1 Coríntios 10
H.A. Ironside · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Coríntios 10
Ironside - —Num. 10:11, 12. The Book of Numbers gives us the account of the wilderness experiences of the children of Israel. It is the book of testing, covering the forty years between Sinai and the entrance into the land of Canaan. For us as Christians there are many salutary lessons to which our attention is called in the New Testament, where we are told that "all these things happened unto them for ensamples (types): and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor. 10:11). Their many failures are held up as warnings to us, lest we also go astray by unbelief and self-indulgence. The only path of safety is that of implicit obedience to the Word of the living God. To turn aside and follow the path of our personal inclinations is bound to result in failure, dishonor to God, and loss to ourselves. It is well to remember that the wilderness was no part of God's purpose for His people, but it was part of His ways with them, to bring them to a realization of their own frailty and the untrustworthiness of their own hearts, in order that they might learn to depend entirely upon Him. Who's In The Picture? Read: 2 Samuel 12:1-15 Nathan said to David, "You are the man!. —2 Samuel 12:7 My daughter came home from school one day with a brain teaser. See if you can figure it out. Imagine that you are a school bus driver. A red-haired student gets on the bus and begins combing her hair with a green brush. At the next stop two more students get on and say in passing that they like the color of the driver’s new blue cap. As they walk to the rear of the bus, the shorter of the two shouts back, “I wouldn’t let that red-head stay on the bus if I were you. Her brush clashes with your hair!” What color is the bus driver’s hair? Think about it. Remember, you are the bus driver. (Answer: your hair color.) If you didn’t see yourself in that story until I told you, you’re not alone. King David made a similar mistake with another story. He became furious when a prophet of God told about a rich man who stole a poor man’s pet for his dinner. Yet it became very clear as Nathan bluntly said to David, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7). We can read the Bible but fail to see ourselves in the picture. We tend to forget that the Bible was “written for our admonition” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Do you see yourself in the pages of Scripture? How long since you’ve realized how personal these letters from God are to you? Your heart and conscience cannot safely guide, For they are darkened by the sin inside; But if you want to have a picture true, The Word of God will mirror what is you. —Hess The Bible gives us a picture of who we really are These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition. —1 Corinthians 10:11 Commercial aircraft carry two flight-data recorders called “black boxes.” One logs the performance and condition of the aircraft in flight, and the other records the conversation of the crew with air-traffic controllers on the ground. These boxes are insulated to protect against extreme temperatures and are fitted with underwater locator beacons that emit sounds to the surface. After an airplane crash, these boxes are retrieved and the data carefully analyzed to determine the cause of the crash. Air safety experts want to learn from past mistakes, among other things, so they won’t be repeated. As Christians, we too should look at mistakes from the past and learn from them. Paul, for example, alluded to some of the mistakes the Israelites made in their journey from Egypt to Canaan. He wrote that because God was not pleased with them, many died in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:5). Paul went on to explain that “these things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age” (v.11 NLT). The inspired Word of God is written for our instruction for living (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Thank You, Lord, for the guidance of Your Word. For Your holy Book we thank You; May its message be our guide, May we understand the wisdom Of the truth Your laws provide. —Carter God’s warnings are to protect us, not to punish us. A Sense Of History Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 | Bible in a Year: Job 18-20 All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition. —1 Corinthians 10:11 As my wife and I toured the British Museum, we were struck by the history and legacy contained in that massive facility in London. We looked at artifacts that were centuries older than anything found in the United States, reminding me how valuable it is to have a sense of history. History gives us a record of perspective, context, and consequences that can help us make wise choices as we learn from both the successes and failures of those who have gone before us. Paul also saw the value of embracing the lessons of history. He warned of the destructive nature of bad choices by recounting the story of the children of Israel and their wilderness wanderings—a result of their refusal to trust God and enter the Promised Land (see Num. 14). Then Paul told the believers in Corinth, “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:11). God has given us the Bible, partly to help us learn from the history of His people. Biblical lessons contain both examples and warnings to guard us against our worst inclinations and to lead us into wiser living. The question is whether we will learn from the lessons of the past or repeat the mistakes of those who came before us. Lord, teach us from the stories in Your Word. We know You’ve put them there to guide us and give us wisdom. Help us to make obedience out of love for You our purpose. Amen. Valuable lessons are learned from examining the lives of God’s people who’ve gone before. 1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. Amplified Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin]. Wuest So that he who thinks he stands, let him be taking heed lest he fall. (Eerdmans Publishing - used by permission) Zodhiates So then, let him who thinks he has been standing securely beware lest he fall. NET 1 Corinthians 10:12 So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall. NLT 1 Corinthians 10:12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. ESV 1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. NIV 1 Corinthians 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! GNT 1 Corinthians 10:12 ὥστε ὁ δοκῶν ἑστάναι βλεπέτω μὴ πέσῃ. KJV 1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. YLT 1 Corinthians 10:12 so that he who is thinking to stand -- let him observe, lest he fall. ASV 1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. CSB 1 Corinthians 10:12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. MIT 1 Corinthians 10:12 Consequently, let the one who feels sure of himself see to it that he does not fall. NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. NRS 1 Corinthians 10:12 So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. NAB 1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. NJB 1 Corinthians 10:12 Everyone, no matter how firmly he thinks he is standing, must be careful he does not fall. GWN 1 Corinthians 10:12 So, people who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don't fall. BBE 1 Corinthians 10:12 So let him who seems to himself to be safe go in fear of a fall. 1Co 4:6-8 8:2 Pr 16:18 Pr 28:14 Mt 26:33-34,40-41 Ro 11:20 Rev 3:17,18 1 Corinthians 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE DANGER OF BEING PROUD OF GRACE! Therefore (hoste) is a term of conclusion and is quite strategic in this case. The saints had just been clearly warned about the sins of the nation of Israel and Paul wants his readers to not just hear/read the warnings, but take serious note of the warnings for the sake of their spiritual health (cf Jas 1:22+). As Godet says therefore indicates that this exhortation to watchfulness is the inference to be drawn from the foregoing examples. Zodhiates - If that which happened to Israel in the past is a lesson for us, let us pay close attention to this Scripture, for "history is recorded so that we may avoid the errors of the past." Let him who (present tense - continually) thinks (is of the opinion that) he stands take heed that he does not fall - Thinks is the verb dokeo which Paul had used earlier in 1 Cor 8:2+ warning "If anyone supposes (dokeo) that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know." This is a strong warning to them (and us) against smug complacency regarding their (our) salvation! And remember that Paul has just encouraged the saints to run in such a way that they might win (1 Cor 9:24+). So clearly and logically if we stumble and fall, we are less likely to "win!" THOUGHT - Over the past 20+ years I have been riding a bike for exercise and, needless to say, I have fallen a number of times, and almost fallen many other times (only to barely catch my balance). Invariably I have been most vulnerable to falling when I was either not moving or just barely moving. Here's the simple point - in our spiritual journey, we are most vulnerable to falling when we are not moving forward! Beloved, if you are not in the Book, in prayer, in community, in accountability (and the list could go on), then YOU ARE VULNERABLE