10:1-5The cloud and the sea mentioned here refer to Israel's escape from slavery in Egypt when God led them by a cloud and brought them safely through the Red Sea (Exodus 14). The spiritual food and water are the provisions God gave as they traveled through the wilderness (Exodus 15-16).
Life Application Study Bible1 CorinthiansChapter 10
1 Corinthians 10
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1942, 1943, 1944
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101 Corinthians 10
Lessons from Israel’s Idolatry
1I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters,* 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, 4 and 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.”* And 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* 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. 17]f you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. SThe 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. 144So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. *You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true. ‘©When 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? *7And 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 trying to say? Am] 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’*—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. 280 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."* 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? 30lf 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. 3*Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles* or the church of God. 55I, 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. 11:1And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 3. Instruction on public worship
Proper Worship
1 1 27 am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. $But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of
Textual footnotes
Life Application Notes 13 notes
10:2“All of them were baptized” means that just as we are united in Christ by baptism, so the israelites were united under Moses’ leadership and through the events of the Exodus.
10:4ffIn chapter 9, Paul used himself as an example of a mature Christian who disciplines himself to better serve God. In chapter 10, he uses Israel as an example of spiritual immaturity, shown in their overconfidence and lack of self-discipline.
10:7-40The incident referred to in 10:7 tock place when the Israelites made a gold calf and worshiped it in the wilderness (Exodus 32). The incident in 10:8 is recorded in Numbers 25:1-9 when the Israelites worshiped Baal of Peor and engaged in sexual immoratity with Moabite women. The reference in 10:9 is to the israelites’ complaint about their food (Numbers 21:5, 6). They put the LORD to the test by seeing how far they could go. In 10:10, Paul refers to when the people complained against Moses and Aaron, and the plague that resulted (Numbers 14:2, 36; 16:41-50). The angel of death is also referred to in Exodus 12:23.
10:10Paul warned the Corinthian believers not to grumble. We start to grumble when our attention shifts from what we have to what we don’t have. The people of Israel didn’t seem to notice what God was doing for them—setting them free, making them a nation, giving them a new land—because they were so wrapped up in what God wasn’t doing for them. They could think of nothing but the delicious Egyptian food they had left behind (Numbers 11:5). Before we judge the Israelites too harshly, it’s helpful to think about what occupies our attention most of the time. Are we grateful for what God has given us, or are we always thinking about what we would like to have? Don’t allow your unfulfilled desires to cause you to forget God's gifts of life, family, friends, food, health, and work.
10:11Today’s pressures make it easy to ignore or forget the lessons of the past. But Paul cautions us to remember the lessons the israelites learned about God so we can avoid repeating their errors. The key ta remembering is to study the Bible regularly so that these lessons remind us of how God wants us to live. We need not repeat their mistakes!
10:13(na culture filled with moral depravity and sin-inducing pressures, Pau! encouraged the Corinthians about temptation. He said that (1) temptations happen to everyone, so don't feel you've been singled out; (2) others have resisted temptation, and so can you; (3) any temptation can be resisted because God will show you a way out. God will aid you in resisting temptation by helping you (1) recognize those people and situations that give you trouble, (2) run from anything you know is wrong, (3) choose to do only what is right, (4) pray for God’s help, and (5) seek
10:21As followers of Christ we must give him our total atlegiance. We cannot, as Paul explains, have a part in “the cup of the LORD and... the cup of demons.” Eating at the LORD's Table means communing with Christ and identifying with his death. Drinking from the cup of demons means identifying with Satan by worshiping or promoting pagan (or evil) activities. Are you leading two lives, trying to follow both Christ and the crowd? The Bible says that you can’t do both at the same time.
10:23,24Sometimes it’s hard to know when to defer to weaker believers. Paul gives a simple rule of thumb to help in making the decision: We should be sensitive and gracious. The goal here is not a general hypersensitivity that worries about what others might possibly think. Rather, it is a genuine awareness of others and a willingness to limit what we do when there is a real possibility of misunderstanding and offense. Some actions may not be wrong, but they may not be in the best interest of others. We have freedom in Christ, but we shouldn’t exercise our freedom at the cost of hurting a Christian brother or sister. We are not to consider only ourselves; we must also consider the needs and perspective of others. For more on the proper attitude toward a weak believer, see the notes on 8:10-13 and Romans 14.
