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1 Corinthians 10

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Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

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And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

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And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

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And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

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But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

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Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

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Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

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Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

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Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

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Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

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Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

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Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

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There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

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Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

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I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

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The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

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For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

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Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

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What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

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But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

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Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

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Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

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All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

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Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.

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Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:

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For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.

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If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

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But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:

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Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?

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For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

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Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

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Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

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Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

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1 Corinthians 10

Paul reminds the Corinthians of Israel's history as types (typoi) for them: their ancestors were all under the cloud and passed through the sea, all baptized into Moses, all ate spiritual food and drank spiritual drink from the rock—that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and they fell in the wilderness, and these things happened as examples (typoi) so that we should not desire evil as they did. The temptations they face are not unique; no temptation has overtaken the Corinthians except what is common to humanity, and God is faithful and will not allow them to be tempted beyond what they are able, but with temptation will also provide a way out. Paul returns to food offered to idols with a sacramental turn: the cup of blessing that we bless, is it not participation in the blood of Christ? The bread we break, is it not participation in the body of Christ? One bread, one body. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and the table of demons. All things are lawful, but not all are helpful; all things are lawful, but not all build up. Paul exhorts them to seek not their own good but the good of the many, so that they may be saved. Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:3

And all ate the same spiritual food — The manna is pneumatikos artos (spiritual food), provided supernaturally. 'Spiritual' suggests both non-material and divinely empowered. All Israel partook equally, establishing communal participation in God's provision.

1 Corinthians 10:10

And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. — The gongyzō (grumble, murmur) of Israel brought death via the 'angel of destruction' (apollyōn = destroyer, likely an angelic agent). Complaint against God's governance invites death. Contentment with God's provision is the lesson.

1 Corinthians 10:1

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. — Paul invokes Israel's exodus history as warning. The nephelē (cloud) represents God's presence and guidance; the passing through the sea marks liberation. The identification 'our ancestors' (hoi pateres hēmōn) claims spiritual kinship: the Corinthians inherit Israel's covenant heritage. Ignorance of this history is spiritually dangerous.

1 Corinthians 10:2

They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. — The exodus events are reinterpreted as baptismal: ebapt... eis Mōsēn (baptized into Moses). The preposition eis (into) suggests union with Moses as mediator, paralleling Christian baptism into Christ. Cloud and sea together form the sacramental medium. The parallel sacralizes Israel's experience but also prefigures Christian baptism.

1 Corinthians 10:4

and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. — The water from the rock (petra) is pneumatikon potērion (spiritual drink). The striking claim: he petra ēn Christos (the rock was Christ). Paul identifies Christ as the source of Israel's sustenance in the wilderness, retroactively presenting Christ as the life-giver throughout Israel's history. This is not merely typology but ontological identification.

1 Corinthians 10:5

Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. — Despite sacramental participation, the plural eusthēsan (were pleased with) is negated: most failed. Strewn corpses in the desert (kophthai en tē erēmō) mark divine judgment. Sacramental privilege does not guarantee salvation; disobedience brings destruction. This is the warning: participation in God's gifts does not exempt from accountability.

1 Corinthians 10:6

Now these things occurred as examples for us, to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. — The word tupoi (types, examples, patterns) signals that Israel's history is instructive. The phrase 'occurred for us' (egenenēthē eis hemac) establishes that scripture is written with the church in mind. The Corinthians must not epithumēo (set hearts on, desire) evil (ta kaka) as Israel did.

1 Corinthians 10:7

Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: 'The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.' — The quotation recalls the golden calf incident (Exod 32:6). Idolatry and debauchery went together; eating and drinking became occasions for pagan worship. Paul applies this directly: idolatry is the danger facing Corinthians who attend idol feasts. The precedent warns against syncretism and false worship.

1 Corinthians 10:8

We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in a single day twenty-three thousand of them died. — Porneia among Israel brought plague; twenty-three thousand fell (Num 25:9). The juxtaposition of idolatry and sexual sin is not accidental: pagan worship involved prostitution and sexual rites. The Corinthians, tempted toward idol feasts, risk the same downfall.

1 Corinthians 10:9

We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. — The peirazō kyrie (test the Lord) refers to Israel's murmuring in the wilderness, doubting God's providence and power. Serpent judgment (Num 21:5-6) followed their complaining. Paul warns against testing God through idolatry, which implicitly denies his supremacy.

1 Corinthians 10:11

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. — The hoi telē tōn aiōnōn (culmination/ends of the ages) emphasizes that the Corinthians live in the final epoch. Israel's history, recorded in scripture, exists to warn the church standing at the eschaton. Proximity to the end heightens accountability and the relevance of OT precedent.

1 Corinthians 10:12

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall. — The seemingly secure are in greatest danger. The verb stekō (stand firm) presumes spiritual confidence; yet the conditional 'if you think' (dokei hestanai) suggests complacency. Paul's warning: confidence without vigilance precedes catastrophe.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. — The peirasmos (temptation) is koinē (common to humanity), not uniquely overwhelming. God's fidelity (pistos) establishes boundaries: temptation will not exceed capacity (dynamis = power, ability). God provides exodos (way out, escape) enabling endurance (hypomonē). This offer of divine support balances the warning of judgment.

1 Corinthians 10:14

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. — The summary command: pheuǧō (flee) apo tēs eidōlolatrías. The intensity of 'flee' matches the gravity of idolatry as ultimate betrayal. The appeal is to friendship (agapētoi = beloved), adding pathos to the warning.