TO FALLING spiritually speaking! (cf Php 3:13-14+). GET MOVING BELOVED! Swindoll - The word take heed means “to look at something.” Paul is saying, in essence, “If you think that you will avoid the disciplining hand of God’s judgment because of your conversion to Christianity, take a closer look: Realize that you—yes, even you—are liable to the discipline of the holy God.” (Ibid) Arnold - The Corinthian saints were abusing their Christian liberties because they knew they were eternally secure in Christ. They were cocksure of their position and privileges in Christ, so much so that they were living recklessly. Paul says, “Watch out, lest you fall!” Christian, don’t get complacent and smugly secure or the world, the flesh and the devil will sneak up on you to entice you to sin so you will fall spiritually. The kingdom of darkness (Col 1:13+, Acts 26:18+) is trying to assault you and overcome you so as to discourage and defeat you. The devil would like nothing better than that you should fall and be disqualified (1 Cor 9:27+). You are under attack. You are in a battle (cf 1 Pe 2:11b+). You are running a race that must be won (Heb 12:1-2+, 2 Ti 4:7+). You are fighting a war with a clever and ruthless enemy whose devices are clever and whose strategies are subtle (Eph 6:11-12+). The moment you think you have it made spiritually, you are the target of the fiery darts of Satan (Eph 6:16+). He can trip you and trap you in a thousand different ways. This all may result in disqualification which involves being set on the shelf for service, loosing future rewards or being checked out of this world by physical death! Take heed, Christian, lest you fall! Stands is in the perfect tense picturing one who has begun in the past to consider he is strong enough to stand and is now in the state of standing (his mindset is abiding). The Amplified adds "who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm" which makes him very vulnerable to temptation and to falling! THOUGHT - How many times we have all experienced spiritual highs which caused us to let down our guard and/or become self-satisfied and/or prideful and we end up being easily taken down by a "gentle breeze" of passing temptation! (See Collapse after Carmel) “Confidence: The feeling you have just before you understand the gravity of the situation.” Why might the Corinthians think they could stand and not fall into temptations which took down the Israelites? As we have seen arrogance and pride were significant sins among the saints at Corinth (cf 1 Cor 4:6, 18, 19+, 1 Cor 5:2+, 1 Cor 8:1+). And as Solomon wrote (and sadly later experienced - 1 Ki 11:1-12) "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling." (Pr 16:18) So clearly many of the saints at Corinth were a "set up" for falling! And so Paul does not just give them a suggestion, but as their loving spiritual father gives them a serious command to take heed, a command in the present imperative emphasizing that there was never to be moment when they (AND WE) were not on "guard duty" so to speak and in desperate need of depending on the Holy Spirit to obey. As Solomon warned in Proverbs 4:23+ "Watch over your heart with all diligence, (WHY?) for from it flow the springs of life." There are to be no "furloughs" in this incessant spiritual warfare for as Peter said the "(strong, seductive) fleshly lusts (present tense - continually) wage war (strateuomai) against the soul." (1 Peter 2:11+). Note that the phrase does not fall does not suggest one can lose their salvation. Paul is warning about the danger of falling into sin. If we think we are so secure that we could be comfortable ("safe") in any environment, we need to be cautious, for this type of arrogant attitude can result in falling into sin. One is reminded of a similar warning from our Lord He gave in the Garden Gethsemane to the three sleeping disciples and especially directed to Peter (who had set himself up thinking he would never fall! He hadn't read Paul's warning! Read Peter's boastful declaration in Mt 26:33-34).... "Keep watching and praying (both are present imperative and to obey both commands continually we need to continually depend on the Holy Spirit) that you may not enter into temptation (peirasmos); the spirit is willing (Mt 26:33), but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:41+) As
1 Coríntios 10
Ironside - The communion (1 Corinthians 10:16) is not in any sense a sacrifice. It commemorates the one perfect sacrifice offered by our Lord once for all when He gave Himself for us on Calvary. Neither should it be celebrated with any thought of its having saving value or increasing merit. It is the reminder that when we were utterly lost and helpless, Christ died for us to redeem us to God. It is true that the sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15) should ever accompany it as we contemplate the great cost at which we were saved, and rejoice that He who endured such grief and shame for us is now alive forevermore, never again to have to submit to the pain of death. We call Him to mind as the Author and Finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sits at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). Around the table of His grace, Spread with this feast of love, We meditate in perfect peace On our High Priest above: With praise and gratitude we trace The wonders of His love. Horatius Bonar - THE ONE LOAF “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? For we, being many, are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.”—1 COR. 10:16, 17. IT is only in passing, and as an illustration of his argument on another subject that the apostle introduces the Lord’s Supper here; and yet how full his statement, how bright the aspect in which he presents it to us! The oneness of the worshipper, even in a heathen temple, with the whole religion or system of worship, and with the false god into whose temple he comes; this is his theme. It is in illustration of this that he reminds us of the Supper. Strange that in connection with a pagan altar and a temple of devils he should be led to give us one of the most striking of all his statements regarding the Supper. He takes the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils, places them side by side, and shews us the one from the other. There is an infinite difference; and yet there is a likeness; for there is a oneness in both between the worshipper and the god worshipped. On this dark canvas of a heathen temple he draws his picture of the holiest of Christian ordinances. In the Evangelists we are shewn the Supper from the Jerusalem upper chamber; in the eleventh chapter of this epistle we see it from a Christian church; here we are shewn it from a heathen temple. He speaks of the “cup” as symbolizing the body of our Lord which contained the blood or living wine. He puts the cup first, because in speaking of the heathen rites he had already made special mention of the cup first; perhaps also to shew that the order of the two symbols was of no consequence; and perhaps to prevent the possibility of Romish error in refusing the cup to the worshippers. Let us now meditate on the cup and the bread, or the cup and the platter, as set before us here. I. The cup. It may have been of gold, or silver, or brass, or wood; it matters not. It was made of earthly materials, as was the Lord’s body, and it was the vessel for containing the wine, as was the Lord’s body for containing His blood,—that blood which was drink indeed, which was the new wine of the kingdom. (1.) Its name. “The cup of blessing which we bless.” All blessing is in Scripture connected with Messiah, His person, and His work. Hence that vessel which so specially points to Him receives this name. It contains blessing,—the blessing,—the long-promised, long-looked-for blessing. The wine in that cup is impregnated with blessing. Every drop of it speaks of blessing,—of that which God calls blessing,—of that which is fitted to do us good and make us happy, to remove death and give life. The words, “which we bless,” are not priestly words, spoken to imply the consecration of the elements by a priest’s blessing. The “we” is all believers; and the word “bless” is literally, “to speak well of”; and the whole expression is, “the cup of the well-speaking, of which we speak well,” or praise; referring to the united praise and thanksgiving of the worshippers. And of that cup it is meet that we speak well. Though its literal contents are simply wine; yet that wine is the divine symbol of all blessing; so that we may say truly, Its contents are blessing,—every drop fraught with blessing,—blessing which faith receives, and in which hope rejoices. (2.) Its meaning. “Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?” or, “is it not communion with the blood of Christ?” That wine is then the symbol of the blood; the blood of the new covenant, the everlasting covenant. That blood is the life; and that life is the payment of the sinner’s penalty: “The soul that sinneth it shall die.” In that cup there is both death and life,—the death of the Surety, and the life flowing out of that death; our death flowing into Him, so that He dies; His life flowing into us, so that we live. Thus the cup is the cup of blessing for the sinner, because it contains both the death and the life. Of this blessing, symbolised by that cup and