1 Corinthians

Old Testament examples; fleeing idolatry; doing all for the glory of God.

We started the study of "meat sacrificed to idols" back in chapter 8.  We established that we have Christian liberty.  And meat sacrificed to idols was nothing more than meat, no better, no worse than any other meat.  God didn't think less of you for not eating, nor would He think more of you for not eating.  Remember, your standing with God isn't based on your goodness or performance, but on the shed blood of Christ. 

Our liberty allows us to do many things without concern, but if those things cause a problem to others, interfere with their ability to see God or hear the gospel, or stumble them, then that very liberty could suddenly be sin.  Paul turns this conversation away from a question about how something affects 'me' and asks the believer to focus on others.  Because God has gone to such lengths so that we could experience His saving grace, we ought to also go to great lengths to point others to that same saving grace.  That sounds like a burden to many.  Maybe we should look at it as our great joy to be able to share such a thing. 

Progress through the study of this topic might look something like this:

• Chapter 8 gave us 2 important points.
  • An idol is nothing.
  • Love is more important than knowledge.
• Chapter 9
  • If you died to self, thinking about 'me' is a fruitless endeavor.
  • Temperance in our race is necessary so we don't hinder another.
  • Living sacrifices don't worry about grasping their liberty.

Paul wanted the strong Christian to understand this so that they would have a ministry to the weak Christian.  He wanted those who were strong to understand the balance of knowledge and love so they could help the weak folks along and help them to grow in their faith.  As we you read chapter ten, Paul is addressing the stronger Christians.  He gives some warnings to these 'strong' Christians so they understand they are not so strong as to be immune from trouble.

 

1 Corinthians 10:1-5

The 'moreover' is a connection to the previous chapter.  Remember, chapter breaks are manmade and not part of the inspired scripture.  This is then an extension of the thought of running to win, being temperate, disciplined in the race and bringing the body into subjection to keep from being disqualified. 

 Paul wanted them to be aware of those who went before them.  He speaks to them as if he were speaking to Jews.  Maybe those who considered themselves 'strong' were mostly Jews.  Regardless, every born-again believer now has a Jewish heritage.  Israel's history is the part of the redemption story; which makes it part of our story.

Paul wanted to make sure they knew their forefathers had made mistakes similar to what they were making; idolatry and sexual immorality are nothing new.  Our spiritual forefathers were:

• All under the cloud.
  • The entire nation was leaving Egypt.  Experts say there could have been over 2 million Jews involved in the exodus.  They saw the Lord's presence in this cloud

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. ²² He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

[The New King James Version (Ps 105:39). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]

³⁹          He spread a cloud for a covering,

And fire to give light in the night.  [The New King James Version (Ps 105:39). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]

• All passed through the sea.
  • What a sight this must have been; the water parted, a wall of water on both sides, dry land to walk through the sea.  A people in bondage were as though they were dead in Egypt passed through the water in a type of baptism, where they went through the water passing from death to life.  They came out the other side God's people, headed to the promised land.

The waters were divided. ²² So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.   [The New King James Version (Ex 14:21–23). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]

• • This cloud led them to the sea and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.  This baptism into Moses was identification and commitment to him as their representative.  The sea opened up and they passed through and then the sea closed on the Egyptians.  The same way that brought life, liberty and freedom to Israel brought death and judgment to Egyptians.
• All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea.
  • Notice each of these highlights use the word 'all'.  They were all baptized into Moses.  As we find redemption in Christ and are baptized into Him; so, Israel found redemption in through following Moses, the prophet and man of God. 
  • When they passed through the waters at Moses direction, they were under the leadership of Moses.  There was no turning back.  It was a new life now, the old had passed away.  The new was before them and Moses was leading them there
• All ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink.
  • God miraculously fed them manna, providing bread from heaven for them to gather.  In the same way, he gave them water from the rock to meet their need.  Both came after the complaining of the people, rather than asking God for it and having faith.  This spiritual food may be a type of a communion, or Lord's supper, following their baptism.
    • The spiritual rock that followed them may be a reference to Rabbinic teaching and tradition that the rock followed the Israelites for 40 years.
    • The Rock is a type of Christ that poured forth living water.
  • We should note that we begin to get the signs of a lack of trust, of fear and a groundswell of grumbling among this people who all saw such amazing things from God.  This came early in their journey, a test of commitment and resolve of their faith.
  • Paul's point was the real Rock was Christ, that He was there leading them and providing for them.  He is living water; He is the bread of life; He is the Way.

