1 Corinthians 10
10
Warnings from Israel’s Past
1Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors#Ps 44:1; Ac 7:11 were all under the cloud,#Ex 13:21 all passed through the sea,#Ex 14:29 2and all were baptized#Ac 22:16 into Moses#Ps 77:20; Mt 8:4; Heb 3:2 in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food,#Ex 16:31 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock#Ex 17:6; Nm 20:7–13 that followed them, and that rock was Christ.#Jn 4:14; 6:30–35 5Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness.#Jd 5
6Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire#Mt 27:23; Jms 4:2 evil things as they did.#10:6 Lit they desired#Nm 11:4,33–34; Ps 78:18; 106:14 7Don’t become idolaters#Eph 5:5 as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.#10:7 Or to dance#10:7Ex 32:6#Ex 32:6 8Let us not commit sexual immorality#1Co 6:18; Rv 2:14,20; 17:2; 18:3,9 as some of them did,#10:8 Lit them committed sexual immorality and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died.#Nm 25:1–18; Ps 106:29 9Let us not test Christ as some of them did#10:9 Lit them tested and were destroyed by snakes.#Nm 21:6 10And don’t grumble#Jn 6:41; Jd 16 as some of them did,#10:10 Lit them grumbled#Nm 16:41–50 and were killed by the destroyer.#10:10 Or the destroying angel#Ex 12:23; 2Sm 24:16; 1Ch 21:15; Ps 78:49 11These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction,#Ps 102:18 on whom the ends of the ages#10:11 Or goals of the ages, or culmination of the ages#Mk 13:7 have come.#Mk 10:30 12So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.#Pr 24:16; Heb 6:8 13No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful;#Nm 12:7 he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out#2Pt 2:9 so that you may be able to bear it.
Warning against Idolatry
14So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15I am speaking as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16The cup#Mt 26:27; Mk 14:23; Lk 22:17,20; 1Co 11:25–26 of blessing#Mk 6:41; Gl 3:14 that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread#Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22; Lk 22:19; Ac 2:42,46; 20:7 that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are one#Jn 11:52; Eph 4:4 body, since all of us share the one bread. 18Consider the people of Israel.#10:18 Lit Look at Israel according to the flesh Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?#Gn 8:20; Lv 1:5; Nm 3:26; Dt 12:27; 1Sm 2:28; 1Ch 6:49; Ps 26:6; Ezk 8:15; Heb 7:13 19What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but I do say that what they#10:20 Other mss read Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons! 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?#Ec 6:10
Christian Liberty
23“Everything is permissible,”#10:23 Other mss add for me but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,”#10:23 Other mss add for me but not everything builds up. 24No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.#Mk 10:45; Php 2:4
25Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, without raising questions for the sake of conscience, 26since the earth is the Lord’s,#Mk 13:19 and all that is in it.#10:26Ps 24:1#Ps 24:1 27If any of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions for the sake of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This is food from a sacrifice,” do not eat it,#Lk 10:8 out of consideration for the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience.#10:28 Other mss add “For the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” 29I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged#Lk 6:37 by another person’s conscience? 30If I partake with thanksgiving,#Mk 8:6; Rm 1:8 why am I criticized because of something for which I give thanks?
31So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.#Mk 10:37; Lk 9:32; Jn 17:24; 2Co 3:18; 2Pt 3:18 32Give no offense#Ac 24:16; Php 1:10 to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, 33just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many,#Mk 10:45 so that they may be saved.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
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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