its contents, we become possessors when we believe on the name of the Son of God; for it is faith that opens up the communication between us and His fulness. But in the Lord’s Supper there is more visible, more palpable contact, though still of the same kind. Hence, the words of our text, “the communion of the blood of Christ.” The word communion is properly “partnership,”—“partnership in the blood of Christ”; all that the blood contains for the soul becoming ours,—the whole blood becoming the property of each believer. All its blessings,—the paid ransom, the cancelled penalty, the forgiveness, the life, the joy, all becoming ours; we being partakers of Christ, partakers of His blood, partners in His death and life. He, then, that takes that cup is committed to all that it symbolises; he is counted as one with it; the possessor of its contents; the partaker of its fulness. He is to reckon himself one with Jesus in His death; and God reckons him such. Nothing less. He has the whole, or he has nothing! It is not a little strength, or healing, or refreshment from the blood which he is made partaker of; but the blood itself, and all that it contains. For the possession, the enjoyment of all that fulness, every communicant is responsible. If he be a worthy communicant (a believing man), the blessing will flow in, and these symbols will help the inflow. If he be an unworthy communicant, he is not the less responsible for participation of all that fulness; and that will be his condemnation. He took into his hands the cup of blessing, he put it to his lips, and yet he did not drink one drop! II. The bread. The word more properly signifies “the loaf” or “cake,” intimating its original oneness or completeness. It is necessary to keep this in mind, as the point of the apostle’s argument turns on this. Let us consider. (1.) What the bread signifies. It is bread,—the common passover loaf, unleavened bread,—made of the corn of earth; grown in our fields, cut down, gathered in, winnowed, ground, and formed into a loaf for the passover table. Such was Christ’s body,—our very flesh; born, growing up, ripening, cut down, prepared for our food. A thing by itself; unleavened and pure; free from sin; in all respects fit for the souls’ food. “My flesh is meat indeed.” It is Christ’s body that is thus symbolised and set before us as the whole food and nourishment of our souls. Except we eat His flesh, we have no life in us. (2.) What the breaking of the bread signifies. It points us to the cross; it speaks of a crucified Christ. Not a bone of Him was broken, and yet His body was broken; head, hands, feet, back, side, pierced and bruised and wounded. His body unbroken is no food for us. It is no nourishment for the soul of the sinner. It would not suit our taste, nor satisfy our appetite, nor feed our souls, nor prove wholesome food. We need something in which death is; death as the payment of sin’s penalty. All without this is tasteless and unnourishing. Hence the unprofitableness of that theology whose centre or foundation is not the cross of the substitute; atonement by the death of the surety. “The bread which we break,” says the apostle, evidently pointing with special emphasis to the breaking, and announcing this as the main feature of the symbol. It is on the broken body of our Lord that we feed. Incarnation without crucifixion does not satisfy the soul. Bethlehem without Golgotha would be mockery. (3.) What our partaking of it signifies. For we do not merely gaze upon it or handle it; we take it and we eat; we eat not in solitude or in our chambers, but as a company at a feast. This act of eating, then, has a twofold signification or reference,—a reference to Christ and to ourselves. (a) A reference to Christ. It is “communion with the body of Christ,” partnership with that body; so that all that is in it of virtue, or health, or strength, or excellence, becomes ours. It is one with us and we with it. The whole fulness of blessing contained in it becomes ours. We reckon ourselves one with it, and God reckons us one with it. As he who eats of the idols’ bread in a heathen temple is responsible for the whole idolatry of the place, and is so dealt with by God, so he who eats this broken bread in faith is identified with a crucified Christ and all His fulness. Partnership with the body of Christ; how much that implies! (b) A reference to ourselves. It realises to us the perfect oneness between the members of Christ’s body. As the loaf is made up of many parts or crumbs, and yet is but one loaf; nay, gets its true oneness from the union of these many parts, so is it with the members of the body of Christ. Many, yet one; one, yet many; the number not marring the oneness, but perfecting it; the oneness not hindering the number, but requiring it for its full development. This is one of the numerous symbols used to unfold this peculiar truth. There are others no less expressive. One family, many members. One temple, many stones. One body, many limbs. One loaf, many parts! We may add others. One city, many citizens. One ocean, many drops. One firmament, many stars. One song, many words. One harmony, many notes. One sun, many rays. Thus in these symbols we have partnership with Christ, with His blood, with His body, so that all that He has is ours. Each has the whole fulness, as each inhabitant of earth has the whole sun. Oneness with Christ and oneness with each are embodied in these symbols. We are many, yet one; many members yet one body, and one head. All that He has is ours. His life, our life; His light, our light; His fulness, our fulness; His strength, our strength; His righteousness, our righteousness; His crown, our crown; His glory, our glory; His inheritance, our inheritance: for we are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. If these things be so,— 1. What a blessed place should the communion table be to us. A Peniel where we prevail with God, and receive the blessing in full. What strength, health, joy, light, should we find there! There the whole fulness of Christ is presented to us. 2. What manner of persons ought we to be. Holy, powerful, separate from the world, like Him by whose body and blood we are nourished. Nothing is lacking to those who have this heavenly communion, this divine partnership. 3. What love and unity should prevail amongst us? One with Christ, one with each other. This ordinance represents the oneness, increases it, cherishes it. Sitting side by side, we are drawn closer to the Lord, closer to each other in and through Him. 4. What longing for the time when we shall see Him face to face. Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Amen! Even so come Lord Jesus Reformation Study Bible on The Sacraments Christ instituted two rites for His followers to observe: baptism, a once-for-all rite of initiation (Matt. 28:19; Gal. 3:27), and the Lord’s Supper, a regular rite of remembrance (1 Cor. 11:23–26). These are called “sacraments” in the Western church, “mysteries” in the Eastern Orthodox church, or “ordinances.” Scripture has no technical term for the two rites or the corresponding Old Testament observances, that is, circumcision of males as a rite of initiation (Gen. 17:9–14, 23–27) and the annual passover as a rite of remembrance (Ex. 12:1–27). Biblical teaching, however, warrants classifying them all together as signs and seals of a covenant relationship with God. “Sacrament” is from a Latin word meaning sacred. Study of the Christian rites themselves leads to a definition of sacrament as a ritual action instituted by Christ in which signs perceived by the senses present to us the grace of God in Christ and the blessings of His covenant. They communicate and confirm these blessings to believers, who in receiving the sacraments respond to God’s grace and declare their faith and allegiance to Him. The sacraments “put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the world.” They solemnly “engage [Christians] to the service of God in Christ, according to His Word” (Westminster Confession, XXVII.1). It was a mistake of the medieval church to classify as sacraments five more rites (confirmation, penance, marriage, ordination, and extreme unction). These five are not seals of a covenant relationship with God. They were not instituted by Christ, and they do not have “any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God” (Thirty-Nine Articles, XXV). The sacraments are means of grace, for God uses them to strengthen faith’s confidence in His promises and to call forth acts of faith for receiving the good gifts signified. The efficacy of the sacraments is not from the faith or virtue of the minister, but from the faithfulness of God, who, having given the signs, is now pleased to use them. Christ and the apostles speak of the sign as if it were the thing signified, and as if receiving the former is the same as receiving the latter (Matt. 26:26–28; 1 Cor. 10:15–21; 1 Pet. 3:21, 22). As the preaching of the Word makes the gospel audible, so the sacraments make it visible. Sacraments strengthen faith by correlating Christian beliefs with the testimony of our senses. The Heidelberg Catechism illustrates this in its answer to Question 75. The key words are “as sure as.” Christ has commanded me … to eat of this broken bread and to drink of this cup in memory of Him, and therewith has given assurance: first, that