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
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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