We can see that the Israelites all were offered this great opportunity; new life and new freedom.  Every one of them had the same gifts given by God.  They were in His presence, delivered by Him and baptized under the leadership of God's representative.  Yet, things didn't go well.  'All' experienced God and His provision and call equally but God was not well pleased with most of them.  Their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.  Most that had first hand experience of God's saving hand did not enter the Promised Land.

The nation of Israel came out of Egypt under the direction of God.  The trip to the Promised Land could be measured in days or a few weeks at most.  However, the Israelites exercised their freedom and their liberty.  The Lord brought them out and offered them freedom and they used their freedom to rebel against Him.  The Israelites failed to believe God's promise regarding the Promised Land.  They were instructed to go take the land; it was theirs.  But they didn't believe.  Instead, they decided to send in spies.  They decided they weren't sure God knew what he was doing, so they decided to check it out first.

The twelve spies went into the land and when they came back ten of them had the same story.  There were giants in the land and they were great armies and although the land was good the news was bad.  They were sure the Israelites would be crushed if they tried to go in there.  Only Joshua and Caleb gave a good report.  They reported exactly what God had said.  It was a good land flowing with milk and honey.  God had given it to them, they were ready to go and take it.

Because of the unbelief the Israelites wandered the wilderness for 40 years.  Caleb and Joshua were the only two adults that came out of Egypt that entered into the land.  Regardless of the great advantage given to all the people, God wasn't pleased with most of them.  In fact, God wasn't pleased with hardly any of them.  God's displeasure left many of their bodies scattered in the wilderness.  They chose to depart from the cloud of perfection.  They chose to worship other gods.  They chose sexual immorality in the presence of God. 

Under the care of God, they used their freewill and liberty to rebel against the direction God had given them.  They used their freedom to turn away from the one who gave it to them.  They were all under God's protection and guidance and yet they messed up.  That protection and guidance was also there and available for the Corinthians, but it didn't keep them from messing up.  The mere presence and privilege of God's guidance isn't a guarantee of success. 

There are many ways we could frame up the lesson Paul wants the Corinthians (and us) to learn from the mistake of our spiritual fathers.  Let's state it this way:

• A good start doesn't necessarily guarantee a good finish.
• You can't dabble with the profane when you're called to abide in holiness.
• Choices have consequences.

 

1 Corinthians 10:6-9

In the garden, the provision of God for Adam and Eve was extravagant, lavish, complete and amazing.  But Eve wanted more; she became convinced the serpent was right, God was holding something back. 

In the wilderness, God provided manna, the bread of heaven for His people.  Yet, they grumbled, they wanted more; they wanted meat.  They were convinced they knew better what they needed than He. 

Mankind has a long history of rejecting God and His ways.  Often our prayers are more like demands or advice from God instead of asking as a child yet accepting His perfect will, knowing He knows what's best for us.  The events recorded are given to us as examples.  They show that mankind had not changed at all over the thousands of years and it's still true today.  These examples might also be called the patterns of mankind or the proclivity of humanity.  God's given us promises and every advantage, as though we are covered by an umbrella of grace.  The pattern tells us that 'most' will step out from under the umbrella.