His body was … broken on the cross for me, and His blood shed for me, as sure as I see with my eyes the bread … broken for me and the cup communicated to me; and, further, that with His crucified body and shed blood He Himself feeds and nourishes my soul to eternal life, as sure as I take and taste the bread and cup … which are given me as sure tokens of the body and blood of Christ. David Guzik on sacraments pictured in 1 Cor 10 - Israel even had ancient versions of the two Christian sacraments we receive to this day: baptism and communion. The word sacrament was used for the oath of allegiance that the soldiers of the Roman legion took to their emperor. The early Christians considered communion and baptism to be an “oath of allegiance” unto Jesus Christ. Removing Barriers You are all one in Christ Jesus. — Galatians 3:28 Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:16-22 A missionary in Calcutta said that she was profoundly influenced by a communion service she had attended during World War II. The leader of that meeting was a Swedish minister. Among those present were a Chinese pastor, a Japanese teacher, a German doctor, several English citizens, and a few Indian believers. The missionary recalled that she felt a closeness to each person in that diverse gathering, especially when they partook of the bread and the cup. They felt a bond of Christian fellowship, even though some of them were from countries engaged in a brutal war. The next time you celebrate the Lord’s Supper, think about your oneness with all who are participating in the service with you. Resolve to look beyond all cultural distinctions and do what you can to remove the barriers between you and others. Be merciful to those who have wronged you. Tell God you will forgive them and accept them. Determine that with His help you will show kindness to everyone, whether you feel like it or not. See the people around you as fellow members of the body of Christ. In Christ there is no East or West, In Him no South or North, But one great fellowship of love Throughout the whole wide earth. —Oxenham When Christians draw close to Christ, they draw closer to one another. 1 Corinthians 10:17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. Amplified For we [no matter how] numerous we are, are one body, because we all partake of the one Bread [the One Whom the communion bread represents]. NET 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread. NLT 1 Corinthians 10:17 And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. ESV 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. NIV 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. GNT 1 Corinthians 10:17 ὅτι εἷς ἄρτος, ἓν σῶμα οἱ πολλοί ἐσμεν, οἱ γὰρ πάντες ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἄρτου μετέχομεν. KJV 1 Corinthians 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. YLT 1 Corinthians 10:17 because one bread, one body, are we the many -- for we all of the one bread do partake. ASV 1 Corinthians 10:17 seeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body: for we are all partake of the one bread. CSB 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for all of us share that one bread. MIT 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because there is only one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share one bread. NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. NRS 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. NAB 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. NJB 1 Corinthians 10:17 And as there is one loaf, so we, although there are many of us, are one single body, for we all share in the one loaf. GWN 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because there is one loaf, we are one body, although we are many individuals. All of us share one loaf. BBE 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because we, being a number of persons, are one bread, we are one body: for we all take part in the one bread. we who are many: 1Co 12:12,27 Ro 12:5 Ga 3:26-28 Eph 1:22,23 2:15,16 3:6 4:12,13 Eph 4:25 Col 2:19 3:11,15 that: 1Co 10:3,4,21 1 Cor 11:26-28 1 Corinthians 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ONE WITH CHRIST ONE WITH EACH OTHER Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread - 'Amplified = "we all partake of the one Bread [the One Whom the communion bread represents]." What is the key word? One (bread...body...bread) which emphasizes our oneness with each other in the body of Christ and specifically our oneness and fellowship with each other when we celebrate the Lord's Supper and "we come into fellowship with each other in a unique and deep way (cf. 1 Cor. 6:17)." (MacArthur) As believers united in Christ, we do not lose our individual identity. The we all partake of the one bread is a reminder of our unity, our association with each other as believers. COMMENT - Note that partake (metecho) is translated "share" by some versions (NET, CSB) and is a key word in 1 Corinthians (5 of 8 NT uses in 1 Cor) = 1 Co. 9:10; 1 Co. 9:12; 1 Co. 10:17; 1 Co. 10:21; 1 Co. 10:30; Heb. 2:14; Heb. 5:13; Heb. 7:13 The Lord's Supper should always be an occasion for remembering the unity of the body of Christ. -- Zodhiates Paul is preparing the readers for his later warning about partaking with those who openly eat meat sacrificed to idols and make a point to state this fact, which Paul takes as tantamount to an act of worship. And for a believer to participate in this idolatrous act would mean they were in effect sharing spiritually in that act. (See 1 Cor 10:20-22, 28). This recalls HCSB Study Bible. - The phrase because there is one bread, we who are many are one body refers to the individual members who make up one corporate body, the church (12:12-27). United participation as one body at the Lord's Supper points to unified fellowship brought about by Christ's death as well as each individual believer's union with Christ. The Complete Biblical Library – Unity is emphasized. A single loaf was used at Communion, which symbolized unity. The ordinance stems from unity and creates unity for those who partake. They are one in spirit, one in faith, and one in worship. "Bread" suggests also the idea of a common nourishment, sustaining and strengthening an identical life. Swindoll - When believers properly partake of the bread and wine of communion, they participate in a confession of faith that they can see, taste, smell, touch, and hear. In the fullest physical sense, believers confess the incarnation of the God-man, who took on real flesh and blood (John 1:14), who died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us new life. With Christ presiding at the table as the host of His supper and by participating in the “cup of blessing” and the “one bread,” believers are fellowshipping with Him through the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). They are also fellowshipping with one another as “one body,” united in this solemn observance (1 Cor. 10:17). (Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary – 1 & 2 Corinthians) Alan Redpath - The second rule of the road takes us back a few verses: “The cup of blessing which we blessed, 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? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread” (1 Cor 10:16–17). If you apply the first rule of the road, and begin to break through into the circles of ungodly people and associate with them, immediately you will face the problem of maintaining your testimony. What is to be the guiding factor in your behavior? We have seen previously how time and time again Paul takes us back to the cross, and he does it again here: “The communion of the blood of Christ . . . the communion of the body of Christ.” To observe the first rule of the road would be disastrous unless we constantly recognize that we start out from Calvary. We must remember that in our new life our fellowship is not with the world and its ungodly people, but with the Lord Jesus in His death and resurrection. Partake (3348) (metecho from metá = with, denoting association + écho = have) means literally to hold with and so share in the possession of something or have a share of. Metecho means to share in the possession of something, to partake of or to consume food, whether solid or liquid eat, to eat food, to drink (1Co 10:30; figuratively in Heb 5:13), to be included in the membership of a group belong to (Heb 7:13) Another sense is when it has to do with taking hold of something that is not naturally one's own kind. So in Heb 2:14 humans by nature are flesh and blood but Christ was not but "He partook (metecho) of the same." He willingly took hold of something which did not naturally belong to Him, partaking of our nature in order that He might die in our place, and that we might "become partakers (koinonos) of the divine nature"(2 Pe 1:4+) Metecho - 8x in 8v - belongs(1), partake(3), partakes(1), partook(1), share(1), sharing(1). 