1 Corinthians 10
10
Warning Against Overconfidence. 1#Paul embarks unexpectedly upon a panoramic survey of the events of the Exodus period. The privileges of Israel in the wilderness are described in terms that apply strictly only to the realities of the new covenant (“baptism,” “spiritual food and drink”); interpreted in this way they point forward to the Christian experience (1 Cor 10:1–4). But those privileges did not guarantee God’s permanent pleasure (1 Cor 10:5). I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,#Ex 13:21–22; 14:19–20 / Ex 14:21–22, 26–30. 2and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.#Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27 / Ex 16:4–35. 3All ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,#A spiritual rock that followed them: the Torah speaks only about a rock from which water issued, but rabbinic legend amplified this into a spring that followed the Israelites throughout their migration. Paul uses this legend as a literary type: he makes the rock itself accompany the Israelites, and he gives it a spiritual sense. The rock was the Christ: in the Old Testament, Yahweh is the Rock of his people (cf. Dt 32, Moses’ song to Yahweh the Rock). Paul now applies this image to the Christ, the source of the living water, the true Rock that accompanied Israel, guiding their experiences in the desert. and the rock was the Christ.#Ex 17:1–7; Nm 20:7–11; Dt 8:15. 5Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert.#Nm 14:28–38; Jude 5.
6#This section explicitates the typological value of these Old Testament events: the desert experiences of the Israelites are examples, meant as warnings, to deter us from similar sins (idolatry, immorality, etc.) and from a similar fate. These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.#Nm 11:4, 34. 7And do not become idolaters, as some of them did, as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.”#Ex 32:6. 8Let us not indulge in immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell within a single day.#Nm 25:1–9. 9Let us not test Christ#Christ: to avoid Paul’s concept of Christ present in the wilderness events, some manuscripts read “the Lord.” as some of them did, and suffered death by serpents.#Nm 21:5–9. 10Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer.#Nm 14:2–37; 16:1–35. 11These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come.#Upon whom the end of the ages has come: it is our period in time toward which past ages have been moving and in which they arrive at their goal. 12Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.#Take care not to fall: the point of the whole comparison with Israel is to caution against overconfidence, a sense of complete security (1 Cor 10:12). This warning is immediately balanced by a reassurance, based, however, on God (1 Cor 10:13). 13No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.#Mt 6:13; Jas 1:13–14 / 1 Cor 1:9.
Warning Against Idolatry.#The warning against idolatry from 1 Cor 10:7 is now repeated (1 Cor 10:14) and explained in terms of the effect of sacrifices: all sacrifices, Christian (1 Cor 10:16–17), Jewish (1 Cor 10:18), or pagan (1 Cor 10:20), establish communion. But communion with Christ is exclusive, incompatible with any other such communion (1 Cor 10:21). Compare the line of reasoning at 1 Cor 6:15. 14Therefore, my beloved, avoid idolatry.#1 Jn 5:21. 15I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?#Mt 26:26–29; Acts 2:42. 17Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.#Rom 12:5; Eph 4:4.
18Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?#Lv 7:6. 19So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? 20No, I mean that what they sacrifice, [they sacrifice] to demons,#To demons: although Jews denied divinity to pagan gods, they often believed that there was some nondivine reality behind the idols, such as the dead, or angels, or demons. The explanation Paul offers in 1 Cor 10:20 is drawn from Dt 32:17: the power behind the idols, with which the pagans commune, consists of demonic powers hostile to God. not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons.#Dt 32:17. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.#2 Cor 6:14–18. 22Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger? Are we stronger than he?#Dt 32:21 / Eccl 6:10.