¹³ "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

[The New King James Version (Mt 7:13–14). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]

The rejection of God in the wilderness appears as a type of the future rejection of Jesus Christ.   They seemed to be more concerned with what others were doing than what God asked of them.   Unbelief, doubt, grumbling and outright apostasy spread like cancer. 

These examples were given to cause God's people to see themselves and their life in those who were scattered in the wilderness.  If it can happen to those who experienced these events, it could happen to the Corinthians and it can happen to us.  What are these examples:

1. We should not lust after evil things like they did.
   1. They were driven by their lusts; moved by the desires of the flesh.  We learned about temperance last chapter; a picture of the self-disciplined athlete with his eyes on the prize.  These lusts are the exact opposite; they lacked any self-discipline to reign in their urges. 

They soon forgot His works;

They did not wait for His counsel,

¹⁴          But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,

And tested God in the desert.

¹⁵          And He gave them their request,

But sent leanness into their soul. 

[The New King James Version (Ps 106:13–15). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]

2. Do not become idolaters like some of them were.
   1. Paul quoted Exodus 32:

So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.

Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"

⁵ So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord." ⁶ Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

[The New King James Version (Ex 32:3–6). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]

1. 2. Moses was on the mountain, hearing from God.  The Lord was giving the law as well as the promise of His care and provision for them.  They felt it had taken too long so they worshiped God their way.  It was a party; the word 'play' implies dancing, mocking, joking and laughing but can also have sexual overtones.
2. They were not to commit sexual immorality as some of them did.
   1. This refers to Numbers 25:1-9 when the Israelite men engaged in sexual relations with the Moabite female religious prostitutes (Those are two words that should not go together).  God sent a plague on them in judgment. 
   2. This action joined them Baal of Peor in God's eyes:

So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor."  [The New King James Version (Nu 25:5). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]

3. 3. Numbers 25:9 says that 24,000 died that day.  Paul must have been working from memory and recorded 23,000.  Some scholars offer various ideas of why there is a discrepancy.  The point is same regardless of the number.
4. Some of them were guilty of tempting God.
   1. Tempting God is committing evil to see if God would respond.  If He didn't, they took it as a sign that their evil was acceptable.
   2. Their evil act was grumbling, complaining and accusing God of plotting their death from starvation and thirst while they loathed the bread of heaven. 
   3. Their judgment was fiery serpents that bit the people.  It was like a picture of their sin coming back on them and biting them. 
   4. What was the remedy?  It was a bonze serpent on a pole.  Anyone bitten by a serpent could look at the bronze serpent and live.
      1. It was a picture of their sin judged on a pole; a foreshadow of Christ who would take on our sin and be nailed to a tree.  All who were bitten by sin could look to Him and be saved.
5. Some were complaining and were destroyed.
   1. This speaks of Numbers 16 when Korah organized a rebellion against Moses' leadership.
   2. The earth opened and swallowed the rebellious alive.
   3. Fire came down and consumed those offering incense before the Lord.   

 

The forefathers had taken advantage of their liberties and freedoms and in doing so they had fallen.  They were disqualified, having failed to be temperate, disciplined and careful with all that was entrusted to them. 

None of those people got up in the morning and said, "Let's go do evil things."  No, they did what came natural to them.  They relied on themselves and relied on the things of their sinful nature.  The New American Standard bible says they 'Craved evil' and the King James bible says they 'lusted after it'.  This is what set them on the wrong path and what drove them to do evil things. 

The same nature that drove the Israelite Fathers to sin in the wilderness existed in the Corinthians.  They were lusting after the things that they had the freedom to do.  This meat offered to idols was such a good deal and they lusted after it.  They wanted the meat bad enough that they ignored the fact that it could stumble someone else.  They failed in love toward their brother that was bothered by it.

We are to look at these things as examples and learn from them.  We will be held to a higher responsibility because we have knowledge of how God dealt with Israel when they made these mistakes.  We have examples to look at to learn how God feels about things.  Sometimes we look at these things and say, "Whew, I'm glad God doesn't deal with us like he dealt with the Jews when they grumbled!"  Who says we won't be dealt with in that way?