1 Co. 9:10 = "sharing crops"; 1 Co. 9:12 = " If others share the right over you"; 1 Co. 10:17; 1 Co. 10:21 = "you cannot partake of the table"; 1 Co. 10:30 = " If I partake with thankfulness"; Heb. 2:14 = "He Himself likewise also partook of the same,"; Heb. 5:13 = "everyone who partakes only of milk"; Heb. 7:13 = "belongs to another tribe" Occurs twice in the Septuagint - Prov. 1:18; Prov. 5:17; 1 Corinthians 10:18 Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? Amplified Consider those [physically] people of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners of the altar [united in their worship of the same God]? NET 1 Corinthians 10:18 Look at the people of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? NLT 1 Corinthians 10:18 Think about the people of Israel. Weren't they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar? ESV 1 Corinthians 10:18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? NIV 1 Corinthians 10:18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? GNT 1 Corinthians 10:18 βλέπετε τὸν Ἰσραὴλ κατὰ σάρκα· οὐχ οἱ ἐσθίοντες τὰς θυσίας κοινωνοὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου εἰσίν; KJV 1 Corinthians 10:18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? YLT 1 Corinthians 10:18 See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar? ASV 1 Corinthians 10:18 Behold Israel after the flesh: have not they that eat the sacrifices communion with the altar? CSB 1 Corinthians 10:18 Look at the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in what is offered on the altar? MIT 1 Corinthians 10:18 Look at ethnic Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices participating in the sacrificial altar? NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? NRS 1 Corinthians 10:18 Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? NAB 1 Corinthians 10:18 Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? NJB 1 Corinthians 10:18 Now compare the natural people of Israel: is it not true that those who eat the sacrifices share the altar? GWN 1 Corinthians 10:18 Look at the people of Israel from a human point of view. Don't those who eat the sacrifices share what is on the altar? BBE 1 Corinthians 10:18 See Israel after the flesh: do not those who take as food the offerings of the altar take a part in the altar? Israel: Ro 4:1,12 9:3-8 2Co 11:18-22 Ga 6:16 Eph 2:11,12 Php 3:3-5 are: 1Co 9:13 Lev 3:3-5,11 7:11-17 1Sa 2:13-16 9:12,13 1 Corinthians 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Deuteronomy 12:18 (ISRAEL'S FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD) “But you shall eat them before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God will choose, you and your son and daughter, and your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all your undertakings. ISRAEL'S SACRIFICES TO YAHWEH SPOKE OF FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM Look (blepo) at the nation Israel - (Literally "Israel according to the flesh" indicating the nation of Israel) Look (blepo) is a command in the present imperative calling for us to continually look at the example of Israel. Paul had just described fellowship of NT believers with Jesus and now describes the fellowship the Israelites had with God in the OT. Both were a real sharing. He is preparing them for his warning about sharing or fellowshipping with demons. Are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers (koinonos - participants, communion) in the altar? - Another rhetorical question which expects a "Yes!" NLT = "Weren't they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?" Yes the Israelites who worship by offering sacrifice and who eat the sacrificed animals have a spiritual participation in the altar. The point Paul is making is they not just eating a good steak for dinner! And so for example, in the peace offering part of the sacrifice was offered to Yahweh, the priest took his portion and the offerer received their portion. Paul's point is that those who eat the sacrificial meal are in effect participating with each other and with God Who is being worshipped by the sacrifice. Paul uses the word koinonos here in a positive sense (because Israel was clearly sacrificing to Yahweh), but in 1 Cor 10:20 he uses koinonos in a negative sense describing "sharers in demons." CBL - Paul's mind is on the total Israelite communion (Leviticus 7:15, 16). In these celebrations, there was a recognition of fellowship and service. It was no small thing to eat of the sacrifices offered on the burnt altar in the Jewish temple. Leviticus 7:15-16+ ‘Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning. 16 ‘But if the sacrifice of his offering is a votive or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what is left of it may be eaten; Zodhiates - A descendant of Israel ate of the sacrifices of the temple, and by thus eating, he was confirming his racial descent. By so doing, he expressed agreement with the whole system. Christians participating in the Lords Supper partake of the cup and the bread to affirm their relationship with Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection and coming again (1 Cor. 11:26). As the symbolic act of partaking of the fruit of the vine and the bread is a confirmation of what they represent to the believer, just as the partaking of the sacrificed meat for the "Israelites according to the flesh" was an association with and acceptance of the traditional meaning of the altar in the temple, and this is what Paul wants us to consider (blepo in the present imperative). This illustration that Paul brings from the ceremonial tradition of the Jews confirms his teaching that one does not become a Christian by partaking of the cup and the bread, but contrariwise, he partakes because he is a Christian. Pulpit Commentary on sharers in the altar - The meaning is that, by sharing in the sacrifices, the Jews stood in direct association with the altar, the victims, and all that they symbolized (Deuteronomy 12:27). And Paul implied that the same thing is true of those who sympathetically partook of idol offerings. MacArthur on sharers in the altar - to sacrifice to an idol is to identify with it, to participate with the idol and with all others who sacrifice to it. Religious ceremonies, whether Christian or pagan, involve participation of the worshipers with the object of their worship and with each other. Thus it is completely inconsistent for believers to participate in any expression of worship that is apart from and contrary to their Lord. Note Paul uses the same family of Greek words in 1 Cor 10:16 - koinonia (twice), 1 Cor 10:18 and 1 Cor 10:20 - koinonos. Sharers (partakers) (2844(koinonos from koinos = common, shared by all, cf koinonia) is one who participates with another in an enterprise or matter of joint concern. It is one who fellowships and shares something in common with another. He or she takes part in something with someone else. In Lk 5:10 koinonos describes James and John as "partners with Simon" (in the fishing business). In 2 Cor 1:7 Paul says they "you are sharers of our sufferings," In 2 Cor 8:23 Paul describes "Titus (as) my partner and fellow worker." In 2 Pe 1:4 believers are "partakers of the divine nature." Koinonos - 10v in NT - Matt. 23:30; Lk. 5:10; 1 Co. 10:18; 1 Co. 10:20; 2 Co. 1:7; 2 Co. 8:23; Philemon 1:17; Heb. 10:33; 1 Pet. 5:1; 2 Pet. 1:4 Altar (2379) thusiasterion from thusia = that which is offered as a sacrifice - see Altar) refers to any type of altar or object where gifts may be placed and ritual observances carried out in honor of supernatural beings. The majority of the uses of thusiasterion refer to literal altars - (1) the altar of burnt offering of court of tabernacle or temple (Heb 7:13, (2) the altar of incense before the Holy of holies (Lk 1:11) and (3) the (golden) altar in heaven (Rev 8:3, 5, 9:13, 14:18, 16:7). In the NT thusiasterion is employed to refer to a number of different types of altars, including the altar for burnt offerings in the Temple, the altar of incense, the altar which Abraham built, and the heavenly altar mentioned in the book of Revelation. Used one other time in Corinthians - 1 Cor 9:13+ Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share (sunmerizo) from the altar? 1 Corinthians 10:19 What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? Amplified What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is [intrinsically changed by the fact and amounts to] anything or that an idol itself is a [living] thing? Zodhiates What then am I saying? That the idol is something? Or that meat sacrificed to idols is something? NET 1 Corinthians 10:19 Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything? NLT 1 Corinthians 10:19 What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? ESV 1 Corinthians 10:19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? NIV 1 Corinthians 10:19 Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? GNT 1 Corinthians 10:19 τί οὖν φημι; ὅτι εἰδωλόθυτόν τί ἐστιν ἢ ὅτι εἴδωλόν τί ἐστιν; KJV 1 Corinthians 10:19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? YLT 1 Corinthians 10:19 what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? -- ASV 1 Corinthians 10:19 What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? CSB 1 Corinthians 10:19 What am I saying then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? MIT 1 Corinthians 10:19 What, then, do I mean? Am I saying that an idol sacrifice is anything, or thatan idol is anything? NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? NRS 1 Corinthians 10:19 What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? NAB 1 Corinthians 10:19 So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? NJB 1 Corinthians 10:19 What does this mean? That