Christian Basics Bible - Flipbook - Page 23
page 1313 • 1 Corinthians 10
to Christ. When I was with those who follow
the Jewish law, I too lived under that law.
Even though I am not subject to the law,
I did this so I could bring to Christ those
who are under the law. 21 When I am with
the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish
law,* I too live apart from that law so I can
bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the
law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
22
When I am with those who are weak, I
share their weakness, for I want to bring the
weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common
ground with everyone, doing everything
I can to save some. 23I do everything to spread
the Good News and share in its blessings.
24
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone
runs, but only one person gets the prize? So
run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in
their training. They do it to win a prize that
will fade away, but we do it for an eternal
prize. 26So I run with purpose in every step. I
am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my
body like an athlete, training it to do what it
should. Otherwise, I fear that after preach
ing to others I myself might be disqualified.
Lessons from Israel’s Idolatry
I don’t want you to forget, dear broth
ers 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. 2 In the cloud and in the
10
sea, all of them were baptized as followers
of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual
food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiri
tual water. For they drank from the spiritual
rock that traveled with them, and that rock
was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with
most of them, and their bodies were scat
tered in the wilderness.
6
These things happened as a warning to
us, so that we would not crave evil things as
they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them
did. As the Scriptures say, “The people cele
brated with feasting and drinking, and they
indulged in pagan revelry.”* 8 And we must
not engage in sexual immorality as some of
them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in
one day.
9
Nor should we put Christ* to the test, as
some of them did and then died from snake
bites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them
did, and then were destroyed by the angel
of death. 11 These things happened to them
as examples for us. They were written down
to warn us who live at the end of the age.
12
If you think you are standing strong,
be careful not to fall. 13 The 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
8:3 Some manuscripts read the person who loves has full
knowledge.
8:11 Greek brother; also in 8:13. 8:12 Greek
brothers.
9:3 Greek those who examine me.
9:5a Greek a
sister a wife.
9:5b Greek Cephas.
9:9 Deut 25:4. 9:21 Greek
those without the law.
10:1 Greek brothers.
10:7 Exod 32:6.
10:9 Some manuscripts read the Lord.
Temptation
Temptation—the incitement to do wrong—is as old as the Garden of Eden
(Genesis 3:1) and is therefore something that everyone experiences. No
temptation is unique to us (1 Corinthians 10:13), though the devil tries to get us
to think it is. To deal with it requires two things.
First, remember that temptation is not the same thing as sin. Jesus was
tempted (Matthew 4:1-11), yet he was without sin (Hebrews 4:15), for he refused
to say yes to it. It is not temptation itself but giving in to temptation that is sin.
Second, be aware of the devil’s strategies against us. He sends temptation when
we are weak, or discouraged, or tired, or alone, often reminding us of things
that were important to us in the past, hoping to draw us into them. He lies to us,
saying we will feel better if we do it, when really we know we will feel worse.
Paul therefore gives us both an assurance and a challenge: an assurance that
God will sustain us and provide an escape (1 Corinthians 10:13); and a challenge
to “flee from the worship of idols” (10:14)—flee, not entertain in our thoughts.
When Joseph fled temptation (Genesis 39:1-12), he was ultimately blessed; but
when David yielded to temptation (2 Samuel 11), it led to disaster.
