1 Corinthians 10
10
Warning from the wilderness generation
1Brothers and sisters, I want you to be sure of the fact that our ancestors were all under the cloud and they all went through the sea. 2All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3All ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5However, God was unhappy with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness. 6These things were examples for us, so we won’t crave evil things like they did. 7Don’t worship false gods like some of them did, as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and they got up to play”.#10.7 Exod 32:6 8Let’s not practice sexual immorality, like some of them did, and twenty-three thousand died in one day. 9Let’s not test Christ, like some of them did, and were killed by the snakes. 10Let’s not grumble, like some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer. 11These things happened to them as an example and were written as a warning for us to whom the end of time has come. 12So those who think they are standing need to watch out or else they may fall. 13No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. But God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it.
Avoid false gods to glorify God
14So then, my dear friends, run away from the worship of false gods! 15I’m talking to you like you are sensible people. Think about what I’m saying. 16Isn’t the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Isn’t the loaf of bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ? 17Since there is one loaf of bread, we who are many are one body, because we all share the one loaf of bread. 18Look at the people of Israel. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices share from the altar? 19What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to a false god is anything, or that a false god is anything? 20No, but this kind of sacrifice is sacrificed to demons and not to God. I don’t want you to be sharing in demons. 21You can’t drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you can’t participate in the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22Or should we make the Lord jealous? We aren’t stronger than he is, are we?
23Everything is permitted, but everything isn’t beneficial. Everything is permitted, but everything doesn’t build others up. 24No one should look out for their own advantage, but they should look out for each other. 25Eat everything that is sold in the marketplace, without asking questions about it because of your conscience. 26“The earth and all that is in it belong to the Lord”.#10.26 Ps 24:1 27If an unbeliever invites you to eat with them and you want to go, eat whatever is served, without asking questions because of your conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This meat was sacrificed in a temple,” then don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29Now when I say “conscience” I don’t mean yours but the other person’s. Why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? 30If I participate with gratitude, why should I be blamed for food I thank God for? 31So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you should do it all for God’s glory. 32Don’t offend either Jews or Greeks, or God’s church. 33This is the same thing that I do. I please everyone in everything I do. I don’t look out for my own advantage, but I look out for many people so that they can be saved.
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 10
10
Lessons from Israel’s Idolatry
1I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters,#10:1 Greek brothers. about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.”#10:7 Exod 32:6. 8And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.
9Nor should we put Christ#10:9 Some manuscripts read the Lord. to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
12If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
14So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 15You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true. 16When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. 18Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?
19What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? 20No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. 21You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too. 22What? Do we dare to rouse the Lord’s jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is?
23You say, “I am allowed to do anything”#10:23 Greek All things are lawful; also in 10:23b.—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. 24Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
25So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience. 26For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”#10:26 Ps 24:1.
27If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience. 28(But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?
31So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles#10:32 Greek or Greeks. or the church of God. 33I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.
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