the dedication of food to false gods amounts to anything? Or that false gods themselves amount to anything? GWN 1 Corinthians 10:19 Do I mean that an offering made to a false god is anything, or that a false god itself is anything? BBE 1 Corinthians 10:19 Do I say, then, that what is offered to images is anything, or that the image is anything? that a thing: 1Co 1:28 3:7 8:4 13:2 De 32:21 Isa 40:17 Isa 41:29 2Co 12:11 1 Corinthians 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Cor 8:8 - But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. Zodhiates - A problem arose in Corinth because some believers considered it permissible and consistent with their Christian testimony to partake of meats sacrificed to idols. The main subject of chapters 8, 9, and 10 of 1 Corinthians is that of "things sacrificed to idols" (1 Cor. 8:1). What do I mean then? - (Referring back to 1 Cor 10:16-18) What do I imply then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? - Amplified - "That food offered to idols is [intrinsically changed by the fact and amounts to] anything or that an idol itself is a [living] thing?" NLT = "Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods?" He answer "no" in the next verse. The food/meat per se has no intrinsic spiritual significance, good or bad. The food/meat is by itself neutral, so to speak. Likewise the idol has no spiritual power (contrary to what a lot people think). Regarding whether idols are anything God Himself clearly states "Behold, all of them are (1) false; Their works are (2) worthless, Their (3) molten images are (4) wind and emptiness." (Isa 41:29) Sacrificed to idols (1494) eidolothuton from eidolon = idol + thuo = sacrifice) refers to whatever is sacrificed or offered to an idol such as flesh (pagan sacrifices). meat offered to an idol, remains of victims sacrificed to an idol and reserved for eating. It refers to sacrificial meat, part of which was burned on the altar as the deities’ portion and part was eaten at a solemn meal in the temple, and part was sold in the market (No uses in the Septuagint (in Apocrypha - 4 Macc 5:2 = "ordered the guards to seize each and every Hebrew and to compel them to eat pork and food sacrificed to idols.") Arndt and Gingrich note: "From the Jewish viewpoint it was unclean and there-fore forbidden" (cf. Nu 25:2+; Ps. 106:28). Dean Stanley observes: "This identification of a sacrifice and a feast was carried to the highest pitch among the Greeks. Sacrifices are enumerated by Aristotle and Thucydides amongst the chief means of social enjoyment" Eidolothuton - 9v - Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25; 1 Co. 8:1; 1 Co. 8:4; 1 Co. 8:7; 1 Co. 8:10; 1 Co. 10:19; Rev. 2:14; Rev. 2:20 Idol (1497)(eidolon from eídos = that which is seen, what is visible, figure, appearance) is primarily a phantom, form, image, shadow or likeness. Friberg's summary of eidolon - strictly form, copy, figure; hence (1) an object resembling a person or animal and worshiped as a god idol, image (Rev 9.20); (2) idol, false god, with reference to demonic power involved in idol worship (1Cor 10.19) Eidolon - Acts 7:41; Acts 15:20; Ro 2:22; 1 Co. 8:4; 1 Co. 8:7; 1 Co. 10:19; 1 Co. 12:2; 2 Co. 6:16; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 Jn. 5:21; Rev. 9:20 Related Resources: What is the definition of idolatry? 1 John 5:21 The Peril of Idolatry Why is idol worship such a powerful temptation? What is a graven image? What is the true meaning of the second commandment? Vance Havner - Strange Gods We... preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God. Acts 14:15. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. 1 Thessalonians 1:9. If a native Christian should come from this heathen land to lecture to the saints in America he could easily make our faces red if he chose to speak on idols. He would find more strange gods here than he left behind him. We call our land Christian America and we thank God for all the advantages which we owe to Christianity, but, actually, true Christians in America are a minority group in a pagan land. There is no nation on earth where the first two of the Ten Commandments, to say nothing of the other eight, are broken daily by more people. I heard a missionary say with telling effect that we have no right to give money and send missionaries to foreign lands to preach a Gospel which will cause commotion, divide homes, bring ostracism, suffering and even death, if we are not willing to pay a corresponding price over here. Over there it means giving up idols, and we have no right to hold on to ours. God says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." An idol is someone or something we love more than we love God. America is a land of idolaters, not only outside the professing church, but inside it. We read of those who "feared the Lord, and served their own gods" (II Kings 17:33). Their number today is legion. Yet the Word of God tells us to "flee from idolatry" (I Cor. 10:14); asks, "What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" (II Cor. 6:16), and commands, "Keep yourselves from idols" (I John 5:21). If we are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and if an idol is something we love more than we love God or something we love too much, then we must get rid of our idols if we are to love God as we ought. When Jacob prepared to go back to Bethel, he said to his household and all that were with him, "Put away the strange gods that are among you" (Gen. 35:2). It is the first thing to do if we are going back to Bethel! When Gideon heard the call of God he threw down the altar of Baal. When Ephesus was awakened by Paul many brought their books of "curious arts" together and burned them in public. When men turn to God they turn from vanities and idols. What are some of the strange gods today? We read of "the god of this world" (II Cor. 4:4), "the prince of this world" (John 12:31), "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit which now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2). This present world system, politically, economically, socially, educationally, religiously, is under the devil and the whole world lies in the Wicked One. He is the god of most people, and plenty of church members pay him allegiance. Yet the Word of God tells us plainly not to love the world, or the things that are in the world, and that if we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us. This is not a Christian era, it is a pagan age and there are more heathen than ever. If Satan is the god of this age, then the love of this world system is idolatry. Worldliness means far more than card playing, dancing, and theater going. It means being occupied with this world and its concerns to the exclusion or neglect of eternal issues. It means "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling, planting and building," as in the days of Noah and Lot, until judgment overtakes us unprepared. "As it was in the days of Noah and Lot, so shall it be," said our Lord, and so it is now. Just try being an out-and-out Christian in the present world of business, politics, society, economics, education, or even religion, and you will soon find out who runs it! Travel, as I have to do, in the midst of Sodom and Gomorrah, and you will find that this present setup is not catering to Christians! I can remember a day, for instance, when smokers used to ask, "Does my smoking bother you?" Now, if it bothers, you can get off the train or out of the room! How often am I awakened on Pullmans in the middle of the night inhaling second-hand tobacco fumes from the pulmonary exhaust of some poor slave who, although the sign in the car expressly forbids it, must have his nicotine before morning! And since three out of four adults smoke, nobody pays much attention any more to the rights of the few who still do not use their noses for chimneys. Wade through the stench of beer and liquor and the blasphemy of both men and women in our public places, and you will soon realize that the millennium has not yet set in. Try being a Christian in the world of education. No influence on earth has contributed more to the paganization of America than our Godless schools. There is still some Christian education to be had where Jesus Christ is still recognized on some college campuses, but the trend is away from God, not only in the secular schools but in many church schools founded to help perpetuate the Gospel but now become infidel factories and breeding grounds of atheism. The god of this age and the ruler of this world set-up is Satan, and the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are still the supreme interests of men. We do not have a revival because our churches are filled with idolaters who cannot go up to Bethel, because they will not put away their strange gods. "Ye adulterers and adultresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." When Christians love the world more than they love God, they are idolaters and adulterers, and we should be jealous for them with a godly jealousy, for they have been espoused to one husband and married to Christ. Paul names another class of idolaters, numerous in these last days, "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" (II Tim. 3:4). Too many, even among our professing Christians, can play but cannot pray, know the names of the movie stars but cannot name the books of the Bible, can find Amos and Andy on the radio but would have trouble locating Amos and Andrew in the Bible. They know the baseball scores but not what the score is in God's Word. They yell like Comanche Indians at football games and sit like wooden Indians in church. They can weep over the glycerin tears of Hollywood divorcees and sit dry-eyed while missionaries plead for lost millions without God and without hope in this world. The day is long gone when the movie was mere entertainment. Today it is a cult. The actors and actresses are actually called "idols," the theater is the church, the screen is the altar, the onlookers are the worshipers. It is idolatry in a vile and potent form. We are told again that "the love of money is the root of all evil" (I Tim. 6:10). Add the rest of that verse and fill in the name of some Bible character who was ruined by money and see how it works out: "The love of money is the root of all evil: which while Achan, or Gehazi, or Balaam coveted after, he erred from the faith, and pierced himself through with many sorrows." How it fits! And how many it fits today! No wonder Paul says next, "But thou, O man of God, flee these things." The love of money gets into the pulpit, and while we would hardly expect a man to enter the ministry for money, he may worship Mammon before he gets out. The prophet sometimes turns racketeer and goes the way of Balaam. Others suppose that gain is godliness and make a lucrative business out of their Christian profession, advance their worldly interests by claiming to be Christians, and make piety a cloak for covetousness. "They imagine that religion is a paying concern" and that gain is godliness, which is contrary to what Paul teaches, that "godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." The love of money gets into the church and we behold the modern counterpart of Abraham letting the King of Sodom make him rich. It is a sad spectacle when churches and denominations accept the gifts and endowments of the world in spite of plain Scripture that God's work must be supported by God's people God's way. Ezra would not accept help from outsiders, but the church has forgotten how to say "No" to the subtle offers of the Adversary. The love of money is idolatry, and the church of God, as well as the man of God, will do well to "flee these things." The Word of God teaches, not the denial of money on one hand or its deification on the other, but its dedication, and if there were fewer Christians worshiping the golden calf there would be more rejoicing around the fatted calf as prodigal sons come to God. In Philippians Paul speaks of those whose god is their physical appetites: "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things." Now note the contrast: "For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." In that day the Greeks of the Epicurean philosophy enjoyed the pleasures of the body and majored on it. Certainly, the description fits the modern age with its glorification of the physical, "whose glory is in their shame." Over against that we are reminded that Christians are a colony of heaven and that our conduct should befit our citizenship. We have let liberty run to license. Even stout fundamentalists who claim they want to hear God's Word do not warm up to such passages that conflict with their enjoyments. We are not legislating conduct, and realize that what is considered good decorum in one part of the country is frowned on in another. There is a conscience on tobacco in one area, on movies in another, on mixed bathing in another. The tobacco user resents bearing down on "filthiness" and too close an application of verses about the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Movie-goers would have you touch lightly on "unfruitful works of darkness." And mixed bathers who appear half clad pass quickly over that verse about "modest apparel." Some of us still like to see autumn come, when the saints are at least clothed if not in their right minds! Some appetites are natural and are to be governed with temperance; others are acquired, and many of them are to be denied with total abstinence. Any may become gods and master us. The eater must put a knife to his throat if given to appetite. Of course, from one extreme in Philippians some run to the other in Colossians. Faddists with a sprig of celery in one hand and a leaf of lettuce in the other need to remember that meats are to be received with thanksgiving, for every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. Yet Christians do dig their graves with their teeth, and McCheyne claimed that the devil could defeat a preacher by making him a lover of good eating. Bunyan said the effect of many a sermon was ruined by a Sunday dinner. Were those old-timers too introspective and ascetic? Well, when a preacher really begins a closer walk with God, you will find him thumbing the pages of these old saints and not chumming with the happiness boys. Certainly, the human body is the god of millions, and our hospitals, asylums and penitentiaries are filled with worshipers of the flesh. If you are a slave to any appetite you are an idolater. Put away your strange gods and go back to Bethel! Our Lord said, "He that loveth father or mother, son or daughter, more than me is not worthy of me." Of course, most of us do not love our loved ones enough, but even at that, we may love them more than we love God. When Abraham offered Isaac, whatever else it proved, it showed that Isaac was not Abraham's god. There is one other idol I would mention. Many a man who does not worship at any of the shrines I have mentioned goes into idolatry here. We are told that in the last days men will be "lovers of their own selves" (II Tim. 3:2). There is a sense in which we are to love ourselves, for we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, but many a man makes himself his god. A popular song used to run, I love me, I love me, I'm wild about myself. Our Lord said that if we followed Him, we must deny self. The Macedonians first gave themselves. A man may renounce all other false deities and worship at the shrine of self. It is the hardest idol to overthrow. A lot of religious activity today is simply old Adam operating under the auspices of the church. Ministerial ambition, denominational pride, and the energy of the flesh in general, try to do the work of the Spirit. The egotist parades himself and calls it his testimony. The gossip's tongue is as sharp as ever, only it is now not criticism but "my honest opinion." Cover it up in the language of the Gospel, perfume it with rhetoric, throw in a few tears for effect, but when translated it still reads, I love me, I love me, I'm wild about myself. What is your idol? Put away the strange gods, turn to God from idols. Turn from these vanities to serve the living and true God. The dearest idol I have known, Whate'er that idol be, Help me to tear it from Thy throne And worship only Thee. A missionary noticed in his congregation a native clutching tightly in his hand an image of his idol. As the speaker presented the Gospel, the hand gradually relaxed, until with a soft thud the idol struck the floor. Would that there might be a letting go of our idols in the church these days! Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; I want Thee forever to live in my soul. Break down every idol, cast out every foe, Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. James Nicholson Rick Renner - Don’t Play Around the Edge of a Dangerous Cliff! What say I then? That the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 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.— 1 Corinthians 10:19,20 It cannot be overstated just how important idol worship was to the pagans of the ancient world. People were intoxicated with the worship of their gods and goddesses. Pagan temples were built in vast numbers in cities everywhere, and idol worship permeated every facet of life. For believers at the time, it was unavoidable to live in that world and not occasionally walk by an idol, since they were positioned in homes, on streets, and in key locations throughout every city. These environments were spiritually dangerous, and Paul strictly forbade any believer from setting foot on their premises. However, shunning temples posed a challenge for certain believers in New Testament times because the best meat in town was sold on temple grounds. After meat had been offered as a burnt sacrifice to an idol, temple workers removed it from the altar and placed in the temple meat market, where it was sold for public consumption. So to purchase the best meat in town, one had to physically go inside a pagan temple and look over the meat selection. As a result of this exposure, some began to fall back under the old influences from which they had been delivered. Paul knew that being so physically close to those spiritually dark environments was too great a risk for these believers. So he urged them to stay away from those sites, lest they fall back under the influence of the demonic powers from which Christ had delivered them. He wrote, “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry…” (1 Corinthians 10:14). The word “flee” in this verse is the Greek word pheugete, which means to run as fast as possible or to take flight. Furthermore, the tense Paul used for this word conveys that his readers were to constantly flee from idolatry with no exception. He was emphatically stating that idolatry should never be tolerated under any circumstances — not then, not now, not ever. These environments were simply too detrimental for believers who had already been delivered from a life of idolatrous practices. As an analogy, consider a person who has been delivered from alcohol. Once Christ set him free, it would be foolish for him to meet people in a bar because that environment might lure him back into the habit of drinking again. A bar is simply a dangerous environment for an individual who has been set free from an alcoholic addiction. Common sense says he shouldn’t go there. Another example would be someone who has recently quit smoking. Hanging out with smokers would create a temptation to light up a cigarette and start smoking again; therefore, common sense dictates that it is better for someone who formerly smoked cigarettes to stay away from those who still smoke so he or she can remain free. That may mean choosing a new set of friends, but severing these ties from the past is a far better option than slipping back into bondage with cigarettes. When Paul addressed the subject of idolatry in First Corinthians, he made it clear that an idol in and of itself is nothing. Rather, it was the environment in which idolatry was practiced that was so dangerous because demonic activity permeated it. In the dark, spiritually charged environment of these pagan temples, the spirit realm was stirred up under the guidance of the priests and priestesses, and demon spirits were drawn to these grounds like moths to a flame. It is a biblical command to flee from the presence of evil because it is foolish to blatantly put ourselves at risk in a detrimental environment. We may not fall off the edge of a cliff simply by standing near it, but playing around the cliff’s edge greatly increases the danger of slipping. Keeping a safe distance from the edge assures us that we will not slip and fall. Therefore, although we rejoice in the truth that declares, “Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4), we must also remember the same epistle likewise commands us, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). There is great potential spiritual damage and harm that you can subject yourself to by simply being in a wrong spiritual environment where there is an evil influence. Christ required that believers live a life of holiness and use spiritual common sense to stay away from the crumbling edge of a spiritually dangerous cliff. He had called them out of darkness into His marvelous light (see 1 Peter 2:9), and He knew that skirting around the edges of darkness was not the way for His children to flourish. Thus, the Holy Spirit pleaded with New Testament readers through the apostle Peter: “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:14-16). Living far from the edge of darkness, evil, and worldliness is what Christ demands. By adhering to this command, those early believers who were once bound by a lifestyle of darkness and sin could continue enjoying the freedom that Christ had purchased for them on the Cross with His own blood. The same is true for us today. We need to use common sense about where we go and with whom we choose to spend our time. Christ has set us free, but just because we’re free doesn’t mean we can play around the edge of the cliff! MY PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, I ask You to help me use common sense to know the places that I need to avoid to maintain my spiritual freedom. I know that I am free. I know that Christ’s power in me is greater than any force around me. But Your Word clearly teaches me to avoid those detrimental environments that once held sway in my life. So in obedience to Your Word, I deliberately choose to change my way of doing things, lest I place myself in spiritual jeopardy. Holy Spirit, I ask You to help me be sensitive to discern when I am in a wrong place or with a wrong group — and to show me how to graciously leave when I know it’s time for me to be going! I pray this prayer in Jesus’ name! MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY I confess that I will no longer intentionally place myself in positions that are too close to the edge of the cliff. Christ has set me free, but I don’t need to play around or fellowship in the sinful places from which Jesus liberated me. I admit that I’ve made this mistake in the past, but I will not make it any longer. The Holy Spirit within gives me wisdom and common sense to recognize when I’m in a detrimental environment, and He gives me the courage to exit these situations so I can keep moving forward. I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name! QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER 1. Since most of us do not live in places where actual idolatry is practiced today, what is the application of these truths for you and me? 2. Can you name environments or places that you need to avoid because they would tempt you to fall back into old patterns or habits from which Christ has already delivered you? 3. Do you know anyone who was freed from sin, but fell back into it as a result of hanging out at the wrong places with the wrong people? 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. Amplified No, I am suggesting that what the pagans sacrifice they offer [in effect] to demons (to evil spiritual powers) and not to God [at all]. I do not want you to fellowship and be partners with diabolical spirits [by eating at their feasts]. Zodhiates - But what the heathen sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and absolutely not to God. By no means do I want you to become partakers of the demons. NET 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. NLT 1 Corinthians 10:20 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. ESV 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. NIV 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. GNT 1 Corinthians 10:20 ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἃ θύουσιν, δαιμονίοις καὶ οὐ θεῷ [θύουσιν]· οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς κοινωνοὺς τῶν δαιμονίων γίνεσθαι. KJV 1 Corinthians 10:20 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. YLT 1 Corinthians 10:20 no, but that the things that the nations sacrifice -- they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons. ASV 1 Corinthians 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. CSB 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, but I do say that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to participate with demons! MIT 1 Corinthians 10:20 On the contrary, what they sacrifice they offer to demons, and not to God. I do not want you to be in community with demons. NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. NRS 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. NAB 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, I mean that what they sacrifice, (they sacrifice) to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons. NJB 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, it does not; simply that when pagans sacrifice, what is sacrificed by them is sacrificed to demons who are not God. I do not want you to share with demons. GWN 1 Corinthians 10:20 Hardly! What I am saying is that these sacrifices which people make are made to demons and not to God. I don't want you to be partners with demons. BBE 1 Corinthians 10:20 What I say is that the things offered by the Gentiles are offered to evil spirits and not to God; and it is not my desire for you to have any part with evil spirits. sacrifice: Lev 17:7 De 32:16-17 2Ch 11:15 Ps 106:37-39 2Co 4:4 Rev 9:20 1 Corinthians 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: 1 Corinthians 8:4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. Deuteronomy 32:16-17 “They made Him jealous with strange gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. 17 “They sacrificed to demons who were not God, To gods whom they have not known, New gods who came lately, Whom your fathers did not dread. 2 Chronicles 11:15 He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs (GOAT IDOLS) and for the calves which he had made. Psalm 106:37-39 They (ISRAEL) even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, 38 And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood. 39 Thus they became unclean in their practices, And played the harlot in their deeds. Dinner with the Demons in an Idol's Temple No - Answering the question in 1 Cor 10:20. But - Alla is a strong adversative. So now Paul offers a contrast with the general premise that food/meat is spiritually neutral. It is not the food/meat that is the problem, but it is to whom the food/meat is offered. I say that the things which the (unsaved, pagan) Gentiles (present tense - continually) sacrifice (thuo), they sacrifice (thuo) to demons and (absolutely) not to God - Amplified - "I am suggesting that what the pagans sacrifice they offer [in effect] to demons (to evil spiritual powers)" The pagans were sacrificing to their idols. The idols did not represent true gods, but behind the idols were demons. Paul says the Gentiles (unsaved Gentiles), aka pagans, were in effect offering their food/meat to demons, and clearly not to the one true living God. R C H