1Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, about our ancestors. All of them were under the cloud and all crossed the sea. 2All underwent the baptism of the land and of the sea to join Moses 3and all of them ate from the same spiritual manna 4and all of them drank from the same spiritual drink. For you know that they drank from a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was Christ. 5However, most of them did not please God, and the desert was strewn with their bodies.
6All of this happened as an example for us, so that we might not become people of evil desires, as they did.
7Do not follow idols, as some of them did, and Scripture says: The people sat down to eat and drink and stood up for orgy. 8Let us not fall into sexual immorality as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them fell dead. 9And let us not tempt the Lord as some of them did, and were killed by serpents; 10nor grumble as some of them did and were cut down by the destroying angel.
11These things happened to them as an example, and they were written as a warning for us, as the last times come upon us. 12Therefore, if you think you stand, beware, lest you fall. 13No trial greater than human endurance has overcome you. God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond your strength. He will give you, together with the temptation, the strength to escape and to resist.
14Therefore, dear friends, shun the cult of idols.
15 ① I address you as intelligent persons; judge what I say. 16The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion with the blood of Christ? And the bread that we break, is it not a communion with the body of Christ? 17The bread is one, and so we, though many, form one body, sharing the one bread.
18Consider the Israelites. For them, to eat of the victim is to come into communion with its altar.
19What does all that mean? That the meat is really consecrated to the idol, or that the idol is a being. 20However, when the pagans offer a sacrifice, the sacrifice goes to the demons, not to God. I do not want you to come into fellowship with demons. 21You cannot drink at the same time from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons. You cannot share in the table of the Lord and in the table of the demons. 22Do we want, perhaps, to provoke the jealousy of the Lord? Could we be stronger than he?
Practical solutions
23 ② Everything is lawful for me, but not everything is to my profit. Everything is lawful for me, but not everything builds up: 24let no one pursue his own interests, but the interests of the other.
25Eat, then, whatever is sold at the market, and do not raise questions of conscience about it. 26Be cause: the earth and whatever is on it belongs to the Lord. 27If someone who does not share your faith invites you, go and eat of anything served to you without problems of conscience. 28However, if somebody tells you that the meat is from the offerings to idols, then do not eat out of consideration for those warning you and for the sake of their conscience.
29I say: “In consideration of their conscience,” not of yours, for is it convenient that my rights be misinterpreted by them and their conscience? 30Is it good that I bring on me critics for some good thing I am sharing and for which I will give thanks?
31Then, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. 32Give no offense to the Jews, or to the Greeks, or to the Church of God, 33just as I try to please everyone in everything. I do not seek my own interest, but that of many, this is: that they be saved.
- 1 Cor 10,15 And the bread that we break, is it not a communion with the body of Christ? (v. 16). Paul will return to speak of the Eucharist in 11:18. This communion through the body and blood of the Risen Christ, besides being a personal encounter with Christ, makes of all of us one body. We form one body. This does not only mean that we feel united, but that the Risen Christ unites us to himself and, so doing, gives the community new strength. The idol is nothing. The idol in itself was just a material thing, like an image. Yet the Jews thought (and Paul also mentions it) that the cult of idols was addressed to the devils. In fact, when people are now being dragged along by crazy trends or rhythms, or attitudes, and sacrifice to their idols what their families need for survival, and make themselves dependent on mortals, we know that in reality they are serving the devil. 1 Cor 10,23 Everything is lawful for me, but not everything is to my profit (v. 23). Paul draws the same practical deductions as in 8:1-13. Except in the cases mentioned, where the believer refuses to share directly in something evil, the supreme rule of conduct will be to seek what is good and respect the conscience of others.
- 1 Cor 10,15 And the bread that we break, is it not a communion with the body of Christ? (v. 16). Paul will return to speak of the Eucharist in 11:18. This communion through the body and blood of the Risen Christ, besides being a personal encounter with Christ, makes of all of us one body. We form one body. This does not only mean that we feel united, but that the Risen Christ unites us to himself and, so doing, gives the community new strength. The idol is nothing. The idol in itself was just a material thing, like an image. Yet the Jews thought (and Paul also mentions it) that the cult of idols was addressed to the devils. In fact, when people are now being dragged along by crazy trends or rhythms, or attitudes, and sacrifice to their idols what their families need for survival, and make themselves dependent on mortals, we know that in reality they are serving the devil. 1 Cor 10,23 Everything is lawful for me, but not everything is to my profit (v. 23). Paul draws the same practical deductions as in 8:1-13. Except in the cases mentioned, where the believer refuses to share directly in something evil, the supreme rule of conduct will be to seek what is good and respect the conscience of others.