 

Corinthians 10:12-13

I believe the 'him who thinks he stands' are specifically those who Paul called strong in the faith.  They had a high view of their religious status; felt they had arrived at a comfortable place to exercise their liberty.  It's as though they felt the hard work was done, they could now just sit back and enjoy their faith.  In reality, their faith was not strong enough to understand abiding in Christ daily.  They weren't diligent and constant in maintaining their faith.  What happens when we lose our anchor?  We drift away unaware.

Many years ago, mom and dad took us to the beach.  I think it was our first time.  After a little bit they were sitting up on the beach.  My brothers and I were playing in the ocean.  We rode the waves in, swam or paddled back out and rode them in over and over.  After a while we looked up and nothing looked familiar.  Where was mom and dad?  Where was our hotel?  Finally, we realized we had drifted a couple hundred yards down the beach.  We were drifting away, failing to check our reference point, failing to check in at home.

When we live by faith, we recognize our constant need of God and our consistent proclivity to doubt and fear.  We are weak; He is strong.  This idea maintains a humility and knowledge of our ability to fall.  Some of the Corinthians were sitting at the table of idol feasts and failed to acknowledge the danger to themselves and others.  Taking heed is constant contact with our anchor, our reference point and master.  He is our strength, not of ourselves.

The store clerk watched a little boy in the candy aisle.  The boy looked at the candy; then he looked up and down the aisle and then back at the candy.  He'd start to pick something up but never did.  Finally, the clerk rounded the corner and said to the boy, "It looks you're trying to take some candy."  The boy said, "no, sir, you are wrong, I'm trying awfully hard not to take it."

The boy recognized the presence of the temptation and he was resisting it.  Temptation itself is not a sin.  Yet, Satan many times condemns us for the temptation.  This is condemnation we shouldn't accept.  Temptation happens to all of us in various ways.

The people of Corinth thought they were standing firm.  They thought they couldn't be tempted.  They may have thought they were way too spiritual to fall to temptation.  Even the little boy recognized temptation and knew it had to be resisted.  If you think you are beyond it and you're not looking for it, you won't recognize it as the enemy sinks his claws in you and drags you down.  The Corinthians were being tempted and they needed to be aware, alert and ready; to take heed, ready to flee from it. 

In many places in scripture, we see where God allows temptation.  The enemy would use the temptation to take us down, God allows it to build us up.  When temptation comes, we must know we are never boxed in, never cornered without escape.  Whatever you face isn't unique, exceptional – regardless of how it feels, you are not the first to experience it.  All we face is common to man.  The temptation in the wilderness, or that in Corinth was just like that which we face today.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  [The New King James Version (Heb 4:15–16). (1982). Thomas Nelson.]

This knowledge kept them from saying, "Yea we sinned but only because our temptation was way beyond what normal people are tempted with."  With all temptation, God is faithful.  He won't allow temptation beyond what we can bear and He always gives us a way out.  This is to day we always have a choice whether temptation leads to sin.  We always have a choice. 

The picture of this word for 'a way out' is a narrow pass through the mountains, a way to escape.  The way out may not necessarily be the easy way, but the way He will provide will allow you to stand up in that situation.  The army of your enemy may surround you all around as they stand upon the mountain; you can't stand against them, but the Lord provides a mountain pass in which to escape.  You may not be able to go the way you desire, but you can make your way through the narrow pass.  He will give us strength to endure or show us the way out.  The trick is to know you are susceptible to these temptations and be looking for that way out.  That's where the Corinthians were failing.

People have the ultimate power to obey or resist God. If they choose to rebel—to use the Priestly idiom—they will pollute the sanctuary to the point that God will no longer abide in it. But whether the cause is the demon or the person, the net effect is the same: God is evicted from his earthly abode. 