1 Corinthians 10:15

I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. — Paul appeals to the phronimoi (prudent, sensible) among the Corinthians to assess his argument. The invitation to judge (krínō) respects their rational capacity while implying the obvious correctness of his position.

1 Corinthians 10:16

Is not the cup of thanksgiving that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? — The cup blessed and bread broken constitute koinōnia (communion, participation) in Christ's body and blood. The verbs eulogéō (bless) and klasō (break) are liturgical. Participation (koinōnia) is not merely symbolic memory but real presence and union.

1 Corinthians 10:17

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. — The eucharistic logic: one bread unites the many into one soma (body), which is Christ. The singular artos (loaf) creates singular soma (body). Communion is simultaneously individual participation and corporate unity. The eucharist enacts and constitutes the church's identity as Christ's body.

1 Corinthians 10:18

Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? — The cultic principle: participants in sacrificial meals are koinonoi (partners, participants) of the altar. The altar, as seat of God's presence, makes all who eat from sacrifice into covenant partners. The analogy prepares the ground for the next claim about idolatry.

1 Corinthians 10:19

Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? — Paul retreats slightly: is idol food truly meaningful? Is the idol real? The questions presume negative answers. Theologically, the idol is akathartos (unclean, powerless), not a deity.

1 Corinthians 10:20

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to become partners with demons. — The inversion: idol sacrifice, though addressed to a fake god, is truly offered to daimonia (demons). The principalities behind idolatry are real; what is false is the god-label. Participation in idol meals creates koinōnia (partnership) with demons. This reframes the issue: not whether idols exist but whether one allies with demonic forces.

1 Corinthians 10:21

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot eat at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons. — The absolute prohibition: dualism is inescapable. One cannot simultaneously commune with Christ and with demons. The cup and table language, drawn from eucharistic imagery, establishes that sharing in idol meals is covenant-breaking antithetical to the Lord's table.

1 Corinthians 10:22

Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we not stronger than he? — The rhetorical questions expose the Corinthians' presumption: by flirting with demons through idol meals, are they provoking the Lord's zēlos (jealousy, passionate concern for covenant)? The phrase 'stronger than he' is sarcastic: do they imagine themselves more powerful than God? The comparison is absurd.

1 Corinthians 10:23

'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive. — The Corinthian slogan, repeated from 6:12, resurfaces. Exousia (freedom, right) is granted; but sympherō (benefit, advantage) and oikodomē (edification, building up) constrain its exercise. The double repetition emphasizes the non-negotiable qualification.

1 Corinthians 10:24

No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. — The principle transcends food and idols: self-interest yields to others' wellbeing. The negation of self-seeking (mē zēteito to heautou) and affirmation of seeking others' good (allá to tou heterou) establishes other-directedness as Christian norm.

1 Corinthians 10:25

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.' — Paul permits participation in ordinary commerce (makellon = meat market) without scrupulosity. The quotation (Ps 24:1) establishes God's sovereignty: all food belongs to the Lord. Philosophical anxiety about idol-contact is overcome by this ownership claim.

1 Corinthians 10:26

If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. — Acceptance of pagan hospitality is permitted without excessive conscience-checking. The phrase 'without raising questions' (anakrinonta dia syneidēsin) permits eating without investigating origins. The principle: fellowship with non-believers is possible without hyper-scrupulosity about every detail.

1 Corinthians 10:27

But if someone says to you, 'This has been offered in sacrifice,' then do not eat it, both for the sake of the person who told you and for the sake of conscience. — The qualifier: if the pagan explicitly indicates idol-sacrifice, refusal is obligatory. The duty is twofold: respect for the pagan informant (who must understand the religious meaning) and for one's own conscience (syneidēsis). Explicit knowledge changes the ethical calculus.

1 Corinthians 10:28

For, 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.' — The quotation repeats (cf. v. 25), reinforcing that all belongs to God's dominion, yet does not override the specific warning when idol-sacrifice is explicit.

1 Corinthians 10:29

I am referring to the other person's conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another's conscience? — Paul clarifies: the concern for conscience is for the weak person, not the strong. The strong's freedom is not to be judged by the weak's scruple. Yet paradoxically, the strong voluntarily constrains freedom out of love. The question 'why is my freedom judged?' presumes the strong would naturally exercise their right.

1 Corinthians 10:30

If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I being condemned for something I thank God for? — The strong Christian eats with eucharistia (thanksgiving), acknowledging God's goodness. Such gratitude sanctifies the meal (cf. 1 Tim 4:4-5). The rhetorical question asserts: can one eating with thanksgiving and faith be condemned? The answer is no—except for others' sake.

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. — The overarching principle: doxa tou theou (God's glory) is the measure of all action. Every mundane act—eating, drinking—is to be performed for God's honor. This telescopes the whole discussion: freedom exists to serve God's glorification, not personal appetite.

1 Corinthians 10:32

Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— The three categories—Ioudaío (Jews), Hellēn (Greeks, gentiles), and ekklēsia tou theou (church of God)—encompass the entire mission field. Skandalizō (cause to stumble) must be avoided in all quarters. The concern is universal: Paul's counsel applies to every relational context.

1 Corinthians 10:33

even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. — Paul models the principle himself: he seeks to please (aresko) all in all things. The motivation is soteriological: hina sōthōsin (so that they may be saved). Self-renunciation serves salvation of the many. The final word—salvation—anchors all ethical instruction in redemptive purpose.