1 Corinthians 10
10
Warning Against Idolatry
1For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,#10:1 Or brothers and sisters that our fathers were all under #See Ex. 13:21 the cloud, and all #See Ex. 14:22passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and #Ex. 16:15, 35; Deut. 8:3; Neh. 9:15, 20; Ps. 78:24 all ate the same #Ps. 78:25; 105:40; John 6:31spiritual food, 4and #See Ex. 17:6all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for #Num. 14:29, 37; 26:64, 65; Ps. 106:26; Heb. 3:17; Jude 5they were overthrown#10:5 Or were laid low in the wilderness.
6Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as #Num. 11:4, 33, 34; Ps. 78:18; 106:14they did. 7#ver. 14 Do not be idolaters #Ex. 32:4 as some of them were; as it is written, #Cited from Ex. 32:6“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8#See ch. 6:18; Acts 15:20 We must not indulge in sexual immorality #Num. 25:1 as some of them did, and #[Num. 25:9; Ps. 106:29]twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ#10:9 Some manuscripts the Lord to the test, #Num. 21:5; [Ex. 17:2, 7]; See Ps. 78:18 as some of them did and #See Num. 21:6were destroyed by serpents, 10nor grumble, #See Num. 14:2 as some of them did and #Num. 14:29-37 were destroyed by #Ex. 12:23; 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:15; Ps. 78:49the Destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, but #See Rom. 4:23 they were written down for our instruction, #See Rom. 13:11on whom the end of the ages has come. 12Therefore #Rom. 11:20; [2 Pet. 3:17]let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. #See ch. 1:9 God is faithful, and #[Dan. 3:17]; See 2 Pet. 2:9he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
14Therefore, my beloved, #ver. 7flee from idolatry. 15I speak #[ch. 8:1]as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16#ch. 11:25; Matt. 26:27, 28 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? #ch. 11:23, 24; Matt. 26:26; See Acts 2:42; 20:7The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are #ch. 12:12, 13, 20; Rom. 12:5; Eph. 4:4, 16; Col. 3:15one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18Consider #Rom. 1:3; 4:1; 9:5; 2 Cor. 11:18 the people of Israel:#10:18 Greek Consider Israel according to the flesh #Lev. 3:3; 7:15; [Heb. 13:10]are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that #See ch. 8:4an idol is anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice #Deut. 32:17they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21#[2 Cor. 6:15, 16] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and #[Deut. 32:38] the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and #[Isa. 65:11]the table of demons. 22#Deut. 32:21 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? #Eccles. 6:10; Ezek. 22:14Are we stronger than he?
Do All to the Glory of God
23 # ch. 6:12; See ch. 8:9 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24#ver. 33; ch. 13:5; Phil. 2:21; [ch. 9:23; 2 Cor. 12:14]; See Rom. 15:1Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25#ch. 8:7Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26For #Cited from Ps. 24:1; [Ex. 9:29; 19:5; Deut. 10:14; Job 41:11; Ps. 50:12]“the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, #Luke 10:8eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29I do not mean #[ch. 8:9-12] your conscience, but his. For #[ch. 9:19; Rom. 14:16]why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that #Rom. 14:6; 1 Tim. 4:3, 4for which I give thanks?
31So, whether you eat or drink, or #Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32#ch. 8:13; Rom. 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:3 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to #[ch. 11:16]; See Acts 20:28the church of God, 33just as #ch. 9:22; [Gal. 1:10] I try to please everyone in everything I do, #See ver. 24not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
Currently Selected:
1 Corinthians 10: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
For more information about the NLT: