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.
1 Corinthians 10
10
1I do not want you to be without da'as, Achim b'Moshiach, that Avoteinu all were under the anan#10:1 Ex 13:21-22 (cloud) and passed through the sea,#10:1 Ex 14:22-25
2And all into Moshe Rabbenu were given tevilah in the anan (cloud) and in the sea,
3And all of the same spiritual okhel (food) ate,#10:3 Ex 16:4,35; Dt 8:3; Ps 78:24-29
4And all of the same spiritual drink drank, for they were drinking from a spiritual TZUR following them,#10:4 Ex 17:6; Num 20:11; Ps 78:15; 105:41 and that TZUR was Moshiach.
5But Hashem was not pleased with most of them, for they were strewn about in the desert, VAYISHCHATEM BAMIDBAR (then He slaughtered them in the desert).#10:5 Num 14:16,23,29-30; Ps 78:31
6Now these things occurred as moftim (examples) for us, in order that we would not crave what is ra'ah as they did.#10:6 Num 11:4,34; Ps 106:14
7Neither should you become ovdei elilim (idolaters), as some of them did, as it has been written, “And the people sat to eat and to drink and they got up to revel.”#10:7 Ex 32:6
8Neither should we commit zenut as some of them committed zenut and fell in one day twenty-three thousand.#10:8 Num 25:1,9. T.N. if Rav Sha'ul is not giving the number that died in one day, a very famous and devastating twenty-four hour period, (with Num 25:4 mentioning other executions and the subsequent total being 24,000, Num 24:9), then Rav Sha'ul is referring to those who died in Ex 32:35, quoting as he does Ex 32:6 in 1C 10:7
9Neither let us tempt Moshiach, as some of them put Moshiach to the test, and by nechashim (serpents) were being destroyed.#10:9 Ex 17:2; Num 21:5-6; Ps 78:18; 95:9; 106:4
10Neither should we murmur and grumble even as some of them VAYILONU (and they murmured)#10:10 Ex 15:24; 16:2; 17:3; Num 14:2,29; 16:41 and they were destroyed by the destroyer.#10:10 Num 14:2,36; 16:41-49; 17:5,10; Ex 12:23; Ps 106:25-27
11Now, these things happened to those ones as moftim (examples), but it was written for our admonition, to whom the Kitzei HaOlamim has come.
12So then the one that presupposes that he stands, let him take care lest he fall.
13No nissayon (temptation) has overtaken you, except that which is common to Bnei Adam, but, Hashem is ne'eman (faithful),#10:13 Dt 7:9 who will not let you to be brought into nissayon beyond what you are able, but will make with the nissayon also the derech [Tzaddikim]#10:13 Ps 1:6 as a way out for you to be able to endure.
14Therefore, my chaverim, flee from avodah zarah.
15I speak as to thinking men; you judge what I say.
16The Kos HaBracha (Cup of Blessing) over which we say the Bracha, is it not a [Mizbe'ach] sharing and deveykus participation in the Korban Pesach death and kapporah of Moshiach? The matzoh which we break, is this not a sharing and a deveykus participation in the Guf HaMoshiach?
17Because the matzoh is echad, we, many as we are, are one body, one new humanity, for we all partake of the matzoh echad.
18Observe Yisroel according to the basar. Are not the ones eating the korbanot (sacrifices) partakers of the Mizbe'ach#10:18 Lv 7:6,14,15 (altar)?
19What then am I saying? That a sacrifice to an elil (idol) is anything or that an idol is anything?
20No, the things which they sacrifice, YIZB'CHU LASHEDIM LO ELOHIM (They sacrificed to demons which were not G-d).#10:20 Dt 32:17; Ps 106:37 Now I do not want you to become sharers with the shedim (demons).#10:20 Lv 17:7; Dt 32:17; Ps 106:37
21You are not able to drink from the Kos of Hashem and also from the Kos HaShedim; you are not able to partake of the shulchan of Hashem and the shulchan of shedim (demons).
22Or is it that you would move Hashem to kinah (jealousy)?#10:22 Dt 32:21 We don't think we are stronger than He, do we?#10:22 Dt 32:16; 1Kgs 14:22; Ps 78:58; Jer 44:8; Koh 6:10; Isa 45:9
23“All things are lawful?” But not all things are beneficial; “All things are lawful?” But not all things edify.#10:23 1C 6:12
24Let no one seek his own benefit but the benefit of the other.
25Everything being sold in a meat market eat without raising qualms of matzpun (conscience).
26For LAHASHEM HA'ARETZ UMELOAH (The earth is the L-rdʼs and the fullness thereof).#10:26 Ps 24:1; 50:12; 89:11; Ex 9:29; 19:5; Job 41:11; Ps 50:12
27If anyone of the Apikorosim invites you and you want to go, eat everything being set before you without raising qualms of matzpun (conscience).
28But if anyone should say to you, “Zeh nizbach l'elil!” (This is sacrificed to an idol!), do not eat out of consideration for that man who informed you and because of matzpun (conscience).
29But I speak not about your matzpun but about the matzpun of the other man, for why is my cherut (freedom) brought into mishpat (judgment) by anotherʼs matzpun (conscience)?
30If I partake with Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals), why am I blamed for what I give todah (thanks)?
31Whether, therefore, you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things to the kavod (glory) of Hashem.#10:31 Zech 14:21
32Be without michshol both to Yehudim and to Yevanim and to the Kehillah of Hashem,
33even as I also please Bnei Adam in all things, not seeking my own advantage but that of the many, that they may be brought to Yeshu'at Eloheinu.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.