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
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and they all went across the sea.
2 And in Moses, they all were baptized, in the cloud and in the sea.
3 And they all ate of the same spiritual food.
4 And they all drank of the same spiritual drink. And so, they all were drinking of the spiritual rock seeking to obtain them; and that rock was Christ.
5 But with most of them, God was not well-pleased. For they were struck down in the desert.
6 Now these things were done as an example for us, so that we might not desire evil things, just as they desired.
7 And so, do not take part in idolatry, as some of them did, just as it was written: "The people sat down to eat and to drink, and then they rose up to amuse themselves."
8 And let us not commit fornication, as some of them fornicated, and so twenty-three thousand fell on one day.
9 And let us not tempt Christ, as some of them tempted, and so they perished by serpents.
10 And you should not murmur, as some of them murmured, and so they perished by the destroyer.
11 Now all of these things happened to them as an example, and so they have been written for our correction, because the final age has fallen upon us.
12 And so, whosoever considers himself to be standing, let him be careful not to fall.
13 Temptation should not take hold of you, except what is human. For God is faithful, and he will not permit you to be tempted beyond your ability. Instead, he will effect his Providence, even during temptation, so that you may be able to bear it.
14 Because of this, most beloved of mine, flee from the worship of idols.
15 Since I am speaking to those who are prudent, judge what I say for yourselves.
16 The cup of benediction that we bless, is it not a communion in the Blood of Christ? And the bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of the Lord?
17 Through the one bread, we, though many, are one body: all of us who are partakers of the one bread.
18 Consider Israel, according to the flesh. Are not those who eat from the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
19 What is next? Should I say that what is immolated to idols is anything? Or that the idol is anything?
20 But the things that the Gentiles immolate, they immolate to demons, and not to God. And I do not want you to become partakers with demons.
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and partakers of the table of demons.
22 Or should we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is? All is lawful to me, but not all is expedient.
23 All is lawful to me, but not all is edifying.
24 Let no one seek for himself, but for others.
25 Whatever is sold in the market, you may eat, without asking questions for the sake of conscience.
26 "The earth and all its fullness belong to the Lord."
27 If you are invited by any unbelievers, and you are willing to go, you may eat whatever is set before you, without asking questions for the sake of conscience.
28 But if anyone says, "This has been sacrificed to idols," do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience.
29 But I am referring to the conscience of the other person, not to yours. For why should my liberty be judged by the conscience of another?
30 If I partake with thanksgiving, why should I be slandered over that for which I give thanks?
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you may do, do everything for the glory of God.
32 Be without offense toward the Jews, and toward the Gentiles, and toward the Church of God,
33 just as I also, in all things, please everyone, not seeking what is best for myself, but what is best for many others, so that they may be saved.
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