[Milgrom, J. (2004). A Continental Commentary: Leviticus: a book of ritual and ethics (p. 147). Fortress Press.]

 

1 Corinthians 10:14-17

Remember the specific matter at hand was this meat offered to idols.  Some of the Corinthians were eating this meat.  Remember they had the knowledge that these idols were nothing.  There is only one God and these idols had no power over them.  So, they thought they were standing firm, unable to be tempted.  Paul said they shouldn't be so sure.  In fact, Paul seems to be telling them they can be sure they will be tempted.  Some of the Corinthian Christians were going right to these pagan temples and eating this meat offered to idols.  Paul said they shouldn't invite temptation; they should flee from this idolatry not flirt with it.  Paul challenged these men who believed themselves to be wise.  As Christians in fellowship, the cup they drink from and the bread they break together were done in fellowship under the banner of Jesus Christ.  They were many, one body together showing their fellowship by taking the bread and cup together.

In their wisdom, Paul asked them if they didn't see that by sitting down and eating and drinking at a table of pagan temple with those who worshiped demons, they too were joining in fellowship with them.  Our fellowship dinners are very meaningful to us.  As we gather and fellowship and eat together as brothers and sisters in Christ, it is as though Jesus were right there at the table with us.  Is it not the same when they went down the road and sat down in some demonic temple?  When they sat in feast and fellowship with the demonic, were they not inviting trouble?  There was no purposeful meaning toward worship of the demon, but they were nevertheless putting themselves in that place of temptation; willfully departing from God's presence.   Allowing this liberty invites temptation that can lead you from the Lord; so why mess around with it.  This same principle applies to a thousand different things in our life.

 

1 Corinthians 10:18-22

At the temple, sacrifices were offered and some of these were opportunities to partake of it yourself, share it with the priest, or share with others.  This was a fellowship meal before God, sharing the sacrifice with meal with Him.  They were partakers at the altar.

The sacrifice offered on the pagan altar was nothing because the idol was nothing.  However, behind the idol were demons.  We have no business messing around with demons.  Paul doesn't want them, or us to be in unity with demons.  If you raise a cup and ask God to bless it and it's meaningful to you as the cup of the Lord then, likewise those that raise a cup to a demon make it meaningful also.  We can't drink from both cups.  Doing so may provoke the Lord to jealousy.  That's what got so many Israelites in trouble through the examples that Paul listed.

One of the great statues of Christ is that by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen; after he had carved it, he was offered a commission to carve a statue of Venus for the Louvre. His answer was: 'The hand that carved the form of Christ can never carve the form of a heathen goddess.'

Some of those in Corinth thought they were strong enough to do such these things.  They thought they could flirt with idolatry and not fall to temptation.  And, no doubt, we've all thought we were strong enough to resist temptation and at times found we weren't as strong as we thought. 

You may be strong, but, Paul asks, are we stronger than He?  Will you be so strong as to resist the work of demons by yourself?  Are you so strong you don't need the Lord's help?  Would you strong arm the Lord to allow you your liberty?

 

1 Corinthians 10:23-24

I wonder how many people only remember the "All things are lawful" part of this verse.  Yes, maybe everything is permissible, but why?  Where's your heart?  Who gets the glory?  The idea isn't that 'Everything is permissible' for you to satisfy the lusts of your flesh; to feed your craving for meat because you're tired of manna.  Everything is permissible as you seek out the good for others, to edify others and glorify God.  That means a temperate life; a life of sacrifice; giving up some things we might enjoy; even though it is permissible because it may not be beneficial or constructive.  You have the liberty to do without, to suffer, to sacrifice for the good of others.

If we have things in our life for our sole pleasure or use that are not beneficial, constructive and end up being destructive to others, we're tempting God and possibly stumbling others.  If there are things like that in our lives, we need to address them.  We need to deal with them before God does.

