1 Corinthians 10
10
Church membership no guarantee of perfection
1The fact is, brethren, baptism and partaking of the bread and wine, and your membership in the Church of Christ show forth your status as the spiritually elect of God — but remember, you are not thereby perfected. There may yet come another falling away, as with those who were called in the old days in a similar manner to us. 2What though they were all under the cloud in the moment of revelation, and all passed through the sea, 3and all ate the spiritual manna 4and drank the spiritual drink which flowed from the rock. The rock is said to have followed them wherever they went. That rock means the Christ. 5Now mark and learn the lesson. Many of those original founders of our faith “were slain in the wilderness” (Num. 14:16). 6The perfect will of God was not fulfilled in them and thereby we can discern the truth about ourselves, for they are types. They teach us not to lust, as some of them “lusted” (Num. 11:4, 34). 7Yes, our fathers took part in that great piece of history, they witnessed that divine manifestation of God, and yet though part of all that, they were not all elect. There took place in their midst a corresponding reprobation and apostacy of some. They worshipped idols, and made an image to Jehovah, and made a pagan rite of his sacrifice. “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” (Exod. 32:6) 8They committed fornication, and 23,000 fell in one day. 9They tempted the Lord, and were destroyed by serpents. 10They murmured, and the destroyer fell on them. 11On us has come the fulfilment of history. What happened before is the type of that which happens now, what was written before was written for the guidance of those on whom these days have come. All that past is contained in the history that is being made. 12Therefore let us beware, beware of “lusting,” of “fornication,” of “idolatry,” of doubting and murmuring. If our eyes are not open to the significance of those warnings, we too shall fall, even though we think we stand. 13It is God alone that can save us; in Him there will always be a way of escape however hotly the temptation press in on us, for such temptation must needs come to those that are but human. 14But mark me, note what I say. 15Beware, O beware, of idolatry, of pagan feasts and rites. Study well my words. 16That cup over which we pronounce the blessing, 17and the bread which we break, assembling ourselves together for the purpose — 18have they anything to do with the rites observed by pagans, and can we who take this cup of the Lord fall into the error of idolatry? 19Certainly the image and the meat sacrificed to it are nothing — 20we know that. But the heathen sacrifice “not to God, but to devils.” (Deut. 32:17).
Pagan rites very different from the table of the Lord
21And to partake of the feasts by which these devils are worshipped is to lay yourself open to the strong influences that hang over such rites. Just as in that Israel which now bears the name of Israel after the flesh, the people who share in the sacrificial feast, share also in the Altar. Can we then, who take the cup of the Lord and partake of this feast, have anything whatever to do with the feasts of the devils? O beware of the subtle contaminating influence of idolatry! Our feast is a spiritual one; the words of blessing pronounced over the cup, and again over the bread, they mean our share in the blood of the Christ, our membership in the infinite body of the Christ, just as we all partake of the one loaf which is broken and given to all with the accompanying words of blessing, so are we all members of that one divine spiritual body. That is the meaning of our feast. Can such a feast as that have in it any taint of idolatry? Mark well the types I have spoken of, which the scriptures contain! Shall the table of the Lord (Mal. 1:7, 12) be polluted by you through intercourse with devils? 22Will you “provoke him to jealousy with strange gods?” (Deut. 32:16). What possible connection can there be between our spiritual feast and the table of devils? 23Granted — all things are lawful to those who are free and emancipated. But it does not follow that there is no danger, no destructive power lurking round things which in an absolute sense are harmless. 24Seek what serves the common good, seek what builds and edifies, seek not your own. 25You are of course at liberty to purchase whatever you please where meat is sold, and ask no questions about it. 26-27Similarly, you can dine with friends not of the faith, and eat whatever they set before you. That is our freedom. “Is not the earth the Lord’s and the fulness thereof?” (Ps. 24:1). 28But if your host inform you, “this meat was sacrificed to such and such a god,” then keep the rule of absolute abstention from idolatry. 29You may consider yourself free, and think that you partake of all things by the grace of God, 30and are able to give thanks therefore with a good conscience, but if you are really free, why should this action affect the conscience of another, and be misinterpreted? It is better not to eat of it where other people’s consciences are at stake. 31-32Seek not your own point of view, lean not to that, although you know yourself to be as free as Christ has made you in all such matters of eating and drinking, or whatever other things you may be doing, but seek the glory of the one God, seek to commend yourself to all men, whether your company be Jewish, Greek or those who are of the faith. O think not of yourselves, but of them! 33That is always my point of view, to please all in every way I can, that they may find salvation;
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Translated in 1916, published in 1937.
I Corinthians 10
10
Old Testament Examples
1Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under #Ex. 13:21, 22; Ps. 105:39the cloud, all passed through #Ex. 14:21, 22, 29; Neh. 9:11; Ps. 66:6the sea, 2all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3all ate the same #Ex. 16:4, 15, 35; Deut. 8:3; Neh. 9:15, 20; Ps. 78:24; John 6:31spiritual food, 4and all drank the same #Ex. 17:5–7; Num. 20:11; Ps. 78:15spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies #Num. 14:29, 37; 26:65; Heb. 3:17; Jude 5were scattered in the wilderness.
6Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as #Num. 11:4, 34; Ps. 106:14they also lusted. 7#Ex. 32:4; 1 Cor. 5:11; 10:14And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, #Ex. 32:6; 1 Cor. 15:32“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8#Rev. 2:14Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as #Num. 25:1–9some of them did, and #Ps. 106:29in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9nor let us tempt Christ, as #Ex. 17:2, 7some of them also tempted, and #Num. 21:6–9were destroyed by serpents; 10nor complain, as #Ex. 16:2some of them also complained, and #Num. 14:37were destroyed by #Ex. 12:23; 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:15; Heb. 11:28the destroyer. 11Now all these things happened to them as examples, and #Rom. 15:4they were written for our admonition, #Phil. 4:5upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12Therefore #Rom. 11:20let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but #1 Cor. 1:9God is faithful, #Ps. 125:3who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Flee from Idolatry
14Therefore, my beloved, #2 Cor. 6:17flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to #1 Cor. 8:1wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16#Matt. 26:26–28; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? #Matt. 26:26; Luke 22:19; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11:23The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For #Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12, 27; Eph. 4:4, 16; Col. 3:15we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
18Observe #Rom. 4:12Israel #Rom. 4:1after the flesh: #Lev. 3:3; 7:6, 14; Deut. 12:17Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19What am I saying then? #1 Cor. 8:4That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20Rather, that the things which the Gentiles #Lev. 17:7sacrifice #Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37; Gal. 4:8; Rev. 9:20they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21#2 Cor. 6:15, 16You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and #Deut. 32:38the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the #(1 Cor. 11:23–29)Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22Or do we #Deut. 32:21provoke the Lord to jealousy? #Ezek. 22:14Are we stronger than He?
All to the Glory of God
23All things are lawful for me, but not all things are #1 Cor. 6:12helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 24Let no one seek his own, but each one #Phil. 2:4the other’s well-being.
25#(1 Tim. 4:4)Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26for #Ex. 19:5; Ps. 24:1; 50:12; 1 Tim. 4:4“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”
27If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, #Luke 10:7, 8eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it #(1 Cor. 8:7, 10, 12)for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for #Deut. 10:14; Ps. 24:1“the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 29“Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For #Rom. 14:16; (1 Cor. 9:19)why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food #Rom. 14:6over which I give thanks?
31#Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32#Rom. 14:13Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33just #Rom. 15:2; 1 Cor. 9:22; (Gal. 1:10)as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.