1 Corinthians 10
10
Don’t Be Like the Jews
1Brothers, I want you to know what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. They were all under the cloud, and they all went through the sea. 2They were all baptized as followers of Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food. 4And they all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from that spiritual rock that was with them. That rock was Christ. 5But God was not pleased with most of them. They died in the desert.
6And these things that happened are examples for us. They should stop us from wanting evil things as those people did. 7Do not worship idols, as some of them did. It is written in the Scriptures: “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up and had wild parties.”# Quotation from Exodus 32:6. 8We should not take part in sexual sin, as some of them did. In one day 23,000 of them died because of their sins. 9We should not test the Lord as some of them did. They were killed by snakes. 10And do not complain as some of them did. They were killed by the angel that destroys.
11The things that happened to those people are examples. And they were written down to be warnings for us. For we live in a time when all these things of the past have reached their goal. 12So anyone who thinks he is standing strong should be careful not to fall. 13The only temptations that you have are the temptations that all people have. But you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to stand it.
14So, my dear friends, stay away from worshiping idols. 15I am speaking to you, as to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16We give thanks for the cup of blessing.# The cup of the fruit of the vine that Christians thank God for and drink at the Lord’s Supper. It is a sharing in the blood of Christ’s death. And the bread that we break is a sharing in the body of Christ. 17There is one loaf of bread. And we are many people. But we all share from that one loaf. So we are really one body.
18Think about the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices share in the altar? 19I do not mean that the food sacrificed to an idol is something important. And I do not mean that an idol is anything at all. 20But I say that what is sacrificed to idols is offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to share anything with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, too. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons, too. 22Do we want to make the Lord jealous? We are not stronger than he is, are we?
How to Use Christian Freedom
23“We are allowed to do all things.” Yes. But not all things are good for us to do. “We are allowed to do all things.” Yes. But not all things help others grow stronger. 24No one should try to do what will help only himself. He should try to do what is good for others.
25Eat any meat that is sold in the meat market. Do not ask questions about the meat to see if it is something you think is wrong to eat. 26You can eat it, “because the earth and everything on it belong to the Lord.”# Quotation from Psalms 24:1; 50:12; 89:11.
27Someone who is not a believer may invite you to eat with him. If you want to go, eat anything that is put before you. Do not ask questions about it. 28But if anyone says to you, “That food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it. Do not eat it because of that person who told you and because eating it would be something that might be thought wrong. 29I don’t mean that you think it is wrong. But the other person might think it is wrong. My own freedom should not be judged by what someone else thinks. 30I eat the meal with thankfulness. And I do not want to be criticized because of something I thank God for.
31So if you eat, or if you drink, or if you do anything, do everything for the glory of God. 32Never do anything that might make others do wrong—Jews, Greeks, or God’s church. 33I do the same thing. I try to please everybody in every way. I am not trying to do what is good for me. I try to do what is good for the most people. I do this so that they can be saved.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
1 Corinthians 10
10
Warnings From Israel’s History
1Brothers and sisters, I want you to know something about our people who lived long ago. They were all led by the cloud through the desert, and they all walked through the Red Sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food, 4and they all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual rock that went along with them, and that rock was Christ. 5But God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the desert.
6Now those things happened as examples for us, to keep us from wanting evil things the way they did. 7So don’t worship idols, as some of them did. It is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink. Then they got up to dance wildly in front of their god.” 8We shouldn’t commit sexual sins, as some of them did—and in one day, 23,000 of them died. 9We shouldn’t test the Lord, as some of them did—and they were killed by snakes. 10And don’t speak against God, as some of the people of Israel did—and they were killed by the destroying angel.
11Those things happened to them as examples, and they were written down as a warning to us. We’re living at the time when God’s work is being completed. 12So if you think you’re standing firm, be careful—you might fall. 13You’re tempted in the same way that all other human beings are. And God is faithful; he won’t let you be tempted beyond what you can endure. When you are tempted, God will provide a way out, and then you’ll be able to resist.
Sharing in the Lord’s Supper
14My dear friends, stay far away from the worship of idols. 15I know I’m talking to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16We give thanks for the cup at the Lord’s Supper. When we do, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? When we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, because we all share the one loaf.
18Think about the people of Israel. Don’t those who eat the offerings share in the worship that takes place at the altar? 19Do I mean that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No! But the sacrifices of those who worship idols are really offered to demons, not to God, and I don’t want you to have anything to do with demons. 21You can’t drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too. You can’t have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22Are we trying to make the Lord jealous? Are we stronger than he is?
The Believer’s Freedom
23You say, “I have the right to do anything,” but not everything is helpful. “I have the right to do anything,” you say, but not everything builds us up. 24No one should look out only for their own interests. Instead, they should look out for the interests of others.
25With a clear conscience you can eat anything that’s sold in the meat market. 26Scripture says, “The earth belongs to the Lord, and so does everything in it.”
27If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, with a clear conscience you can eat anything that’s put in front of you. 28But if someone says to you, “This food has been sacrificed to an idol,” then don’t eat it, for the sake of the person who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29I’m talking about the other person’s conscience, not yours. Why should my freedom be judged by what someone else thinks? 30If I’ve given thanks for my food, then I shouldn’t be blamed for eating something that I’ve thanked God for.
31So whether you eat or drink or do anything else, do it all for the glory of God. 32Don’t do anything that causes other people to trip and fall, whether Jews or Greeks or God’s church. 33Follow my example. I try to please everyone in every way. I’m not looking out for what’s good for me. I’m looking out for the interests of others, so that they might be saved.
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