Seek the Good of Others.#10:23–11:1] By way of peroration Paul returns to the opening situation (1 Cor 8) and draws conclusions based on the intervening considerations (1 Cor 9–10). 23“Everything is lawful,” but not everything is beneficial.#He repeats in the context of this new problem the slogans of liberty from 1 Cor 6:12, with similar qualifications. Liberty is not merely an individual perfection, nor an end in itself, but is to be used for the common good. The language of 1 Cor 10:24 recalls the descriptions of Jesus’ self-emptying in Phil 2. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds up.#6:12. 24No one should seek his own advantage, but that of his neighbor.#Rom 15:2; Phil 2:4, 21. 25#A summary of specific situations in which the eating of meat sacrificed to idols could present problems of conscience. Three cases are considered. In the first (the marketplace, 1 Cor 10:25–26) and the second (at table, 1 Cor 10:27), there is no need to be concerned with whether food has passed through a pagan sacrifice or not, for the principle of 1 Cor 8:4–6 still stands, and the whole creation belongs to the one God. But in the third case (1 Cor 10:28), the situation changes if someone present explicitly raises the question of the sacrificial origin of the food; eating in such circumstances may be subject to various interpretations, some of which could be harmful to individuals. Paul is at pains to insist that the enlightened Christian conscience need not change its judgment about the neutrality, even the goodness, of the food in itself (1 Cor 10:29–30); yet the total situation is altered to the extent that others are potentially endangered, and this calls for a different response, for the sake of others. Eat anything sold in the market, without raising questions on grounds of conscience, 26for “the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.”#Ps 24:1; 50:12. 27If an unbeliever invites you and you want to go, eat whatever is placed before you, without raising questions on grounds of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This was offered in sacrifice,” do not eat it on account of the one who called attention to it and on account of conscience; 29I mean not your own conscience, but the other’s. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30If I partake thankfully, why am I reviled for that over which I give thanks?#Rom 14:6; 1 Tm 4:3–4.
31So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32#10:32–11:1] In summary, the general rule of mutually responsible use of their Christian freedom is enjoined first negatively (1 Cor 10:32), then positively, as exemplified in Paul (1 Cor 10:33), and finally grounded in Christ, the pattern for Paul’s behavior and theirs (1 Cor 11:1; cf. Rom 15:1–3). Avoid giving offense, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, 33just as I try to please everyone in every way, not seeking my own benefit but that of the many, that they may be saved.#9:22; Rom 15:2.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
1 Corinthians 10
10
Warnings from Israel’s Past
1Now I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers # 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 a spiritual rock # Ex 17:6; Nm 20:7-13 that followed them, and that rock was Christ. # Jn 4:14; 6:30-35 5But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. # Jd 5
6Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire # Mt 27:23; Jms 4:2 evil things as they did. # 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 play. # Or to dance # Ex 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, # Lit them committed sexual immorality and in a single day 23,000 people fell dead. # Nm 25:1-18; Ps 106:29 9Let us not test Christ as some of them did # Lit them tested and were destroyed by snakes. # Nm 21:6 10Nor should we complain # Jn 6:41; Jd 16 as some of them did, # Lit them complained # Nm 16:41-50 and were killed by the destroyer. # Or the destroying angel # Ex 12:23; 2Sm 24:16; 1Ch 21:15; Ps 78:49 11Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, # Ps 102:18 on whom the ends 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 overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, # Nm 12:7 and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape # 2Pt 2:9 so that you are able to bear it.
Warning against Idolatry
14Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15I am speaking as to wise people. Judge for yourselves what I say. 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 give thanks for, 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, for all of us share that one bread. 18Look at the people of Israel. # Lit Look at Israel according to the flesh Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in what is offered on 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 offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but I do say that what they # Other mss read Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to participate 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,” # Other mss add for me # See note at 1Co 6:12-13. but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” # Other mss add for me but not everything builds up. 24No one should 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, asking no questions for conscience’ sake, 26for the earth is the Lord’s, # Mk 13:19 and all that is in it. # Ps 24:1 # Ps 24:1 27If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it, # Lk 10:8 out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake. # 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 thanks, # Mk 8:6; Rm 1:8 why am I slandered because of something I give thanks for?
31Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory. # 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 the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God, 33just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, # Mk 10:45 so that they may be saved.
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