 

1 Corinthians 10:25-30

Again, this seems like Paul has made his point and circled back to where he was in chapter 8.  Eat what you want in the market, no big deal.  If your invited to a meal, eat, enjoy.  The earth is the Lord's; those animals were the Lord's when they were alive and they belong to Him in the market.  However, if someone says to you that the meat was offered to idols it is clear they think it is wrong for you to eat.  At that point you should avoid eating for the other's conscience.  You can't bring your freedom under judgment because of another's conscience.  If nothing is said, thank God for it and eat.

Paul quotes Psalm 24 twice, verse 26 and 28.  This was phrase often used in prayer of thanksgiving for meals.  It acknowledges the Lord is the only true God and creator of all.  It's all His, for His glory.

 

1 Corinthians 10:31-33

Here is the summary for the last 3 chapters. 

• An unbeliever invites you to dinner; go, eat without asking questions.  In this case, ignorance is bliss.
• However, if you are told it was offered to idols, don't eat.  They told you for a reason.

Why would you allow your liberty to be judged by another's conscience?  Why would you put yourself in a place where you are spoken evil of when you were giving thanks to God? 

'Whatever you do', do it all for the glory of God.  You can't do something for the glory of God and cause someone to stumble at the same time.  You can't share fellowship with a demon to the glory of God.  You can't look at your neighbor and say, "What's your problem, I have liberty?" to the glory of God.  The Corinthians had done this and justified their actions with their claims to Christian liberty.

To be done for the glory of God it has to be done so that it harms no one.  We should be trying to please everyone in every way; seeking the good of others, not my own good, or my own pleasure.  When you think about this and try to apply these lessons to our lives and our culture, I wonder how we deal with this in a world that finds offense in anything that remotely resembles or mentions Jesus.  Corinth was a pagan culture with lots of gods but it was more of an 'anything goes' atmosphere.  Everyone wasn't running around ready to find offense at the drop of a hat.

We've seen this in our time over and over.  Someone prayed in the name of Jesus; a cross was spotted; or a T shirt with bible verse was worn to school; or, God forbid, the worst of all offenses, the Ten Commandments were on display in a courtroom.  "We can't have those kinds of standards in our court, someone might feel bad about themselves," says the world.  So how do we put these lessons to work in our lives? Let's read these verses again:

³¹So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ³²Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— ³³even 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.

Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.  To cause someone to stumble is to put a bump in the road.  It causes them to stop or veer from their course.  The course we are concerned with is the path that leads to God.  The key to the passage is the last verse.  Paul said, I'm not doing this for me but for those that might be saved.  If the world cries foul and claims we are offensive because we pray to Jesus Christ, we become a stumbling block to them, yes, but not on the road to Christ.  We become a bump in the road on the way to hell.  That's okay, that's good.  We can become a road block then.

All that we do is tested against salvation and bringing the world to Jesus Christ.  Are our actions bringing people to salvation or are they keeping them away?  The world is always watching.  We have to be a good testimony and witness to those that are looking into our lives and looking in the front windows of our church.  They are looking for the truth and for answers.  They are looking for the God of mercy to wash the sin from their lives even though they don't realize that's what they need.

If I picture my life, the road I'm on I see those along the road showing me the way.  They were like road markers showing me the clear path.  Showing me where I was and keeping me on that right path; family, friends, mentors, pastors and even a few strangers.  I can also look back now and clearly see some of the people who stumbled me.  It didn't realize it at the time, nor did they.  But they were bumps in the road, trying to knock me off course.

To those people whose life you affect; your family, church family, co-workers, neighbors, friends, and strangers that wander by.  Are we staying out of the road?  Are we instead showing them the way?  Are we a clear marker in someone else's life, showing them the clear path to Jesus Christ?  To Salvation?  To forgiveness and to eternal life?  Let all that we do be done as a testimony to the saving grace of Jesus Christ so others might find salvation.  In that way our lives will bring glory to God.

 

©2006, 2010, 2016, 2022 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater