1 Corinthians 10
1 I want you to bear in mind, friends, that all our ancestors were beneath the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
For I would have you remember, brethren, how our forefathers were all of them sheltered by the cloud, and all got safely through the Red Sea.
2 that in the cloud and in the sea they all underwent baptism as followers of Moses;
All were baptized in the cloud and in the sea to be followers of Moses.
3 and that they all ate the same supernatural food,
All ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same supernatural water, for they used to drink from a supernatural rock which followed them, and that rock was the Christ.
and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they long drank the water that flowed from the spiritual rock that went with them--and that rock was the Christ.
5 Yet with most of them God was displeased; for they were struck down in the desert.
But with most of them God was not well pleased; for they were laid low in the Desert.
6 Now these things happened as warnings to us, to teach us not to long for evil things as our ancestors longed.
And in this they became a warning to us, to teach us not to be eager, as they were eager, in pursuit of what is evil.
7 Do not become idolaters, as some of them became. Scripture says – ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to dance.’
And you must not be worshippers of idols, as some of them were. For it is written, "The People sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to dance."
8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them acted, with the result that twenty-three thousand of them fell dead in a single day.
Nor may we be fornicators, like some of them who committed fornication and on a single day 23,000 of them fell dead.
9 Nor let us try the patience of the Lord too far, as some of them tried it, with the result that they were, one after another, destroyed by snakes.
And do not let us test the Lord too far, as some of them tested Him and were destroyed by the serpents.
10 And do not murmur, as some of them murmured, and so were destroyed by the angel of death.
And do not be discontented, as some of them were, and they were destroyed by the Destroyer.
11 These things happened to them by way of warning, and were recorded to serve as a caution to us, in whose days the close of the ages has come. (aiōn g165)
All this kept happening to them with a figurative meaning; but it was put on record by way of admonition to us upon whom the ends of the Ages have come. (aiōn g165)
12 Therefore let the person who thinks that they stand take care that they do not fall.
So then let him who thinks he is standing securely beware of falling.
13 No temptation has come upon you that is not common to all humanity. God will not fail you, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength; but, when he sends the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, so that you may have strength to endure.
No temptation has you in its power but such as is common to human nature; and God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. But, when the temptation comes, He will also provide the way of escape; so that you may be able to bear it.
14 Therefore, my dear friends, shun the worship of idols.
Therefore, my dear friends, avoid all connection with the worship of idols.
15 I speak to you as man of discernment; form your own judgment about what I am saying.
I speak as to men of sense: judge for yourselves of what I say.
16 In the cup of blessing which we bless, is not there a sharing in the blood of the Christ? And in the bread which we break, is not there a sharing in the body of the Christ?
The cup of blessing, which we bless, does it not mean a joint-participation in the blood of Christ? The loaf of bread which we break, does it not mean a joint-participation in the body of Christ?
17 The bread is one, and we, though many, are one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
Since there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; we, all of us, share in that one loaf.
18 Look at the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices share with the altar?
Look at the Israelites--the nation and their ritual. Are not those who eat the sacrifices joint-partakers in the altar?
19 What do I mean? That an offering made to an idol, or the idol itself, is anything?
Do I mean that a thing sacrificed to an idol is what it claims to be, or that an idol is a real thing?
20 No; what I say is that the sacrifices offered by the Gentiles are offered to demons and to a being who is no God, and I do not want you to share with demons.
No, but that which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God; and I would not have you have fellowship with one another through the demons.
21 You cannot drink both the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons.
You cannot drink the Lord's cup and the cup of demons: you cannot be joint-partakers both in the table of the Lord and in the table of demons.
22 Or are we to rouse the jealousy of the Lord? Are we stronger than he?
Or are we actually arousing the Lord to jealousy. Are we stronger than He is?
23 Everything is allowable! Yes, but everything is not profitable. Everything is allowable! Yes, but everything does not build up character.
Everything is allowable, but not everything is profitable. Everything is allowable, but everything does not build others up.
24 A person must not study their own interests, but the interests of others.
Let no one be for ever seeking his own good, but let each seek that of his fellow man.
25 Eat anything that is sold in the market, without making inquiries to satisfy your scruples;
Anything that is for sale in the meat market, eat, and ask no questions for conscience' sake;
26 for the earth, with all that is in it, belongs to the Lord.
for the earth is the Lord's, and all that it contains.
27 If an unbeliever invites you to his house and you consent to go, eat anything that is put before you, without making inquiries to satisfy your scruples.
If an unbeliever gives you an invitation and you are disposed to accept it, eat whatever is put before you, and ask no questions for conscience' sake.
28 But, if anyone should say to you ‘This has been offered in sacrifice to an idol,’ then, for the sake of the speaker and his scruples, do not eat it.
But if any one tells you, "This food has been offered in sacrifice;" abstain from eating it--out of respect for him who warned you, and, as before, for conscience' sake.
29 I do not say your scruples, but his. For why should the freedom that I claim be condemned by the scruples of another?
But now I mean his conscience, not your own. "Why, on what ground," you may object, "is the question of my liberty of action to be decided by a conscience not my own?
30 If, for my part, I take the food thankfully, why should I be abused for eating that for which I give thanks?
If, so far as I am concerned, I partake with a grateful heart, why am I to be found fault with in regard to a thing for which I give thanks?"
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything to the honor of God.
Whether, then, you are eating or drinking, or whatever you are doing, let everything be done to the glory of God.
32 Do not cause offense either to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God;
Do not be causes of stumbling either to Jews or to Gentiles, nor to the Church of God.
33 for I, also, try to please everybody in everything, not seeking my own advantage, but do what is best for others, so that they may be saved.
That is the way that I also seek in everything the approval of all men, not aiming at my own profit, but at that of the many, in the hope that they may be saved.