10:25-27Paul gave one answer to the dilemma: Buy whatever meat is sold at the market without asking whether or not it was Offered to idols. It doesn’t matter anyway, and no one’s conscience would be bothered. When we become too worried about our every action, we become legalistic and cannot enjoy life. Everything belongs to God, and he has given us all things to enjoy. If we know something is a problem, then we can deal with it, but we don’t need to go looking for problems.
10:28-33Why should we be limited by another person’s con- Science? Simply because we are to do all things for God’s glory, even our eating and drinking. Nothing we do should cause another believer to stumble. We do what is best for others, so that they might be saved. We should also be sensitive to the meaning of our actions to new Christians who are sorting out how to renounce sinful ways from the past and {ive for Christ. However, Christians should not make a career out of being the offended people with oversensitive consciences. Believers must not project their standards onto others. Many believers who have been Christians for years are still oversensitive and judgmental of others. Instead of being the offended weaker brothers and sisters, they are no more than offended “Pharisees.” Christian leaders and teachers should carefully teach about the freedom Christians have in matters not expressly forbidden by Scripture. New or weak Christians should not remain in a weak or sensitive state but should grow into maturity and discernment lest they prove to be an unnecessary burden on others’ freedom in Christ.
10:31Our actions must be motivated by God’s love so that all we do will be for his glory. Keep this as a guiding principle by asking, Is this action glorifying God? or How can I honor God through this action?
10:33Paul's criterion for all his actions was not what he liked best but what was best for those around him. The opposite approach would be (1) being insensitive and doing what we want, no matter who is hurt by it; (2) being oversensitive and doing nothing, for fear that someone may be displeased; (3) being a “yes person” by going along with everything, trying to gain approval from people rather than from God. In this age of “me first” and “looking out for number one,” Paul's startling statement is a good standard. If we make the good of others one of our primary goals, we will develop a serving attitude that pleases God.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 1943
The Prize
• An eternal prize
• Everlasting life
The Plan
• Discipline your body, training it Live to please the Spirit
WHY WE DON’T GIVE UP Perseverance, persistence, the prize!! The Christian life was never promised as an easy way to live; instead, Paul constantly reminds us that we must have a purpose and a plan because times will be difficult and Satan will attack. But we never persevere without the promise of a prize— a promise God will keep.
Reference 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Galatians 6:7-10 Ephesians 6:10-20 Philippians 3:12-14 2 Timothy 2:1-13
The Purpose
• Run to get the prize
• Run with purpose in every step © Don’t get tired of doing good @ Don’t give up © Do good to everyone
• Put on all of God’s armor
• Pray on every occasion
• Press on to possess that perfection for which Christ possessed you
• Teach these great truths to people who are able to pass them on to others
• Be strong in Christ’s grace, even when your faith is faltering
• Taking your stand against the devil's strategies
• The heavenly prize for which God calls you © We will live with Christ; we will reign with him
• He remains faithful
• Use every piece of ’ God’s armor to resist the enemy
• Forget the past; press on to reach the end of the race
• Endure suffering as a soldier, and don’t get tied up in worldly affairs
• Follow the LORD’s rules, as an athlete must do in order to win
• Work hard, like a farmer who enjoys the fruit of his labor
friends who fove God and can offer help when you are tempted. Running from a tempting situation is your first step on the way to victory (see 2 Timothy 2:22). 10:14 Idol worship was the major expression of religion in Corinth. There were several pagan temples in the city, and they were very popular. The statues of wood or stone were not evil in themselves, but people gave them credit for what only God could - do, such as provide good weather, crops, and children. Idolatry is still a serious problem today, but it takes a different form. We don’t put our trust in statues of wood and stone but in paper money and plastic cards. Putting our trust in anything but God is idolatry. Our modern ido!s are those symbols of power, pleasure, or prestige that we so highly regard. When we understand contemporary parallels to idolatry, Paut’s words to “flee from the worship of idols” become much more meaningful. 10:16-21 The idea of unity and fellowship with God through eating a sacrifice was strong in Judaism and Christianity as well as in paganism. In Old Testament days, when a Jew offered a sacrifice, he ate a part of that sacrifice as a way of restoring his unity with God, against whom he had sinned (Deuteronomy 12:17, 18). Similarly, Christians participate in Christ’s once-forall sacrifice at the LORD’s Table when they eat the bread and drink from the cup, symbolizing his body and blood. Recent converts from paganism could not help being affected if they knowingly ate with pagans in their feasts the meat offered to idols.
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