scriptures say, “The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”#Ps 24.1.
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 that 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 honour 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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