HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1407
page 1037
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 can stand. When you
are tempted, he will show you a way out so that
you can endure.
14 So, my dear friends, flee from the worship
of idols. 15 You are reasonable people. Decide
for yourselves if what I am saying is true.
16 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? 17 And though we are many,
we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that
we are one body. 18 Think about the people of
Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?
19 What am I trying to say? Am I saying that
food offered to idols has some significance, or
that idols are real gods? 20 No, 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. 21 You 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. 22 What? Do we dare to
rouse the Lord’s jealousy? Do you think we are
stronger than he is?
23 You 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. 24 Don’t be concerned for
your own good but for the good of others.
25 So you may eat any meat that is sold in
the marketplace without raising questions of
conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and
everything in it.”*
27 If 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. 29 It 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?
30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it,
why should I be condemned for eating it?
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever
you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Don’t
give offense to Jews or Gentiles* or the church
of God. 33 I, too, try to please everyone in every-
10:23 Greek All things are lawful; also in 10:23b. 10:26 Ps 24:1.
10:32 Greek or Greeks.
1 COR INTHIANS 10
thing 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. 11:1 And you should imitate me, just as
I imitate Christ.
• Maturity
1 C OR I N THI A N S 9:24-27
As he watched athletes training for and
competing in their games, Paul saw an
illustration of the struggles and victories of
the Christian life. Although our final victory
over death through Christ is already
assured, we must strive for daily victory
over the issues and temptations we face
now. We discipline ourselves, not in order
to earn salvation, but to experience the
joy and victory God intends for us now!
Look hard at your spiritual life. Are you
vigorously participating in the game,
barely keeping pace, or merely watching
from the stands?
• Temptation
1 C OR I N THI A N S 10:12
In the Old Testament, David confessed
his sin to God, acknowledging that he
was constantly on the verge of sin (Psalm
38:15-18). No matter how hard we try to
follow God, we are sinners by nature and
so we often sin. Daily we stand on the
verge of sin as if we were walking along
the edge of a cliff and could fall at any
moment. Those who think they are beyond
sin are sure to fall. Therefore, the first step
toward avoiding sin is to admit to God in
prayer our tendency to go over the edge.
Only then will we be in touch with the
divine resources to help us avoid sin.
• Self-Control
1 C OR I N THI A N S 10:13
Similar to us today, the Corinthian believers
lived in a culture filled with immorality that
was accepted as normal. Paul says in no
uncertain terms, however, that although
everyone is tempted, we possess in Christ
the power to resist sin. The Holy Spirit
has been promised to every believer in
order to encourage us and guide us into
all truth (John 14:15-27). When we yield
our decisions and behavior to the Spirit’s
control, we can resist temptation.